Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淜ing Richard II鈥� will rule once again. The award-winning play, co-produced
by 蜜桃传媒 Repertory Theatre and , returns for three shows at , Monday, July 31, through Wednesday, Aug. 2, at 8 p.m.
The production, which played at Trinity last November to rave reviews and sold-out audiences, will participate in the Shakespearean Festival in Gdansk, Poland, Aug. 6-13. 鈥淩ichard II鈥� is part of a yearlong focus on international approaches to the production of Shakespeare that will culminate in the Lit Moon World Shakespeare Festival in October in Santa Barbara.
Last May, 鈥淩ichard II鈥� was honored more than any other production during the 2005-2006 season in Santa Barbara at the 14th annual Independent Theater Awards. The play won four Indys, including direction by John Blondell and performance by Mitchell Thomas. James Connolly won an award for his original music, and New York-based designer Yevgenia Nayberg won an Indy for scenic design.
Blondell says audiences who saw the play during its initial run last November may notice some small changes.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the great things about working on the play-within-a-play for a long time,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e constantly seeing new things in it, and you can continue to make it better.鈥�
Blondell says so much of American theater is built on a relatively short-run format. He says many European theaters retain plays in their repertoire for several years.
鈥淭he artists have an opportunity to live with them for a long period,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e working on Shakespeare or any classic, the material is great enough that it can continue to work on you. What happens in the unfolding of time and culture gives you different ideas for how to express the play. It makes it more like life.鈥�
The local theater company will be the lone U.S. representative at the Gdansk festival, which will include companies from Poland, Russia, Germany, Italy, Romania, England and Iceland. 鈥淩ichard II鈥� will be performed in Gdansk鈥檚 St. John鈥檚 Church, a mid-15th century cathedral.
At Trinity, Blondell will lead a pre-performance discussion at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors. For reservations or more information, please call Karna Humbert in the theater arts department at (805) 565-6040.