You have described Richard III as “a weaponized fiction” and “propaganda as performance.” What drew you to lean into the lie rather than try to correct it, and how does that choice shape the production?

Well, if you're doing a Shakespeare play and being true to the text, I think you have no choice but to lean into the lie. And I wouldn't call it a complete lie. There are definitely some vestiges of history in there. Elizabeth being a commoner and marrying a king, which is a big point of contention at the beginning of the play... that definitely happened. How the characters react to that happening, that's all Shakespeare. This particular play tells us all sorts of things about the world in which Shakespeare lived and the perceptions of the time, the lie in particular. Why did Shakespeare make Richard an evil, murderous hunchback? Because that is what his period wanted to believe as far as history was concerned. I mean, why is our American history selective? Things aren't much different now.

What, if anything, does a film noir lens reveal about power, corruption, and manipulation in Shakespeare's text?

The film noir lens, I feel, is a perfect lens through which to view this play. Richard III’s about, as you say, power, corruption, and manipulation. The noir aesthetic strips away the grandeur of monarchy and exposes a cynical, morally compromised landscape where justice is delayed, hollow, or entirely absent. Power and leadership are not inherited or divinely sanctioned. It is seized through deception and violence. Corruption is the structure within which all characters operate, and manipulation becomes a necessary strategy for survival. Richard, then, is not simply a villain but a product and master of a system that rewards ruthlessness over virtue.

In classic noir, women are often boxed into roles like the femme fatale or the silent victim. How is your all-female and nonbinary cast rewriting that narrative?

Actually, it was very important to me that we didn't rewrite the narrative. I wanted to embrace those misogynistic tropes. The women in this play are trapped. The women in film noir are trapped. Men treat them badly in both vehicles. I want the audience to see that misogyny. When misogyny is presented on stage in Shakespeare or a film noir picture, it's a lot of times just glided over as part of the genre. When that same behavior appears as female and nonbinary actors projecting these behaviors onto each other, there is a difference. It's more impactful. At least I hope it is. That's why it was important to me that we weren't playing men or looking like we were dressing up in men's clothes. It's a chance for an audience to experience something that maybe they take for granted in a gender binary mindset in a new, wider view! We're holding a mirror up to nature, as Hamlet would say.

You’ve said this is not a true story but it might still be honest. What truths are you hoping the audience sees in the shadows?

Noir makes clear what Shakespeare hints at, which is that the entire system is rotten. Richard thrives not because he’s uniquely evil, but because he understands the game and plays it better than anyone else. The truth? In corrupt systems, monsters don’t sneak in. They rise to the top. Noir gives us people who make awful choices in a world that rewards them. I think people will find that this play is relevant in both Shakespeare's language and the noir landscape and find that these truths still resonate.

The Crown nightclub is such a striking setting! What inspired it and how does it reflect the mood and themes of the play?

The Crown! Yes! Well, as I started to develop this idea and think of a period of time with ruthless characters and morally ambiguous leanings, film noir was a natural fit. Crime bosses, G-men, the works! However, when you try to apply that to a play that has literal battlegrounds on it, things start to get lost in the details. So, when I thought of gangsters and turf wars, it made sense for the headquarters of that turf to be The Crown. Richard's goal for most of the play is to get the literal crown, so turning it into a place rather than an object was a fun and logical step.

What discoveries have come out of the rehearsal process that surprised or challenged you?

The biggest discovery was how much toxic masculinity needed to play a part, especially in the closed quarters of a nightclub. To truly demonstrate the situation of the female characters in the play, both in Shakespeare and noir, it was necessary to demonstrate how the men have all the power and how they treat the women. So I had to encourage the cast of kind, caring people to actively act like they are toxic towards other cast members. It was difficult for them, as it should be.

Soliloquies and direct address play a big role in Richard III. Without giving away too many spoilers, how are you approaching those moments within a noir-inspired world?

Some of it we do with a bit of voiceover narration, which is very big in noir movies. But I also encouraged Angie, as our Richard, to build a relationship with the audience. Richard has an arc in this play, and I wanted the audience to go on that ride with him. Richard starts the play with the audience as a friend and confidant, and in doing so, makes the audience relate to him. He's our narrator. But as in noir, he is an unreliable narrator, and I hope the audience realizes, as they build their relationship with Richard, that they're in an unhealthy relationship. Richard confesses to us, brings us into his confidence, dares us to root for him. And we do! Until we don’t.

What makes this production uniquely Silicon Valley Shakespeare and why should audiences make sure to see it this summer?

This Richard III is everything Silicon Valley Shakespeare stands for. Bold reimagining, fearless casting, and a story told with both reverence and rebellion. We’ve taken Shakespeare’s most infamous villain and dropped him into a gritty film noir world... all shadows, jazz, and political double-crosses. And we cast the entire story with women and nonbinary actors. That’s not just a twist, it’s a statement. Plus, it’s an outdoor theatre under the stars, which is a signature SVS experience.

You’ll get gripping drama, stylish spectacle, and a night you won’t forget. It may not be the Richard you expect, but maybe that's the point. Forget what you expected. This Richard rewrites the rules.