Irwin Appel has created something tremendous with the Death of Kings. An adaptation of Shakespeare’s history plays, Death of Kings condenses the bloody saga of civil war between the warring houses of Lancaster and York (eight of Shakespeare’s plays) into five hours of pulsating, theatrical turmoil. Death of Kings weaves Richard II, Henry IV (parts 1 and 2), Henry V, Henry VI (parts 1, 2, and 3), and Richard III, into a fast-moving onslaught of conflict and mayhem that ceaselessly emphasizes the play’s theme and title: the succession of royal lineage via death, murder, and dethronement. Come, Appel invites the audience, let us sit and tell sad stories about the death of kings.
Part II of Naked Shakes’ production of Death of Kings, The White Rose and The Red, begins with the story of King Henry VI (Anastasia McCommon), a gentle, pious youth who lacks the steely ambition of his grandfather, usurper King Henry IV, or the valiant warrior’s disposition of his father, King Henry V. Henry VI is unable to maintain stability in the realm, and the French resistance, lead by Joan of Arc (Joré Aaron), undermines the already crumbling English presence in France. A peace treaty with France sees the king married to Margaret of Anjou (Verenice Zuniga), but conquered lands are lost in the deal. This loss of territory angers the Duke of York (Brian Harwell) to rebellion, and he instigates the War of the Roses by declaring himself rightful heir to the throne. Thus begins decades of power struggle and mêlée between the royal houses of Lancaster and York.
Death of Kings is a sleek, modern experience of the War of the Roses, made resplendent with excellent production quality and performances. Minimalist sets keep focus on performance — the only real set piece is the throne, which is handled, caressed, and dragged about the stage by each character bent on wielding the power it represents. Lighting (by Vickie Scott) in bold, solid colors gave the stage (and the conflict) a sense of boundlessness — battlefields seemed vast, and castle halls seemed infinite. Jim Connolly, a one-man band, provided music and sound effects that fashioned everything from the thunderous pounding of charging soldiers, to the vacant echoes of ghostly voices. Fight direction by Jeff Mills allowed for ferocious swordplay and man-to-man combat.