Massachusetts' American Repertory Theatre are presenting William Shakespeare's history Richard II at their Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge May 16-June 10. Robert Woodruff returns to A.R.T. to direct the classic that officially opens May 16.

In the Bard's tale, Richard II, the son of Edward the Black Prince and heir to the throne, was crowned king at the age of ten. While still a child, his uncles essentially ruled for him, exploiting his people and stripping him of his wealth and power.

Thomas Derrah stars as the manipulated monarch in the A.R.T. production. The cast also features John Feltch, Alvin Epstein, Bill Camp, Benjamin Evett, Karen MacDonald, Sean Dugan, Timothy Kang, John Douglas Thompson, Robert Ross, Jonathon Roberts, Jodi Lin, Darrin Browne, Remo Airaldi, Robert Ross, Trevor Oswalt, and Jim Spencer.

The creative team includes set designer David Gammons, costume designer Catherine Zuber, lighting designer Stephen Strawbridge and sound designer Darren L. West.

On May 21, actor Derrah and director Woodruff will be part of the symposium panel about the play to take place at the Hasty Pudding Theatre at 8PM. Also joining them will be Marjorie Garber, Harvard Professor of English William R. Kenan Jr., and Harvard Assistant Professor of English-American Literature and Language John Parker. The free evening will be moderated by A.R.T. artistic director Robert Brustein and open to the public. For tickets to the production at A.R.T., 64 Brattle Street, in Cambridge, MA, call (617) 547-8300. For more information on A.R.T., visit their website at www.amrep.org.

— by Ernio Hernandez