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.     

You might know that Shakespeare’s Richard III focuses on one of his great villains. But among his 38 plays, there’s also Richard II. You probably know almost nothing about this guy — a weak king, deposed in 1399 — who died in captivity in 1400.