a NAKED SHAKES production

adapted from Shakespeare and directed by Irwin Appel

For its 10th anniversary at UCSB, NAKED SHAKES presents an epic world premiere event, The Death of Kings, two plays performed together in repertory, adapted and directed by Irwin Appel from the history plays of William Shakespeare. Since 2006, the critically acclaimed, award-winning NAKED SHAKES has presented energetic, exciting, raw, vibrant Shakespeare using the power of the actor and the word. If you like Breaking Bad, House of Cards or Game of Thrones, come see the original: William Shakespeare’s The Death of Kings.    

The Death of Kings is a two-part saga that offers a fresh new take on Shakespeare and the royal families he wrote about. Part One: I Come But For Mine Own comprises Shakespeare’s plays  Richard II, Henry IV, 1 and 2 and Henry V. Part One is a story of fathers and sons and explores the journey of a prince becoming king. Part Two:  The White Rose and the Red depicts the chaos that unfolds when leadership no longer exists, when society must produce a new leader, and when wives become the women left behind to bury the dead and make sense of the chaos that has occurred. Part Two encompasses plays  Henry VI, 1, 2, and 3 and Richard III.

There’s no right or wrong way to see The Death of Kings. The design of the play allows audiences to see one or both parts in any order.