What can you expect at Baker Shakespeareย’s production of Richard III? ย“You can expect an interesting take on a very old story,ย” says student director Katy Mulvaney. ย“And a few surprises. We have four different time periods intermixing: medieval, Renaissance, Victorian and modern-day. We also have a pit in the middle of the stage; itย’s basically where all bodies go. Itย’s a spoiler, I guess, but yes, our first dead body, Richard, actually just kicks into the pit.ย”
Lots of dead bodies, are there? ย“Well, itย’s the end of the War of the Roses in English history,ย” says Mulvaney. ย“It was a tremendous family feud that got out of hand. It canย’t possibly be resolved because everyone has personal vendettas against everyone else.ย”
And is there a modern message to Shakespeareย’s tale? ย“Well, thereย’s certainly a lot of relevance to the idea of a war that no one knows how to end.ย” 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays. Through March 22. Baker Residential College, Rice University, 6100 Main. For tickets and information, call 832-724-0497 or visit www.rice.edu/bakershake. $5 to $10.

Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Starts: March 13. Continues through March 22, 2008

This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2008.