Michael Urie and Grantham Coleman on 'Richard II' in 1980s Manhattan

A Modern Take on Shakespeare's 'Richard II'

• 🎭 The new off-Broadway production of Shakespeare's "Richard II" is set in 1980s Manhattan, featuring shoulder pads, mullets, and boxy suits, while retaining the traditional text.
• 👑 Michael Urie plays the vain King Richard, who clashes with his cousin Henry Bolingbroke, portrayed by Grantham Coleman.
• 💰 The plot centers on Richard's greed in taking Bolingbroke's title and inheritance, leading to his exile and significant drama.

Julliard Training and Performance

• 🎓 Both Urie and Coleman are Julliard alumni, emphasizing that Shakespeare training prepares actors for any role.
• 🗣️ They highlight that Shakespeare's works are meant to be spoken and embodied, not just read, making live performance crucial for understanding.
• 💡 Urie shares a specific memory of his Julliard teacher, Robert Neblett, who advised him to physically embody the "hollow crown" speech by picking up a pin and symbolically killing himself.
• 👄 Coleman emphasizes the Julliard focus on vocal dexterity, training actors to use their mouths as instruments to inhabit Shakespearean language.

Adapting 'Richard II' to the 1980s

• 🏙️ The 1980s setting in Manhattan required actors and the director to extrapolate and adapt the play's courtly dynamics to a modern context, finding equivalents for kings and courts.
• 🌟 Coleman notes the 1980s as a time when Black figures began to gain more prominence in society, influencing his portrayal of Bolingbroke, inspired by Billy Dee Williams.
• 🏳️‍🌈 Urie discusses the production's queer sensibility, with King Richard and his inner circle being queer, reflecting the 1980s as a turning point for queer people, particularly in light of the AIDS crisis.
• 💔 The setting also aligns with the play's themes of greed and the beginning of the War of the Roses, mirroring contemporary societal issues.

Character and Thematic Exploration

• 👑 Richard II, as a king, is presented as fearless and exploring his sexuality, with a supportive boyfriend, reflecting the text's implications of his close relationship with his "friend" Omurl.
• ⚖️ Coleman's character, Bolingbroke, accuses a nobleman of treason, which also implicates King Richard, especially concerning the death of Bolingbroke's uncle, Gloucester.
• ⏳ The production uses a memory play framing device, with Richard imprisoned and recalling events, allowing Urie to play two versions of the character: the one in the story and the one remembering it.
• 🕊️ Richard's journey involves grappling with the idea of becoming nothing after losing his kingship, seeking peace with this transition.

Stamina and Future Aspirations

• 🏃‍♂️ Urie, who is on stage for the entire two-and-a-half-hour performance, manages stamina by drawing energy from his castmates and the audience, despite limitations on drinking water.
• 💪 Coleman finds his energy renewed by Urie's performance and the dramatic tension, stating it's one of his favorite roles.
• 🎭 Both actors express a desire to continue performing Shakespeare, with Coleman interested in playing Henry V and Urie eyeing roles like Benedick, Bottom, and Leontes.