2012 Winter/Spring Season January Philip Taaffe, Chorus, 2011 (detail) BAM 2012 Winter/Spring Season sponsor: Published by: BAM 2012 Winter/Spring Brooklyn Academy of Music Bank of America Alan H. Fishman, presents Chairman of the Board William I. Campbell, The Bridge Project Vice Chairman of the Board Adam E. Max, Vice Chairman of the Board Karen Brooks Hopkins, President Richard III Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer Produced by BAM, The Old Vic & Neal Street By William Shakespeare Directed by Sam Mendes BAM Harvey Theater Jan 10—Mar 4, 2012 Approximate running time: three hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission Scenery by Tom Piper Costumes by Catherine Zuber Lighting by Paul Pyant BAM 2012 Winter/Spring sponsor: Projection by Jon Driscoll Sound by Gareth Fry Bank of America is the proud presenting sponsor of Music by Mark Bennett The Bridge Project Musical coordination and direction by Curtis Moore Leadership support for The Bridge Project provided Fight direction by Terry King by Stavros Niarchos Foundation Artistic associate Gaye Taylor Upchurch Bridge Project Production Partners: Celia Atkin; Casting by Daniel Swee and Maggie Lunn John & Samantha Hunt; Donald R. Mullen Jr.; International Tour Producer Claire Béjanin Tony Randall Theatrical Fund; Jon & NoraLee Sedmak; Carol & Ian Sellars; Scott & Kathleen Simpson; and Barbara & David Zalaznick with additional support from Mr. Remmel T. Dickinson; Sophie Hughes; First performance of this production was at The Old Vic, Sharon E. Karmazin; and Peregrine Whittlesey. London, on June 18, 2011 Major support for theater at BAM provided by Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Charitable Trust; The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; Frederick Loewe Foundation; The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.; The Morris & Alma Schapiro Fund; The SHS Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Corinthian Foundation; Gary Lynch & Kate Hall; and Harvey Schwartz & Annie Hubbard. Richard III CAST, IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III Kevin Spacey George, Duke of Clarence, brother to Richard and Edward IV Chandler Williams Brackenbury Howard W. Overshown William, Lord Hastings, Lord Chamberlain Jack Ellis * Lady Anne Annabel Scholey * Queen Elizabeth, wife of King Edward IV Haydn Gwynne * Lord Rivers, brother of Queen Elizabeth Isaiah Johnson Lord Grey, son of Queen Elizabeth Nathan Darrow Marquess of Dorset, son of Queen Elizabeth Gavin Stenhouse * Duke of Buckingham Chuk Iwuji * Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby Michael Rudko Queen Margaret, widow of King Henry VI Gemma Jones * First Murderer Gary Powell * Second Murderer Jeremy Bobb King Edward IV Andrew Long Duchess of York, mother of King Edward IV, Richard and Clarence Maureen Anderman Bishop of Ely Andrew Long Young Richard Duke of York, Son of King Edward IV Katherine Manners * Young Edward Prince of Wales, song and her of King Edward IV Hannah Stokely * Lord Mayor of London Howard W. Overshown Sir William Catesby Jeremy Bobb Sir Richard Ratcliffe Stephen Lee Anderson Sir Francis Lovel Gary Powell Scrivner Isaiah Johnson Sir James Tyrrel Simon Lee Phillips * Henry, Earl of Richmond Nathan Darrow Duke of Norfolk Simon Lee Phillips * Citizens, Nurse, and other roles played by members of the company. MUSICIANS Keyboards, vocals, percussion Curtis Moore Percussion Hugh Wilkinson * * UK members, denoted with an asterisk, are appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association. The other members, from the US, are appearing with the permission of UK Equity, incorporating Variety Artistes’ Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity. The Producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance of this production. Musicians employed in this production are appearing with the permission of Society of London Theatre/Musician Union and represented by the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians. Co-commissioned by and produced in association with Athens and Epidaurus Festival, Centro Niemeyer Spain, Doha Film Institute, Hong Kong Arts Festival, The Istanbul Theatre Festival (IKSV) & The Istanbul Municipal Theatre, Kay and McLean Productions, Napoli Teatro Festival Italia, SHN-Carole Shorenstein-Hays & Robert Nederlander, and Singapore Repertory Theatre. Richard III UNDERSTUDIES Richard, Duke of Gloucester Andrew Long George, Duke of Clarence / Bishop of Ely Gavin Stenhouse * Brackenbury / Sir William Catesby / Henry, Earl of Richmond Isaiah Johnson Lord Hastings Gary Powell * Lady Anne / Queen Elizabeth / Scrivener Katherine Manners * Lord Rivers / Sir James Tyrrel / Duke of Norfolk Howard W. Overshown * Lord Grey / Marquess of Dorset / Second Murderer / Lord Mayor / Sir Richard Ratcliffe Simon Lee Phillips * Duke of Buckingham Jeremy Bobb Lord Stanley / First Murderer / King Edward IV Stephen Lee Anderson Queen Margaret / Duchess of York Hannah Stokely * Young Richard Duke of York / Young Edward Prince of Wales Annabel Scholey * * UK members, denoted with an asterisk, are appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity. ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION CREDITS Associate Lighting Designer Dan Large Associate Director Bruce Guthrie Associate Sound Designer Ross Chatfield Production Manager Dominic Fraser Associate Composer Matthew Henning Production Co-coordinator Audrey Hoo Production Carpenter Tom Humphrey Production Stage Manager Richard Clayton Deputy Head of Wardrobe Louise Askins Assistant Stage Manager Jenefer Tait Wardrobe Dresser Dean Nichols Assistant Stage Manager Samantha Watson Wigs Mistress Anna Morena Production Electrician Andrew Furby Tour Press Representative Jo Allan for Projection Engineer Pradeep Dash Jo Allan PR Associate Costume Designer Jonathan Lipman PRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Projection Equipment supplied by Costume Supervisor—London Sharon Marlow Stage Sound Services Costumes and wigs supplied by Flying effects by High Performance Angels Costumes London Set Constructed by Scott Fleary Scenery Wigs for Haydn Gwynne by Campbell Young Set Painted by Richard Nutbourne Sound Equipment by Autograph Sound Special thanks to Yamaha Pianos PRODUCERS’ NOTE The Producers would like to acknowledge the extraordinary support of Bank of America, which has allowed The Bridge Project to have a profound impact on audiences worldwide. Richard III DIRECTOR’S NOTE When you choose to mount a production of Richard III, you take a risk. The play itself forms the final chapter of Shakespeare’s massive Wars of the Roses cycle, and many of the characters and historical events would already have been known to a contemporary audience. When produced on its own, outside of its context, you lose these references. But you gain something too. What could be a play simply about an English King becomes, perhaps, more universal. No longer solely about a single monarch, but now about the timeless themes of desire for and abuse of power. A parable. Shakespeare himself might have been surprised at the way in which history has validated his vision in the 400 years since the play’s first performance. While we rehearsed and performed this production, for example, the world saw the Arab Spring and the downfall of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. As has been said before, Shakespeare is indeed our contemporary. This production of Richard III marks the final installment of The Bridge Project, the three-year experiment mixing actors from the US and the UK in order to explore some of the great classical plays, and tour them to all corners of the globe. It seems fitting that this final production should directly feature all of the three key figures in setting up that initiative: BAM’s Joseph Melillo as producer, myself as director, and of course Kevin Spacey as leading actor. His Richard III has played The Old Vic in London, in front of 14,000 in the open air at Epidaurus in Greece, and in Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Istanbul, San Francisco, Naples, Aviles (Spain), Sydney, and Doha. The Bridge Project has been an exhilarating time of experiment, travel, and discovery. Many memories have been made, and new friends also. It seems fitting that its journey should end where it began exactly three years ago: in the wonderful BAM Harvey Theater. We hope you enjoy the company’s final production. —Sam Mendes INTRODUCTION TO RICHARD III The Wars of the Roses is over. Or so it seems... England has just endured its bloodiest civil war with the House of York claiming victory and the crown from the house of Lancaster. It seems that peace will now reign with King Edward. However, the seeds of hate have been sown deep in England’s war-scorched earth, and this peace has been built on postwar resentment and grudges which are neither forgiven nor forgotten. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, brother to King Edward, had found his calling in those times of war. Although deformed since birth, he has been instrumental in the victory of the house of York over Lancaster. Feeling he has been cast aside now that he has served his purpose, he yearns for conflict and revenge. Now, he turns his attention to creating a war within in order to fulfill his “secret close intent:” to become the King of England. Richard will lie, cheat, and kill to make this ambition a reality. In this time of peace, no one is safe. Richard III Kevin Spacey, Annabel Scholey Photo: Alastair Muir ABOUT RICHARD III—RICHARD, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, HOUSE OF YORK Richard is the youngest surviving brother of King Edward IV. He is physically deformed, but is fiercely intelligent and a very able soldier, having already murdered King Henry VI and his son Prince Edward before the action of the play begins. He is hungry for power and plots his way to becoming King of England. He is manipulative and devious, but also charming and charismatic, and frequently addresses the audience as his closest allies. He marries Prince Edward’s widow, Lady Anne, orchestrates the murder of his brother George, Duke of Clarence; and after the death of his eldest brother, Edward IV, arranges the murders of his young nephews Edward V and Richard, Duke of York.