Gordon Cox Theater EditorThe Public Theater’s storied Free Shakespeare in the Park program is such a beloved summer institution, audiences might be wary of tuning into this year’s pandemic-era iteration: a radio play adaptation of “Richard II,” conceived and directed by Saheem Ali.
But under the proper conditions (a quiet room, no small children or pets underfoot), this WNYC/Public Theater production of “Richard II” exerts unexpected, eerie power.Of all the chronicle plays, this one is the most static.
More psychological tragedy than historical spectacle, “Richard II” also prefigures “Hamlet” in its meditative moments. And while Hamlet is dramatic literature’s most famous procrastinator, King Richard could still teach him a thing or two.
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