Two Hours' Traffic

Who is Richard III, really? There's the historical figure, of course, the one untimely ripped from the foundations of a parking garage in Leicester a few years ago, a king that probably wasn't so bad as popular imagining would have him be. And there is, of course, the source of that image, created by Shakespeare and beloved of audiences since the sixteenth century. Shakespeare gives us a deliciously theatrical character, equal parts historical person, medieval Vice figure of the morality plays, and original creation, capable of lying and cheating his way into power but not of holding onto it. And then of course, every production of Shakespeare's play must make its own judgement of who Richard is, forged by directors, actors, and designers. 

As Michael Kahn's final season at the helm of the Shakespeare Theatre Company begins to wind down, it's David Muse who has taken on the challenge of defining this newest Richard, and actor Matthew Rauch who embodies him on the H…