2010 Performance Season

"I am determined to prove a villain."

Reviled by history is a lonely man desperate to prove his own worth and willing to do anything to achieve absolute power. Cast aside by his older siblings, chronically unable to relate to the powerful women in his midst, Richard resolves to wrest away his brother's crown by any means necessary. His misdeeds propel him to dizzying heights atop a kingdom "built on brittle glass," but he cannot forever outrun the ghosts of his conscience.

OBIE Award winning actor John Douglas Thompson stars in Shakespeare & Company's mainstage production of one of Shakespeare's best-loved plays, taking on the title role in Richard III.

Check out the production photos!

Cast

Featuring: John Douglas Thompson as Richard and Tod Randolph as Elizabeth. Other cast members include Jason Asprey, Johnny Lee Davenport, Nigel Gore, Elizabeth Ingram, Annette Miller, and Rocco Sisto.

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Box Office: 413-637-3353
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Critics' Response:

"a wondrous thing...nothing short of stunning"
—Berkshire On Stage

"clever and inventive direction...a brilliant cast...a winner"
—The Advocate

"fine, absorbing production...a great summer for all those fortunate enough to see it"
—Hartford Arts Examiner

"a superb production, from the excellence of Thompson's performance to the able and creative direction to the fine work of the ensemble cast. 'Glorious summer,' indeed."
—Berkshire Living

"what Shakespeare & Company does best...tremendous energy and passion...a must-see...this is a production you will be telling your grandchildren about in years to come."
—Gail Sez

"as original and engaging a production as you could only dream of...a masterstroke...as fresh and bracing as if it were happening yesterday...a must see."
—Metroland

"Noble, hypnotic, and just a little mysterious as Othello, Thompson's Richard commands the stage just as powerfully...most impressive."
—Boston Globe

"Thompson's portrayal is masterful...an engrossing production"
—Troy Record

"glorious...enthralling...an extraordinary experience"
—The Arts Fuse

"a knockout...fresh directorial touches"
—CurtainUp

"an enormously realized Richard...magnificent acting...a piece that reminds us all of the true power of the Bard"
—Albany Times-Union

"exceptional even by the company's own high standards....Thompson gives yet another timber-shivering performance"
—Wall Street Journal

"[Thompson's] a cannonball in motion...[the production] is hot-blooded, robust and often funny"
—The New York Times