Henry VI Part 3: The Rise of Richard

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I was excited to sketch a performance of Henry VI: The Rise of Richard at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL). I sat in row  Z. Ushers were confused, they didn’t realize there was a row Z.  I found a spot in the back and scooted to a ¾ view of the stage just before the show opened when I was sure that there was an open spot for me. Where I was seated was perfect because there was no one behind me who might be distracted as I threw lines o the page.

The sketch is a composite rather than a specific moment in the play. I sketched Richard Duke of York (Timothy Williams) when he claimed his seat at the throne. Beside him is The Earl of Warwick Richard Nevelle “the King Maker”, (Benjamin Reigel). Standing in front of them both is the twisted and hunched  Richard III, Duke of Gloucester (Mark McClain Wilson).

The drama unfolded between the House of York (White Rose) and the House of Lancaster (Red Rose). The crown changed hands multiple times. Ascending to claim the crown was often a murderous affair. King Henry VI of the House of Lancaster (Trevor Spence) was a rather weak and pious ruler. He rose to power as a child. He was ultimately captured imprisoned and then murdered. Murder seems to be a sure way to rise to the claim the crown and sit on the throne.

The hunchback Richard III played supporting roles when his brothers rose in power to claim the crown. However he despised the happiness of his brother Edward (Walter Kmiec) who married  the beautiful Lady Grey (Rachel Comeau). The couple had a child and that child would have a claim to the throne someday. If Richard could not experience happiness and romance, then he would instead scheme and find a murderous way to rise to claim the throne. When Edward died, Richard realized the infant would have to be murdered. That would open his path to claiming the crown. As a king in 1450s England you would always have to watch your back.

There are only 2 more performances of Henry VI The Rise of Richard! Be sure to get your tickets to see who claims the throne.

Henry VI Part 3:The Rise of Richard, Final Poster

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Henry VI Part 3: The Rise of Richard is being performed at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 Rollins Street Orlando FL) through April 19, 2026.

I went to a performance and had a great time.

Having won the battle of St. Albins, Richard the Duke of York descended to the throne of England. Later York is killed in battle. His son Edward the Black Prince took the crown and soon died as well.

The murdered king Richard had three sons, Edward IV, George Duke of Clarence, and Richard III.

Richard III was who I put on the poster. Richard III was just one of many who were in the whirlwind of deceptions and murder leading to the crown. The crown changed hands multiple times between King Henry VI who was pious and weak willed, and Edward who was the oldest son of York.

The only way to keep track of all the players in the war of the roses was to follow the family tree in the program and a chart summarizing who supported who in the power struggle. Though on the sidelines through much of the play, it became clear that the misshapen Richard III was willing to do anything to ascend to the thrown. The path to the throne would be bathed in blood.

When you enter the theater, you are given a sticker with a white or red rose on it. The white rose shows that you side with the House of York and a red rose shows that you support The House of Lancaster. At time in the show armies would rush down the aisles of the theater shouting White Rose, or Red Rose! Members of the audience would shout back in response. The play is mostly about a dysfunctional family who use murder to gain power and the crown. Pick you family crest wisely.

Tickets can be found of the Orlando Shakespeare Theater website.

 

Fat Ham Final Poster

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The final pass at the Fat Ham poster features the “to be or not to be” moment from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Granted there is no mirrored skull or crown in Fat Ham, but it allows for anyone to know that the play is an homage to Hamlet. I switched from depicting the glamorous lighting of the finale of the play and instead focused on depicting the back yard barbecue.

Juicy (Je’Shaun Jackson) fills in for Hamlet who is visited by the ghost of his dead father and tasked with killing his father’s brother who is the one who murdered his dad. Juicy however, has a pleasant disposition an couldn’t hurt a fly.

Juicy performing Karaoke fills in for the famous To be or not to be monologue. Juicy sings Creep by Radiohead. IT starts off awkwardly but the slips into a dream sequence in which Juicy fells completely in control of the world around him.  It is at first humorous and then gloriously empowering.  It shows a creative and expressive individual embracing his uniqueness and taking flight.

The final poster had to embrace lightness rather than the dark to be more successful. There are so many moments of absolute joy and humor in the play and that had to overpower the dark themes. The photo taken for the theater program slipped back towards the darkness of reflecting on mortality. Juicy wears a black turban head wrap in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater production and it is an awesome replacement for the crown. I wish I had thought of it when I was working on the poster.

