THEATER REVIEW: The Chanticleer crows with inaugural production of “Richard III”
By Heather Parish
Chanticleer Shakespeare finally takes its maiden voyage as a professional theater company with “Richard III” at the Warnors Theatre.
A undertaking over a year in the making and funded, in part, by a Measure P grant, the company claims to be the “beginning of something truly unprecedented in Fresno’s cultural landscape.” Specifically: a company presenting under a modified LORT agreement with professional contracts in line with what is typically used in professional regional theaters across the United States. One-third of the credits for the cast and crew are Equity contracts in this production.
In many ways, it shows. The production is well designed and benefits from the rich experience of the entire cast. While there is room to grow, Chanticleer’s debut outing sets a firm foundation for the future.
Related story: THEATER PREVIEW: Jacqueline Antaramian embraces the possibilities of Chanticleer’s inaugural production of ‘Richard III’
“Richard III” is a tricky choice to launch a new company, but Brad Myers’ staging of Blake Ellis’ adaptation keeps things moving apace. As one of Shakespeare’s earlier tragedies, its original incarnation has a cast list of 45 and a three-hour run time. However, Ellis manages to cut the script to the essentials without losing any of its best moments ,and Myers delivers the play in under two hours with no intermission. The presentation is heavily atmospheric, but also funny at times.
The English duke, Richard of Gloucester (played by Ellis, the artistic director of the company), decides — for whatever reason — that he should be king and proceeds to kidnap, stab, slash, and behead his way through everyone in the line of succession in front of him. Ellis delivers a performance long on simpering justifications and snide asides, but short on menace. Meticulously spoken and openly cavalier, Ellis hits the marks of a solid Richard, but falls just short of illuminating his visceral desperation in the final act. Overall, though, Ellis moves through the paces with a lightness in his limp.
The strongest scenes are those fueled by the women in the play, who on opening night illuminated their roles so distinctly and powerfully that I wrote in my notes, “Why did I not notice W.S. wrote women’s voices so richly so early?” Jacqueline Antaramian (Queen Elizabeth), Kathleen McCall (Duchess of York), and Leslie Martin (Queen Margaret) shape their characters with regal ferocity and clarity of purpose that crackles, especially when working together in a scene. Antaramian, in particular, integrates Elizabeth’s maternal nature with her rhetorical brilliance so effectively, one wonders who would dare challenge her politically. McCall carries the second-hand guilt of being Richard’s mother so elegantly, her heartbreak sits right alongside her rage. And Martin’s Margaret pours her own deep grief into a series of curses that casts a pall over the stage.
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Alexandra Everbach’s Lady Anne has a trickier time of it, having to shift from violent anger at Richard to acceptance of his proposal in a single scene. Everbach gives everything she’s got — rage, curiosity, appeasement, hope — to make the moment work. And it almost does, which is a testament to her skill, Ellis’s support and Myers’ scene direction.
The supporting cast features a bevy of distinctive performances including the delightful character work of George Mount (King Edward/Lord Mayor) and Cameron Varner (Clarence/Oxford). The various political factions and plotting courtiers portrayed by locals Brandon Weis (Buckingham), Darren Tharp (Hastings), R.L. Preheim (Stanley), and Grant Hill (Rivers) are polished to a shine and hold their own with the Equity actors. As Richard’s henchmen Catesby and Ratcliffe, Marika Christine Leal and James Anderson portray a bloodthirsty pair with a distinctive, controlled flair in contrast to the innocence of their quarry Sage Rivera (Prince Edward), Brandi Martin (Young York), and Addison Rollins (Young Elizabeth). And finally, Travon Gaddis’ appearance as Richmond (Henry Tudor, father of Henry VIII), is a breath of fresh air, delivering his speeches with verve, just as the rest of the characters are tired of the fight.
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All in all, the cast is a cohesive unit with the local talent finding their footing in the same world as the principal leads.
This grand, tragic pageant happens against a highly technical backdrop, with scenic design by Dan Aldape, utilizing digital panels (perhaps Mediamesh or some other LED curtain?) displaying various textures and backdrops to give the large space structure and detail. Brandi Martin’s lighting design is cold and efficient, separating out key moments with only a few missteps (blinding the audience during the infamous Battle of Bosworth Field, for one). The costumes by Kelly Pantzlaff Curry are a mishmash of flowing garb, militant post-apocalyptic, and politician pinstripes, but given the ‘out-of-time-and-space’ setting, they generally work.
Overall, Myers’ direction has pulled together a lot of elements, resources, and skill levels into a cohesive whole that is clear, accessible, and an entertaining launch to a new Fresno endeavor.
“Richard III” continues at the Warnors Center for the Performing Arts through June 15.
