Merced Shakespearefest's Ricardo II: A Bilingual Adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard II comes to a close with episode 12 "Rey de Fieras / King of Beasts." In stark contrast to the lush, green, outdoor settings that framed the play's political intrigues, the play ends on a backdrop of harsh concrete settings that eerily stand for the violence humans wreak against one another and their environments. 

Governor General Award-winning playwright Colleen Murphy has crafted a darkly animated, multi-spirited response to the theatrical displacement caused by the pandemic. "Mouth Ghost" was originally part of a UBC Green College panel on theatre in the pandemic, titled "The Plague’s the Thing: Theatre Before, During, and After the Pandemic." The poem's brilliance has haunted us since we featured the panel on this blog, and deserves an encore of its own.

An uneasy transition of power drives the tension in episodes 9 and 10 of Merced Shakespearefest's Ricardo II: A Bilingual Adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard II. 

In late January, three artist came together to discuss the state of theatre in a panel titled "The Plague's the Thing: Theatre Before, During, and After the Pandemic." Featuring playwright Colleen Murphy, poet Gary Geddes, and host Jerry Wasserman, the talk was hosted by the University of British Columbia's Green College, in the series "Medium to Extreme: Unlocking the Power of the Arts."

Episodes 7 and 8 of Merced Shakespearefest's Ricardo II: A Bilingual Adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard II document the impetuous king's breakdown, leading to him reliquishing the throne to Henry Bolingbroke.

Episode six of Merced Shakespearefest’s Ricardo II…., entitled “Derechos y Regalias / Rights and Royalties” dramatizes the play’s power imbalances through vastly contrasting natural settings. The king’s excesses and mismanagement of resources are embodied in the stark contrast between the almost literally scorched earth he has left across the land, and the artificial lushness of the spaces he himself inhabits.

Episode five of Merced Shakespearefest's Ricardo II: A Bilingual Adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard II is titled "Hombres de Guerra / Men of War," but the standout character in this installment of the play is Queen Isabella. 

In episode 4, "Arrendador de Inglaterra / Landlord of England," the king and his entourage travel to visit John of Gaunt, who grieves his banished son from a sick bed. When the king arrives only to mock John's illness, what follows is a witty but ominous repartee.

Episode three of Ricardo II: A Bilingual Adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard II reads like a miniature study of land relations by various factions across the Merced Shakespearefest's bilingual cast. Following the failed duel between Henry Bolingbroke and Tomás Mercedes/Mowbray, this episode follows Henry, his father John of Gaunt, and king Ricardo II, as the six-year exile of Henry introduces grief and geographical distance into the relationships between these characters. 

Episode two of Merced Shakespearefest's Ricardo II: A Bilingual Adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard II features the interrupted duel between Henry Bolingbroke and Tomás Mercedes/Mowbray. As the king enters to invite the opponents in, he first officiously removes a blue cotton face mask before speaking, highlighting how this production has integrated covid-19 safety measures into the blocking and costuming of this live-filmed performance.