Music at the Close
I adapted and co-directed this experimental exploration of Shakespeare’s Richard II with the Glassbox Collective at Carnegie Hall in November 2019.
Music at the Close involved three directors, five actors, ten composers and thirty-two performing musicians, using the narrative and themes of Richard II to feature ten new works for small string and woodwind ensembles. These compositions, in conjunction with an improvisatory ensemble including piano extended-techniques, upright bass and disassembled drum-kit, interacted with a group of five actors to create an amalgam of music, text, and movement.
"Music plays a fascinating role in Richard II" said Taylor Peck, Project Director and Adapter. "It's used as a portent of Richard's fall and is the central focus of his final soliloquy. Because this is one of Shakespeare's lesser known works, we felt emboldened to deconstruct and explore a non-traditional path."