Research your own Shakespeare play: Hamlet, Richard III, Macbeth, Measure for Measure. What is the play about? When was it first performed? Find a contemporary production of the play you can get an idea of and research it in terms of concept, style, design, casting. Give some attention to your own character and their role in the play.
My Shakespeare play was Richard III. The contemporary production I am going to be researching and semi-evaluating is my own.
Richard III was written in 1592 and first performed in November 1633. The play's first performances were presented in daylight on the simple thrust stage of an Elizabethan playhouse. The lack of scenery was a help rather than a hindrance in allowing fast-paced, fluid action, and a focus on the actors and their speech. Music, costume (royal and plebeian), appropriate weaponry and a few essential props were the only things that were required at the time.
 |
| King Richard III |
The Concept, Style, Design and Casting
In a world left in shock due to the ascendancy of the Trump, as the reality of his reign bearing down upon his subjects, we must ask questions. Shakespeare's Richard III does this eloquently for us. We see the death of his competition and the impossible to stop the rise of the Trump (Richard). The civil wars in the play explore the relationships between the Republicans and the Democrats.
In this new version of the play, many of the characters are adhere into a railing crowd baying as Richard swagger's through the play. The crowd includes those disenfranchised by Trump's policies and outlook. I.e. the Mexicans, gays, environmentalists, average people, Muslims, protesters, pundits and a dishevelled statue of liberty.
The stage is a swamp, Trump often refers to draining the swamp. A place where monsters lie and secrets are buried. Within the festering marshland type swamp, the beautifully dressed American political elite mixed with a soupçon of Tudor bling tell the story of the play. The filing cabinets props can be used to help create a kind of Oval office castle.
 |
| Donald Trump's description of 'draining the swamp' |
The character list was designed to fit the politicos of today, The Obamas, The Clintons, Bernie Sanders, Sean Spicer and more. The casting list was clearly and carefully thought through regarding type-casting based on appearance and vocal sounds as well as quality. Intentionally Trump was played by a woman to make comment upon his view of females.
There were points in the play where Trumps love of twitter showed him casting aspersions and prophesying policy through his Twitter feed. The feed was projected in an unusual manner, not on to a cyclorama but instead onto the upper triangle of the White House façade. There were thoughts of placing it on the dome of the Chambers of Congress or the 'T' from Trump tower like a crucifix.
 |
| White House Façade |
 |
| Chambers of Congress |
 |
| 'T' from Trump Tower |
The lighting played a big part as we were going for low level lighting in order to create shadows in particular scenes. The lighting sometimes had complete washes of colour to foreshadow
what the coming scene could possibly consist of. It also added to the enhancement of the atmosphere. The sound was played at specific points, used for transitions and increased the effect to the stage activity in conjunction to what was being said and the theme it was creating.
Basic Plot Outline
After a long civil war between the royal family of York and the royal family of Lancaster, England enjoys a period of peace under King Edward IV and the victorious Yorks. But Edward's younger brother, Richard, resents Edward's power and the happiness of those around him. Malicious, power-hungry, and bitter about his physical deformity, Richard begins to aspire secretly to the throne - and decides to kill anyone he has to, in order to become king.
Using his intelligence and his skills of deception and political manipulation, Richard begins his campaign for the throne. He manipulates a noblewoman, Lady Anne, into marrying him - even though she knows that he murdered her first husband. He has his own older brother, Clarence, executed, and shifts the burden of guilt onto his sick brother King Edward in order to accelerate Edward's illness and death. After King Edward dies, Richard becomes lord protector of England - the figure in charge until the elder of Edward's two sons grows up.
Richard then kills the court noblemen who are loyal to the princes, most notably Lord Hastings, the Lord Chamberlain of England. He then has the boys' relatives on their mother's side - the powerful kinsmen of Edward's wife, Queen Elizabeth - arrested and executed. With Elizabeth and the princes now unprotected, Richard has his political allies, particularly his right-hand man, Lord Buckingham, campaign to have Richard crowned king. Richard then imprisons the young princes in the Tower and sends hired murderers to kill both children.
By this time, Richards reign of terror has caused the common people of England to fear and despise him, and he has devolved nearly all the noblemen of the court - even the power-hungry Buckingham. When rumors begin to circulate about a challenger to the throne who is gathering forces in France, noblemen abandon Richard in multitude to join his forces. The challenger is the Earl of Richmond, a descendant of a secondary arm of the Lancaster family, and England is ready to welcome him.
Richard, in the meantime, tries to consolidate his power. He has his wife, Queen Anne, murdered, so that he can carry marry young Elizabeth, the daughter of the former Queen Elizabeth and the dead King Edward. Though young Elizabeth is his niece, the alliance would secure his claim to the throne. Nevertheless, Richard has begun to lose control of events, and Queen Elizabeth manages to forestall him. Meanwhile, she secretly promises to marry young Elizabeth to Richmond.
Richmond finally invades England. The night before the battle that will decide everything, Richard has a terrible dream in which the ghosts of all the people he has murdered appear and curse him, telling him that he will die the next day. In the battle on the following morning, Richard is killed, and Richmond is crowned King Henry VII. Promising a new era of peace for England, the new king is formally engaged to young Elizabeth in order to unite the warring houses of Lancaster and York.
My Character's Role in the Play
My character was King Edward IV, and my American character mirror image was Barack Obama. As King Edward IV and Barack Obama, my roles in the play were very similar being the fact that I was them both, but just containing a character image. My role was to keep peace within the country and to continue being the great leader I was. I needed to show my country and the people looking up to me, that I am a communal leader and care about the people - and so attended, as well as made a speech for King Henry VI at his funeral. It was then coming to the end of my reign and I was stepping down from being President/King to allow the next in line to take my place. Donal Trump, who was Richard of Gloucester, began to campaign to take my place although not being the next in line and I then had to make a stance to try and prevent that from happening. I was on the Democrats side of the campaign, encouraging people to vote for Hillary Clinton, who was Prince Edward. This became a failure and my role from then on, became to detest King Richard, fight for what I believe is right, and gain more followers and army fighters to defect King Richard; and fight along the allies of the Earl of Richmond, mirrored as Michelle Obama.
 |
| Barack Obama |
 |
| King Edward IV |
