On the
Elizabethan stage at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, "Richard
II" 
contains
some of Shakespeare's most beautiful poetry. Artistic Director Libby Appel's
tremendous production seems to draw many parallels with Wagner's "Ring."
It opens with the first few bars of the E flat bass pedal of "Das Rheingold."
She used music from "Die Walkure" as the basis for a production several
seasons ago, so she's certainly familiar with it, and is inclined to use it.
When she repeats it to open the second part of the program, that seems to cement
it. Indeed, the War of the Roses gives her the sweeping canvas she needs to
create a production of the magnitude of the "Ring," and "Richard
II" in her hands is as grand a prelude in every aspect as "Das Rheingold"
is in Wagner's work.
A voice appears over the opening music saying that a King is 
anointed
by God, and man cannot depose him. This is reinforced with Richard standing
alone, spotlit on the balcony, while the courtiers singing the "Kyrie,"
in a procession to further drive the point home. Richard takes his throne, but
his eyes look over the heads of the audience, and not at any of his subjects
on the stage. Bolingbroke and Mowbray are summoned to rectify their quarrel,
and Richard finally comes into the world of his subjects. Bolingbroke accuses
Mowbray of treason for hatching a plot against the Duke of Gloster. That fell
office brings tragedy to everyone who holds it for the next several generations.
Bolingbroke wears the symbol of the Red Rose over his heart, as do all of his
followers. 
Throughout
the play, this is the symbol of the House of Lancaster, which he represents.
In the War of the Roses, Lancaster is pitted against the White Rose of the House
of York. In this play York is led by the old Duke, a neutral, and his son Aumerle,
a friend of Richard. The War of the Roses doesn't begin until Henry VI, although
we have both Henry IV plays and Henry V in between. OSF will skip to all three
of the Henry VI, War of the Roses plays next season in a production by Appel
with Scott Kaiser, the Voice and Text Director for this.
Richard
II plants the seeds for what will come, throughout, and it's stressed in this
production. When he banishes Mowbray, the Duke warns that there will be future
troubles because of it. Richard laughs at Aumerle's account of Bolingbroke being
led into banishment. How he nodded, waved to, and courted the common people
on his way out of London, but the commoners would form the base of his power
when he returned to take the throne.
Richard and his retinue arrive in revelry at the deathbed of his uncle John
of Gaunt. Gaunt 
pleads
with Richard to rescind his son Bolingbroke's banishment, then rebukes him for
spending the public treasury. After his death, Richard appropriates his lands
and goods to finance his war against the Irish. York, Richard's last uncle,
upbraids him and warns that if he takes Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford's goods,
"you pluck a thousand dangers on your head." Richard then makes him
governor and goes off to England
Hereford, now Lancaster returns. Northumberland, Worcester, and a number of
other nobles join him, and he also has the support of the commons. Reports spread
that the King is dead. Richard returns the next day and prays to the earth to
take his part. The previous day he had 20,000 men who would fight for him, but
when they heard the rumors of his death, they allfled to Bolingbroke. He says
"My kingdom is care, and what loss is it to be rid of care?" He's
resigning himself to it, but doesn't really believe what's happening. "Let's
talk of 
graves,
worms, epitaphs." Richard realizes he's lost his kingdom. "Let us
sit on the ground, and tell sad stories of dead kings." He discharges his
followers and "Let them hence away from Richard's night to Bolingbroke's
fair day."
Part 2
has Richard, once again on the balcony to the opening bars of "Das Rheingold."
The voice speaks of divine kings, but Richard's sun is setting. Bolingbroke
comes to the castle where Richard is. He offers to lay down his arms if Richard
will rescind his banishment and restore his lands. Richard says "God is
mustering armies of pestilence against your children." He accepts Bolingbroke's
terms "or that I were as great as my grief, or lesser than my name."
He says he'll give up his jewels for a set of 
beads,
"for do we must what force will have us do."
Bolingbroke
is being crowned King Henry IV. The Bishop of Carlisle says "If you take
the crown the blood of the English will groan for this act. Prevent it."
He's immediately arrested for treason. Like Alberich cursed the ring, so too
does this crown become cursed when Henry seizes it from Richard. "Good
King, great King, though not greatly good." Henry orders Richard taken
to the tower as he's coming apart." Conveyors are you all that rise thus
nimbly by a true king's fall. Children yet unborn shall rue this day of thorns."
Richard tells Northumberland that he and Henry will turn on each other. Northumberland
knows how to unplant Kings and usurp a kingdom. Northumberland will think that
he has not enough. As with Fasolt and Fafner in Wagner's "Ring." Henry
has to conquer him in the Henry IV plays.
Westminster
hatches a plot against Henry to restore Richard. Aumerle has had to resign his
title, and has become Rutland. York discovers the paper with the plot in his
son's coat. 
Even
though he has been part of the plot to overthrow King Richand, he now calls
his son a traitor for wanting to restore that King. He betrays him to Henry,
but Aumerle beats him andconfesses. Henry remembers his own plot and pardons
him, but not the others.
When Richard is in his cell he craves a friend, but there are none for him.
Suddenly his former groom appears and they speak for awhile. The groom has gone
to considerable effort to find Richard. As he leaves, the assassins rush in.
Richard kills two, but Exton killshim. Henry wanted him dead, but not like that.
The prophecy will be fulfilled that "the blood of the English will manure
the ground." That's next year with the three War of the Roses plays, Henry
VI. For this year, this stupendous production of "Richard II" continues
outdoors on the Elizabethan stage at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland
through October 10.