Richard The Second Reviews
DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended
"...Their first venture, Richard the Second, is a resounding success. A talented and energetic cast, led by the superb Gary DuBreuil as Richard, bring their very best to this complex but profoundly human play. The painful choices people make between proximity to power and the love of family are at the heart of the conflict. The central action is a tectonic shift from a leader who believes in the divine right of kings to another who insists that ability, luck, and timing can alter that assumption."
DCTheatreScene- Recommended
"...In the title role, Gary DuBreuil captures both the impish arrogance of his kingship and the late-arriving vulnerability and self-awareness as he comes to terms with his failures, it’s a crucial role and DuBreuil pulls it off with style. As noted above, it may be tempting to make overt contemporary parallels, but he and director Smith avoid taking the dangling bait."
BroadwayWorld- Recommended
"...Director Smith has assembled a cast that is assured in its understanding of Shakespeare's language; more importantly, she has nurtured some of the most creative, nuanced readings of the Bard's famous speeches I have ever heard. All too often-and even on the exalted professional stages downtown-we are subjected to actors who fall back on a fake musicality, or who limit their character's vast range of thoughts to a single emotion, played out with mind-numbing consistency. Shakespeare's genius consists in giving us living, thinking human beings, whose emotions are constantly in flux-that is what makes his plays worth watching, and his characters so compelling to watch."