The Actors’ Theater of Columbus has dedicated its 2021 summer season of performances to the detours in each of our lives that take us all to unexpected places, often with tragic or beautiful results. With the theme of hope in the face of uncertainty, the Actors’ Theatre of Columbus presents The African Company Presents Richard III by Carlyle Brown, directed by David J. Glover.
Beginning June 24, audiences flocking to Schiller Park Amphitheater will be in for an artful performance of a play inside a play.
The African Company Presents Richard III ties together Shakespeare’s classic tale of Richard III with pre-emancipation events in the US which exhibit the fight to improve the Black experience while having to battle for acceptance in a society whose hierarchy of power leans drastically towards white communities and creativity.
Shakespeare’s Richard III is the longest play released in the playwright’s first folio and brings to life the tragedy of the short-lived reign of King Richard III of England through a story infused with comedic relief.
Brown’s iteration of the classic follows the fictional tale of a pre-Civil War Black theatre troupe, The African Company, in New York which is attempting to put on its own version of Richard III. The African Company faces off with a major white theatre company which is concurrently presenting the same play.
The African Company Presents Richard III challenges the association of Shakespearean works with purely white agendas and instead engages in Shakespeare’s plays through a different lens, tying in experiences of Black Americans. The production is an example of solidarity with any person or community who fights for true visibility in the world – and all the ways in which art provides hope and relief to those who are struggling.
The play will be performed weekly at 8 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays until July 18 and performances are free to the public.
The Actors’ Theater of Columbus announced its 2021 season Feb. 21, garnering anticipation from the community of artists and appreciators in Columbus.
- Much Ado About Nothing: through June 20
- The African Company Presents Richard III: June 24-July 18
- Eurydice: July 22-Aug. 8
- The Secret Garden: Aug. 12-Sept. 5
Alyssa Burley is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
