A Heartless, Bloody Path to Become King

Richard III – Babes with Blades

A somber young man sits alone, bemoaning this “winter of our discontent,” criticizing and scorning his brother’s accession to the throne. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, sees himself as the only true and rightful King of England, not his brother Edward IV. In fact, as Richard festers inside, he’s already begun plotting to insure that his rise to power will happen unimpeded by enemies, friends or family. Richard confesses that he’s “determined to prove a villain” as he schemes to have his brother Clarence, next in line for the crown, conducted to the Tower of London. But this is only the beginning of Richard’s heartless, bloody path to become the King.

Shakespeare’s tragic history play, thought to be written in the late 1500’s, is his second longest (after “Hamlet”). It swiftly moves through the poisonous events that propel Gloucester’s meteoric rise to power. He proves himself over and over again to be just as cruel, callous and cold-blooded as legend has painted him. Richard is a villain and there’s very little remorse felt for him when he gets his just desserts in the final moments of this fateful and violent drama.

However, in this new production by Babes With Blades Theatre Company, Shakespeare’s tale of treachery and terrorism is told in a most unique way. Directed with style, grit and a dash of humor by Richard Costes, this traditionally male story is cast entirely with female, non-binary or gender-fluid actors. Several of the performers play multiple roles, with just a few subtle vocal, costume modifications or hairstyle changes. It’s an intriguing concept and, thanks to Fight Director, Maureen Yasko, the production also provides as much thrilling combat and flashy swordplay as audiences would expect in a production of “Richard III.”   

Another notable difference between this and other productions of Shakespeare’s history play is that it’s presented in a partnership with the University of Chicago’s “Making Inclusive Theatre: Richard III as a Disability Art.” This new layer of inclusiveness adds another level of appreciation for this play. For example, in Mr. Costes’ production, Richard isn’t portrayed as the ugly hunchback of legend. This man-who-would-be-king is played with valor and bravado by Aszkara Gilchrist, a talented, young Chicago-based female Thespian, who also happens to be legally blind. 

This accomplished actor, who’s been seen in productions at Underscore Theatre Company and at the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, creates a powerful central character. She grabs our attention from the get-go with her evil smile and fierce physical presence, sometimes making use of her collapsible white cane as a threatening appendage. Ms Gilchrist has some fine scenes and many moments of brilliance, but needs to work on slowing down her speech. There are times when, if not for the projected text that appears above the stage throughout the production, audiences wouldn’t know what Richard is saying. Unfortunately, this is true of several actors in this production. But Ms Gilchrist uses everything in her arsenal of skills as an extension of her character. 

Richard Costes’ production features a slightly abridged script, but it’s still a long show— at least two-and-a-half hours of playing time. The production is filled, however, with poetic dialogue, potent visuals and sounds, and characters that won’t soon be forgotten. While Ms Gilchrist appropriately dominates the production in the title role, a few of the supporting actors are equally as talented and commanding. 

Accomplished performances are turned in by Kristen Alesia, who is incredible as both Lady Anne and Lord Hastings. I look forward to seeing this talented actor in many more performances around the Windy City. Chicago newcomer, Pat Roche is terrific as Queen Margaret, while also playing a vile Robert Brackenbury, the sadistic Lieutenant of the Tower. I can see a bright future ahead for this versatile actor. Leah Nicole Huskey is articulate and outstanding as both Lord Richard Grey and the Duchess of York. Kayla Marie Klammer proves to be quite a versatile and stellar young actor, playing both Lord Lovell and the Archbishop of Canterbury, with equal skill and perfection. This gifted actress is making her Chicago debut, but hopefully we’ll be seeing a lot more of her work in the coming months. 

 There are other noteworthy performances to be found among this large cast. The two young Princes, who are ultimately murdered in their sleep in the Tower of London, appear as pint-size, faceless puppets, created by talented designer Kat Pleviak and voiced by two ensemble members. Other noteworthy performances can be found in Genesis Sanchez’s stalwart portrayal of Richmond; Jennifer L. Mickelson is very good as Duke of Clarence, Stanley and the Mayor; and Jillian Leff as the Duke of Buckingham has some excellent scenes.

Technically, this production is all over the place. The Edge Theater stage is a wide, often difficult space to fill. Sydney Lynne’s scenic design is, at best, serviceable, but not particularly regal-looking. A set of steps centerstage that has to be repeatedly raised and lowered seems unnecessary. Her work at other theaters has been far more successful. Becca Venable’s lighting design is appropriately dark and moody, often flooding the stage with blood-red illumination, but sometimes making it difficult to identify the characters. kClare McKellaston’s eclectic costumes offer the suggestion of a period production, but ultimately simply look like of a bunch of different fabrics stitched together in strange, but not particularly artistic combinations. In particular, Buckingham’s red, lattice-work vest looks ragged and unfinished. And Jesse D. Irwin has fashioned a suitable sound design for this play, but the inclusion of the characters singing Tom Petty’s contemporary song, “It’s Good to Be King,” seems jarring and unnecessary.    

This is an often arresting and uniquely fascinating production to open Babes With Blades’ 2022 season. For the hearing-impaired, there’s open captioning of the dialogue, accompanied by the name of the character speaking. There’s plenty of “blades” in the show’s carefully choreographed swordplay. It’s a production that, despite some problems, still makes Shakespeare’s sixteenth century drama feel contemporary and accessible. Staged by Richard Costes, the production has its strong points, not the least of which is its inclusion of artists of every gender and from the disability culture. But, among several strong performances provided by this large, talented cast, it’s really Azskara Gilchrist’s evil portrayal of Richard that’s the real reason to admire this courageous production.          

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas    

Presented August 26-October 15 by Babes With Blades at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the theater box office or by going to www.BabesWithBlades.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com