Panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized Cincinnati Shakespeare Company“™s Richard IIwith an LCT nomination for lead actor (Brent Vimtrup) and lighting design (Andrew Hungerford), as well as distinguishing it as a recommended production.
Richard II is an epic tale of fading power that sheds a light on the deterioration of a kingdom and the isolation of power. King Richard exiles his noblemen while seizing their land to carry on his own wars. As dissent continues to grow, a fight for the true heart of England begins and one man’s celestial right to rule is called into question creating the genesis of the “œWar of the Roses“.
Panelists praised Brent Vimtrup“™s portrayal of Richard II as “œoriginal, specific, and fascinating“; he “œarticulated the words and feelings so well as he held Shakespeare’s jewels up to the light and they sparkled.“ Andrew Hungerford“™s lighting created “œvery ominous and haunting images“; the lighting was “œpowerful and nuanced“. Of the play as a whole, one panelist commented, “œCredit the CSC for making a complex story with multiple characters accessible to the general audience and creating a coherent vision of a world torn between the ideal of divine rule and the reality of an incompetent monarch.“
Richard II continues through February 3rd. Tickets can be purchased at www.cincyshakes.com.
Final LCT awards will be determined at the end of the season and announced at the LCT gala in the spring.
