Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC), in association with Seattle Repertory Theatre and San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater, will present Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III, a modern history play, at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street) from February 7–March 12, 2017. The co-production is directed by David Muse, Artistic Director at Studio Theatre and formerly Associate Artistic Director at STC.
Mike Bartlett’s Olivier Award-winning play originated at London’s Almeida Theatre in 2014. It continued on to London’s West End and Broadway and was nominated for five Tony Awards®. Though it is a new play, King Charles III employs the structure and language of a Shakespearean history play, fusing the national scope and poetic grandeur of the histories with shrewd commentary on the modern world of politics and press. Written primarily in Shakespearean blank verse, Bartlett constructs a contemporary Shakespearean drama in our immediate future.
King Charles III tells the story of Prince Charles’ accession to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Having waited a lifetime to become king, Charles prepares for the future of power that lies before him…but what kind of ruler will he make? While spinning a tale of modern royalty, the play balances an exploration of the political—regime change, partisan upheaval, press intrusion—with the personal—integrity, the people underneath the crowns and the allure of power—making the play’s arrival in Washington, D.C. rather timely.
STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn said: “Though audiences and critics were initially dazzled simply by Bartlett’s poetic achievement, recent events have underscored his keen political insight, as well. As Bartlett notes, observing a favourite Shakespearean paradox: the more power one attempts to exercise, the more chaos is sure to follow. In a time of Brexit and Trump, the play feels ever more prophetic. And I can think of few directors more capable of bringing such a challenging, entertaining, ultimately Shakespearean work to life than David Muse.” As the Artistic Director across town at Studio Theatre, David has helmed productions of Bartlett’s other plays including Cock, which won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Play for 2014.
Director David Muse said: “It’s wonderful to return to STC and to direct a Bartlett play again. Like any great Shakespeare play, the themes in King Charles III are bigger than the specifics of history. This play is about a particular moment but also about more universal concerns: the gap between our private and public selves; how we deal with beloved national traditions when they become outmoded and what role principle plays in politics. Those themes will continue to hold our attention for decades.”
Acclaimed Canadian stage and screen actor Robert Joy will assume the title role. Prior to joining the cast of King Charles III, he starred in the Broadway revival of the musical Side Show.
He has performed at some of the nations most renowned theaters including The Old Globe in San Diego, The Public Theater in New York, Williamstown Festival and the New York Shakespeare Festival. He will be joined by first-class performers including Christopher McLinden as Prince William, Jeanne Paulsen as Camilla, Ian Merrill Peakes as Prime Minister Evans, Allison Jean White as Kate and Harry Smith as Prince Harry. Michelle Beck, previously seen at STC as Ophelia in the 2007 production of Hamlet, will play Jessica. Rounding out the company are Bradford Farwell (Mr. Stevens), Jefferson Farber (Cootsy/Sir Michael), Dan Hiatt (James Reiss), Tim Getman (Ensemble) Yesenia Iglesias (Ensemble), Rafael Jordan (Spencer/Kebab Seller), Matthew Aldwin McGee (Ensemble), and Chiara Motley (Ghost/Newspaper Woman).
Scenic Designer and Tony Award® nominee Daniel Ostling, STC Affiliated Artist and Costume Designer Jennifer Moeller, and Lighting Designer Lap Chi Chu will transport the audience to the quintessentially British splendor of the nation’s most majestic and powerful houses, along with Sound Designer Mark Bennett and Movement Director Lisa Townsend. Rounding out the artistic team are Carter C. Wooddell (Resident Casting Director), Lisa Beley (Head of Voice & Text), Sivan Battat (Associate Director), Joseph Smelser (Production Stage Manager) and Elizabeth Clewley (Assistant Stage Manager).
Photo: Robert Joy as King Charles III. ©2017.
2017-02-07
Washington, DC: Canadian actor Robert Joy stars in "King Charles III" February 7-March 12