Casting is now complete for Red Bull Theater's upcoming fall production of William Shakespeare's Richard II. Adapted and directed by Craig Baldwin, performances are scheduled for October 28-November 30 at Off-Broadway's Astor Place Theatre.
As previously reported, Michael Urie, currently back on Broadway in Oh, Mary!, will star in the title role. He will be joined by the newly announced Grantham Coleman (Macbeth) as Bolingbroke, Ron Canada (A Naked Girl on the Appian Way) as Gaunt/Bishop of Carlisle, Kathryn Meisle (Tartuffe) as Duke of York, David Mattar Merten (An Enemy of the People) as Aumerle, Lux Pascal as Queen, James Seol (A Naked Girl on the Appian Way) as Green/Gardener 2, Daniel Stewart Sherman (Kinky Boots) as Mowbray/Scroop, Ryan Spahn as Bagol/Welsh Captain, Emily Swallow (High Fidelity), and Sarin Monae West (The Skin of Our Teeth) as Bushy/Gardener 1.
Stage and screen star Urie, recently nominated for an Emmy for his performance in Shrinking, said in an earlier statement, “I’m delighted to return to my favorite theatre company for this bucket list role under the direction of my old friend and genius Craig Baldwin. We come back to Shakespeare over and over again to see what his take on the human condition can teach us about the moment we’re in and this play will certainly sing in 2025. With Red Bull and Craig, we’re making something intelligent, beautiful, sexy, funny—it’s gonna be rad.”
This reimagining of Shakespeare’s drama is set in 1980s Manhattan, as the neon skyline and shadowy backrooms become an epic battleground of identity and power, where a king’s divine right crumbles beneath the weight of human frailty.
A long-time artistic collaborator of Red Bull Theater, Urie (Ugly Betty, Once Upon a Mattress) has performed in numerous Red Bull Revelation Readings and Off-Broadway productions, including The Revenger's Tragedy in 2005 and The Government Inspector in 2017.
The upcoming production will also have scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Rodrigo Muñoz, lighting design by Jeanette Yew, and sound design by Brandon Wolcott. Rick Sordelet will serve as the fight director and intimacy coordinator.
Richard II will be the first production at the Astor Place under its new management, No Guarantees Productions.
Producers include Red Bull Theater, with Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon, in association with Daryl Roth, Tom D'Angora, and Willette and Manny Klausner.
Visit RedBullTheater.com.