Three daring actors bathed in light and dark sound take over the outdoor stage of Shakespeare’s ingenious production of Santa Cruz RII, a compressed adaptation by Shakespeare’s Jessica Kubzansky King Richard II. Given the circumstances this year, SCS wisely selected a showcase for a small cast, with three actors playing eight characters. The effect is in turn brilliant and surprising. Hearing Shakespeare explore the power of the English language makes RII a fascinating experience. The drama unfolds through memories of Richard (the skillful lead actor ML Roberts) as the former king travels back and forth through time, from his adventures as a monarch to his vile end at the Tower of London .

In short: Richard played quickly and freely with the lands and fortunes of his citizens. Various nobles, including cousin Henry Bolingbroke, plan his overthrow in this Shakespeare prequel Henri trilogy. The issues of revolt and betrayal against a legitimate ruler resonate enormously these days. The skinny adaptation centers on the duplicity of the monarch and those plotting to throw him in jail – this is where the play opens (roughly in act five of the original).

Playing the role of King Richard throughout, Roberts is exceptional, vocally eloquent and physically agile, growing from king to prisoner in meditation. Shakespeare’s Richard unleashes a torrent of spoken arias almost entirely composed of dazzling rhymed couplets. His reflections, reminiscent of Hamlet’s, of how he ended up being betrayed and without an identity are illustrated by clever flashbacks. The clash between the young and pragmatic Bolingbroke (played by award-winning Paige Lindsey White) and the dynastic monarch is at the origin of this drama. SCS Artistic Director Mike Ryan is the third actor to take on the eclectic roles of cousins, henchmen, boytoys, bishops and noble traitors. As Richard’s dying uncle, John of Ghent, Ryan articulates epic soliloquies and metaphors of England as an unprecedented world power: “This blessed plot, this land, this kingdom, this England.”

The actors move in and out of their various parts fluidly, embodying all the intrigue, allegiance, and conspiracy that will spark the Hundred Years’ War. Thanks to intelligent directing by Melissa Rain Anderson, we never have doubts about who’s who, although I advise theatergoers to read the program notes before the action begins. The set is smart enough to serve as a royal dungeon and royal throne room, according to the costume of the moment. And I mean a moment, because there are times when Ryan has to start a speech dressed in the cardinal’s red robe and end the same speech as a duke present, only by removing the robe and hiding it under his arm. Roberts goes back in time to Richard’s heyday by donning his royal cloak and sparkling crown. Removing these traps puts him back in jail. And back and forth. Stage magic.

Refined acting and inspired light and sound make the various flashbacks move quickly, interweaving the doomed Richard and his checkered past into a shimmering organism. Rody Ortega’s compelling musical design brings us huge crowds applauding Bolingbroke and vast armies fighting to overthrow Richard. Kent Dorsey’s light design has never looked so good. What keeps RII to be merely an elegant history lesson is Roberts’ interpretation of Richard as both a corrupt ruler and sympathetic victim of the forces of the revolution. Is power always ultimately corrupt? Can a coup d’état be justified by the will of the people? These questions are threaded through Shakespeare’s unprecedented language, as sobering now as it was when the first Queen Elizabeth was in the audience.

RII worth its weight in dramatic gold. Skillful acting, flexible adaptation, and the thrilling directing we’ve come to expect from Santa Cruz Shakespeare. Remember that due to Covid restrictions there are far fewer seats available this season, so buy your tickets now!

the production of ‘RII’ by Santa Cruz Shakespeare, starring ML Roberts, Paige Lindsey White and Mike Ryan; directed by Melissa Rain Anderson; written by Jessica Kubzansky; and adapted from Shakepeare’s “King Richard II”. Runs through August 29 at Audrey Stanley Grove at DeLaveaga Park, 501 Upper Park Road, Santa Cruz. Visit santacruzshakespeare.org for a full schedule of performances and for tickets.