Last night’s opening performance of Propeller’s production of Richard III was nothing short of brilliant. On the theatrical level, every ounce of “space” – visual and auditory – was enlisted and engaged in the moment. Nothing was overlooked. The cold, unyielding texture of the plastic curtains, the Requiem Gregorian chanting juxtaposed with the Vaudevillian cadence, the colorless palette punctuated with blood-red, the horrific “trophies” dangling from the belt of the most chilling executioner, the nuanced inflections of Richard revealing the depth of his despair. Yet – beyond the cleverness of an amazingly crafted performance was the brilliance of raw realism. Sadly, one need only to read the news of the day to realize that horrific, calloused disregard for human life and desperate, insatiable hunger for power are often bedfellows. This performance of pure theater seared into the minds of the audience an undeniable reality. Brilliant.