Photos from our production of Shakespeare's King Richard the Second
Produced October 2006
Performed at the Rock Island Masonic Lodge

Katherine Beydler
Performance Review: Richard II
11/16/06

Before I ever saw the Prenzie Players' version of Richard II my acting teacher informed me that it would be Shakespeare as I had never seen it put on before. Since I had seen many different renditions of Shakespearean plays, I scoffed internally at that promise, not expecting anything much different from what I had seen in the past. My surety of the commonness of the play was slightly shaken upon seeing the unusual setting; there were bits and pieces of the set strewn throughout the audience, with a large throne at the front of the room. For example, directly behind me were a bed and stereo (which began to play "Over My Head" by The Fray during the prelude; definitely not ordinary).

Here are all the Prenzie-cut scripts from every show we've done.

Link to original article

Prenzie Players’ ‘Richard II’ leaves audience ready for more
By Ruby Nancy | Thursday, November 02, 2006

While the general public may not have any real idea exactly what “The Henriad” is — and possibly many may not have even heard the term prior to this fall — it is still true that the very decision to produce this cycle of three Shakespearean plays in a single season is an amazingly brave thing.

The Prenzie Players, a local theater company that specializes in what some might call a guerrilla theater style of Shakespeare, kicked off what they describe as their “Most Ambitious Season Yet” last weekend with “Richard II,” the first of the three plays in the Henriad cycle.

Link to original article

Majesty: "King Richard the Second," at the Rock Island Masonic Temple
Written by Mike Schulz
Wednesday, 01 November 2006

The Prenzie Players in "King Richard the Second"

Here's one for fellow fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy: You know how badly we wanted to see The Two Towers after The Fellowship of the Ring? That's how badly I want to see the Prenzie Players' King Henry the Fourth after Saturday night's production of King Richard the Second.

Link to original Article

Show Outta Nothin’: The Prenzie Players Embark on Shakespeare’s Henry Trilogy, Beginning October 27 Print
Written by Mike Schulz
Wednesday, 25 October 2006

Certainly, there was cause for concern.

When the Prenzie Players made their 2003 debut with Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, they did so at Rock Island's Peanut Gallery, which didn't have a proper stage and could only seat, at maximum, 40 people. The show had an inadequate budget (between $200 and $300), a run of only two performances, and no word-of-mouth; Prenzie's founders - Cait Bodenbender, John "J.C." Luxton, Aaron Sullivan, and Denise Yoder - had every reason to expect Measure for Measure to fail.