I Ivge rock at the 'Box... Come to the Lunchbox this Saturday 21 John St.) for the cello-powered emo of Utah, who are playing along with Presidio, Showshane, Bargos Steeler and Fell in a Well. michigandaily.lom /arts AONS ~ FRIDAY MARCH 9, 2001 5A 'A HORSE! A HORSE! MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE! Masterful RSC to present lesson in, f for U' visi Costumes bring plays to life By Charity Atchison Daily Arts Writer The Royal Shakespeare Company will premiere "Richard III" tomor- row as part of its presentation of S espeare's Histories. The marathon viewing of the cycle is not for the weak of heart: With nine hours of Shakespeare in one after- noon, the experience should be a *6 Royal Shakespeare Company ower Center March 10 -18 experience that rewarding to those take the+ one who chal- lenge. University E n g l i s h Professor Ralph Williams, who was in Stratford when RSC pre- sented the Henry trilogy, said that "the audience came out feeling they had a profound drew on them. Soeone said 'I expected to be tired, bR am not.' It was very powerful, intense, but not an experience from which one emerges tired." The plays Henry VI, parts I, II and III and Richard III were written very early in Shakespeare's career. A per- son with very little experience in Shakespeare would have a similar experience to those who saw the original plays performed. Williams says, "The plays make sense as dra- These are challenges as read ex riences, but not as stage experi- ences." RSC's first visit to Ann Arbor is the beginning of a five-year partner- ship. In addition to this visit, RSC will return again in 2003 and 2005. With the visits will come not only exceptional theater performances, but also educational opportunities for ev yone. Events ranging from cos- tt exhibits to the staging history will be covered in the 70 educational events taking place. The educational program is something the RSC does at home in London and while on tour; the program here at the University, however, is different than the pro- gram RSC usually runs. Kate Hunter, RSC senior press and public relations officer, said "What makes the work with the University of Michigan different is the scale of the educational program lasts over three months, and is not just around the performances. The scope of the program has two main strands, across the faculty in the University, and out- reach/community work in the state. All RSC educational work is very practical, drawing heavily on the experience of performance. It usually involves members of the RSC acting company." Theater is very much part of the social process. Every performance has to have a cast, financial support, a theater to play in, and an audience, which will shift with every perfor- mance. The RSC community educa- tion experience is directed so that many different audiences, such as those interested in the text, directing, stage-managing and costuming, can partake. RSC associate director Michael Boyd directs all of the plays in the tetralogy debuting in Ann Arbor, and several people directed the first tetralogy of the eight-play cycle. "Michael Boyd wanted to direct all the plays that made up the second tetralogy because he sees them as four acts in a large play," said Hunter. This will bring continuity to the tetralogy. Fiona Bell, who plays Joan of Arc and Queen Margaret, said, "the style and casting is cohesive." Nearly 1,000 hours of rehearsal for the 30 actors involved were needed to bring about the performance. Six weeks were spent on each part of the Henry cycle. "Spending four months with the company definitely made us gel together on and off stage. [It was a] highly enjoyable and creative time for me." The histories, which cover a period of more than 50 years of England's most turbulent history, begin with the reign of the nine-month-old Henry IV and continue through England's civil war. The production contains highly physical fight scenes, utilizing 25 swords and five pints of stage blood. Bell, who has individual sword fights as Joan of Arc, enjoys the sword fights. "During rehearsals, I was told to keep my shoulders back and feet apart," Bell said. "It's not overwhelming, but if something goes wrong it throws you temporarily" By RoseayMz Daiy ArtsWriter A majestic midnight blue velvet gown with attached train and matching crowned veiling is the first sight a vis- itor encounters on entering Costuming in Shakespeare's History Plays. This exhibit is located in the Special Collections section of the Graduate Library, as an important component a .for the current residency of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Shakespeare Costuming in theatrical produc- Costume tions can either make or break a play. Exhibit This collection emphasizes the cre- Special ativity, careful research work and pro- Collections duction values of costuming for Library Richard II and Richard Ill. The exhib- through April 14 it is richly detailed, with costume pieces on loan from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Stratford Festival of Canada and from the pri- vate archives of Zelma Weisfeld, Professor Emerita of Theatre Design. As it is so committed to authenticity, there are copies of the research materials which were used in costume creation. James Robinson Planche's "Costume of Shakespeare's Historical Tragedy of King John" is listed as Professor Weisfeld's costuming bible. Planche's encyclopedia work, in two parts, was first published in London in 1823-25. There are scene sketches, which include the appropriate costume, some penciled in, others scratched out and re- written, like a snapshot on theatrical life. When actor Nicholas Pennell performed in Richard III in 1979, it was important to create a mood that reflected a crumbling social order during the reign of an evil and cor- rupt king. Weisfeld used a dark tabard as a background upon which she could impose, in a quartered pattern, the fleur-de-lis of France and the lion of England. Through the magic of costuming, this tabard had a dual role. Originally, it had been worn in a production of Richard II in 1978 by a lance-bearer. The easy adjustment was accomplished Courtesy of the Royal Shakespeare Company David Oyelowo as Henry VI. The development of the five-year partnership between the University and RSC reflects a link between learning and theater. RSC will be able to use the partnership to model and build a more active university- based presence in the United States. RSC's visit will mark the first time it has performed in Michigan since 1913. Bell, who will be visiting the United States for the first time, "can't wait to get involved in the community and educational work. As it's a proper three week residency, it will be really intense, and everyone will be able to experience much more than the productions themselves." "Those who go will come to trust their ability to respond powerfully to a theatrical experience. In this soci- ety, Shakespeare is so frequently found in text. The eye is intolerant to deviation. To the ear there is an immediacy to respond of which is very intelligible," Bell said. Williams sums up Shakespeare's Histories by saying they are "stagger- ingly wonderful productions." through the use of spray or dry-brush. Richard II was known as the Sun-King. At the beginning of the play, he is at the height of his royal powers. Dressed in bright colors, he wears a sun medallion. As his powers deteriorate, his costumes reflect the enveloping darkness. Fabric colors change to somber tones of gray. In a pivotal scene with Lord Bolingbrooke, he is garbed in gray-green robes. There is a touch of irony however. On the darkened robes, there is a gold trim. Many outstanding Shakespearean actors of 18th and 19th century England are represented in this exhibit as well. There is a hand-colored engraving of Mr. Edmund Kean, who portrayed Richard III around 1820. It is an ele- gant engraving, with a stamped out piece of silver and gold leaf, beads and glass stones. A pair of ocher kid gloves, which are reputed to have belonged to William Shakespeare, are on display. David Garrick, the recipient, used the gloves in his performances of Hamlet in the 18th century. Silver and pink threads are embroidered on the gloves, with silver fringe at the wrist. Authenticity is fur- ther realized in a King John Souvenir booklet produced by Herbert Beerbohn, "Tree at the Majestic Theatre." Costuming heightens the understanding and pleasure of Shakespearean plays, and this exhibit is a richly textured accompaniment. My, my, how styles have changed. :;:;:::i';a y y g ii'2 isss %t ..1 EiiM;i4 'iiiii t;