Director Brian Isaac Phillips has set his production in the U.S. in the 1920s. It’s a good match to Jacobean London and we are given visual insight into the characters — from puritanical tyrants in three-piece business suits to loose men in fur coats and lowlife women as flappers.  

Audiences seeing Richard II will wonder why it’s not presented more often because this production works so well. The common wisdom is that Richard II is more about head than heart. Shakespeare’s other histories are full of glory and combat, whereas this play focuses on a king whose weakness leads to his downfall.     

 Let’s give props to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company for bringing to the stage The Merchant of Venice, one of Shakespeare’s most difficult plays. It’s officially categorized as a comedy, and it contains humorous and romantic elements, including a subplot about contesting for the hand of a wealthy heiress. But the central story of a more dire contest between a moneylender and a businessman is anything but amusing.   

As things stand, this is certainly not the strangest adaptation of the Bard; in fact, it could be argued that Gnomeo & Juliet is rather conventional, especially for kiddie 3-D fare, when a few creative sparks (and a richer use of the extra dimension) might have been able to woo a few more hearts. Just be thankful Shakespeare never came up with a sequel. Grade: C  

Titus Andronicus is a catalyst trying to destroy music. While the band is definitely not for the faint of eardrum, there is a surprising amount of depth and devotion to their sound.   

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music epitomizes the concept of "musical comedy" with this 1971 show featuring music by 'Hair' composer Galt MacDermot. It has the joyful, youthful energy of his earlier hit, plus a delightfully silly story from Shakespeare about two young men and their pursuit of love.