Three months ago, a king was murdered. Today, the Atlas Shakespeare Company invites you into the aftermath. As the “bloodsoaked finale” to the Wars of the Roses cycle prepares for its limited run at the Wild Project (Feb 17 – March 1), the production team is pulling back the curtain on a world of “murder and corruption.” While Zachary C. Clark’s Richard occupies the center of the storm, the gears of the Yorkist machine are turned by a formidable ensemble of allies, enemies, and executioners.
The Loyalists and the Lost
In Shakespeare’s political melodrama, power is often defined by proximity. For Chris Clark, playing Sir Richard Ratcliffe, that proximity is a weapon.
“I approach Ratcliffe as Richard’s most trusted instrument,” Clark notes. “He’s the person who makes terrible things happen quietly and cleanly.”
Unlike the more overtly sinister villains of the stage, Clark brings a “restraint and calm competence” to the role, creating an unsettling stillness that highlights the brutal efficiency of Richard’s reign.
Conversely, Yeshua Ellis portrays the Duke of Clarence with a startling loyalty that makes his eventual betrayal all the more tragic. Building on his performance from Henry VI Part 3, Ellis explores the blindness of familial trust. His favorite line captures the play’s moral core: “Art thou to thine own soul so blind?”—a question that echoes through a court where everyone is quick to judge but slow to look inward.
The Voices of Resistance
Not everyone is seduced by Richard’s “congratulatorily sociopathic” charm. Nick Stevens, as Lord Rivers, provides the “depth and gravitas” required of a man who sees the writing on the wall.
“I get to say ‘a knot of you are damned blood-suckers,’ which is one of the best lines I’ve ever said,” Stevens laughs. Beyond the wit, Stevens feels a deep responsibility to ground the character: “All the characters here have backstories going back hundreds of years… there’s a real challenge to bring the audience up to speed.”
The Foil: From Murderer to King
In a unique double-casting feat, Bradley Viktor portrays both the comedic 1st Murderer and the virtuous Henry VII (Richmond). This duality allows the production to explore the play’s wide tonal range—from “slapstick comedy” to the heights of “emotional intelligence and leadership.”
“I find it very hard to create appealing art that doesn’t have elements of comedy and fun,” Viktor explains. “This production brings that sense of fun. It helps the audience have a better time, and it makes the message more impactful.”
Key Production Features:
- Full Classical Dress: Transporting the audience to the late 15th century.
- Live Sword-Fighting: High-stakes choreography that brings the civil war to life.
- Character-Driven Narrative: A focus on three-dimensional people rather than “mummified” historical figures.
A Mirror to the Modern World
The consensus among the cast is clear: Richard III is not a relic of the past. Whether it is a “corrupt, power-hungry madman using the levers of power” (Stevens) or the “parallels with our society today” (Clark), the production aims to be a cautionary tale for the present.
As Atlas Shakespeare Company founders Adriana Alter and Alexander Nero intended, this is Shakespeare as a “living work”—vivid, relatable, and dangerously relevant.
Plan Your Visit
- When: February 17 – March 1
- Where: Wild Project, 195 East 3rd Street, NYC
- Tickets: atlasshakespearecompany.com/tickets
ARTIUM: OMNI 