Word: sussner
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...theatrical climate where fresh ideas are seared by the tongues of bitter critics and innovative productions parched by financial drought, college theatre is a small oasis of low stakes and adequate resources. Sprung from this land, Dan Sussner '99's Richard III is college theater as it was meant to be: ambitious, edgy and most importantly, experimental. Realizing his freedom from the constraints of profit and acclaim, Sussner seizes the rare opportunity to give free reign to his ideas. Though the resulting product is rough and at times obtuse, it has a degree of innovation one hopes to see more...
Rather than the famous "Now is the winter of our discontent...," Sussner's production begins with a creepy gothic soundtrack and a series of strobe-lighted pantomimes predicting (in reverse order) the murders that lead to Richard's kingly demise. Though the twisted, dehumanizing feel of the play is well captured by this unsettling preview, its final effect is desensitizing. Rather than beginning (as Shakespeare does) with a group of characters whose humanity is undermined as the play progresses, the humanity of Sussner's cast is defaced from the very start. Though David Egan '00 (Richard) and the other cast...
...Sussner originally got the idea of producing Richard III backwards after noticing Richard's obsession with time (he always seems to be asking "what o'clock is it?"). The idea of setting Richard in the insane asylum came later, inspired by the Halloween weekend production dates. Though the two ideas should theoretically work together (What better way to make a man obsessed with time mad than by reversing time's direction?), implementing them was too unwieldy to be well-executed. The ambitiousness of the project exacted a heavy toll on the production quality, creating confusion in both the staging...
...replacement and elimination of the human is a theme in Shakespeare's text that is preserved in Sussner's production. The Shakespearean version is great because it describes the anatomy of the takeover, and by doing so, maps the topology of death. By reversing the order, Sussner obscures the tragedy of death and leaves murder. Characters are killed before they speak so that their role in the play always seems an afterthought.. If this review has given little mention to the acting, it is because the acting is overshadowed by a radicalizing interpretation. Though Egan's well-spoken plottings...
...beginning?) it seems that Sussner has followed the process that also sustained Shakespeare throughout his career. Leaving much of the play behind, he has taken the story of Richard III and created something different. With any luck, this experiment will lead to others: refinements of earlier stories with a grace of their...