Gender Treachery

Pop quiz: Which play is most likely to be performed for prison inmates—the feel-good musical Mary Poppins or one of Shakespeare’s goriest, most disturbing plays, Richard III? (It’s the latter.) Next question: Have you ever wanted to see actor Richard Ooms in a dress? Here’s your chance to see both, because Ten Thousand Things’s Richard III has an all-male cast.

Ten Thousand Things is known for stellar productions that the company performs in prisons, shelters, and detox centers. They also do public performances, but pride themselves on bringing gutsy work to an underserved audience.

Richard III’s murderous machinations require little introduction—the play dramatizes the thirty-two years of civil war between the House of York and the House of Lancaster and each side’s relentless pursuit of the throne.

As for the all-male cast, director Michelle Hensley explains that “TTT is one of the few theaters in the country that performs for sex-segregated audiences, and Richard III is probably the most male of Shakespeare’s plays. It’s revenge-driven and violent, and that’s a huge part of our world right now. One of the things I want to explore is that every single one of us has some Richard in us, both men and women. At what point do you part company with him? Maybe you don’t.”

Count on the VIP cast—Bob Davis as Richard, Luverne Seifert as Queen Elizabeth, Jim Lichtscheidl as Lady Anne, and Ooms as Queen Margaret—to make this play as unforgettable as its namesake. Nov. 2–4, Nov. 9–11, and Nov. 16. Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Mpls.; Nov. 17–18. Minnesota Opera Center, 620 N. First St., Mpls., 612-203-9502