Costuming was by Jos N. Banks who also played Larry in the production. Larry shows up to the barbecue in uniform. This crisp militaristic uniform defines how he is seen by everyone. The Rev (Essex O’Brian) respects a man who has killed others. When Larry is alone with Juicy, he expresses a desire to be more soft and caring.

By the end of Hamlet almost everyone has died including the protagonist Hamlet. Fat Ham turns that ending on it’s head, deciding to celebrate acceptance and inclusion with a rousing and glamorous musical number. Chandeliers drop down from the ceiling and the lighting turns hot and exotic. Queerness is celebrated like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Fat Ham runs through March 29, 2026 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 E. Rollins St., Orlando, FL 32803). Ticket prices range from $70 for the A signature series seats to $48 for the C signature series seats. You don’t want to miss Fat Ham.

Fat Ham Theater Poster First Pass

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When I did this first pass at the Fat Ham theater poster, I had not read the entire script yet. I did see a few YouTube clips from the Broadway production, and I was intrigued by the fabulous and exotic ending to the show. Now that I have seen the show at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803), I know that there is no crown in the production. Juicy (Je’Shaun Jackson) the main character in the show, isn’t a prince and he doesn’t see himself that way. He just wants to get a job in Human resources which is a normal everyday ambition. The show deals with queer black identity and juicy doesn’t try to hide who he is deep inside.

Like in Hamlet. Juicy does meet his recently murdered father’s ghost. Through this meeting Juicy learns that, his uncle and strep father had his father murdered with a shiv in prison. The Rev (Essex O’Brian) then immediately hooked up with the widow of the man he had murdered, Juicy’s mom, the beautiful Tedra, (Patrece Bloomfield). Tedra would marry anyone to keep from being alone. She needs chaos in her life rather than time to reflect and feel lonely. Her mantra is that if you keep a man fed, he will always be happy. The Rev, however, is bullying and aggressive, particularly towards her son Juicy. She turns a blind eye when the Rev sucker punches her son in the stomach. I suspect that after honeymoon period, the Rev’s aggression would turn towards her as well.

The show follows Juicy’s self discovery as he navigates a family barbecue where he doesn’t feel like he belongs. The original Shakespeare production of Hamlet is a definite tragedy but Fat ham is is more of a celebration of embracing differences. Tedra, Juicy’s mom exuberantly embraces her son’s unique qualities. Where as the Rev despised those same qualities. The barbecue is staged to celebrate the marriage of the Rev to Tendra and their differing world views become glaringly obvious.

The barbecue in the production is from Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbako which is right down the street on Mills Avenue from the Theater (1326 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803). Seeing how much the cast was enjoying the BBQ makes me want to stop by Pig Floyd’s to have a taste for myself.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater Lobby

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I have just finished the posters for next season at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 E. Rollins St., Orlando, FL 32803). As I was crunching away painting the posters, I missed several sketch opportunities at the theater. Now that the work is done, I get to return to sketching theater live.

With Anna in the Tropics I was asked to depict the woman in a sensual nightgown with her lover behind her. It is ironic that a large box of typed information was placed over her chest. Perhaps my depiction was to sensual. I am learning what sells and what lines I should not cross.

The Hound of the Baskervilles was a comedy. I tried to make this clear with Watson holding a magnifying glass that made his eye super large, Sherlock’s quizzical expression as well as a dog with a big grin. Despite my efforts many members of the audience thought they were going to a dark mysterious show. I have seen the show before and it was hilarious. I am certain anyone who went to the Shakes performance was not disappointed.

I have done A Christmas Carol poster every year I have been painting these posters. This design reverted back to the first year’s poster which depicted Stooge holding up tiny Tim. I felt that first poster caught lightning in a bottle. This poster used photos from previous years’ show to tie it in with the actual costuming used in the show. Minor changes were made to the design like having Tiny Tim’s head overlap the title. I like the choice which helps to keep the characters large.

I love returning to the Shakes because I get to see the audience gather in the lobby with all the posters on the lobby walls. It is my one chance to see the posters at their full size all together. As a whole they all pull together. I think anyone seeing the posters will know that the same human hand touched each concept. I have seen what AI can do when designing posters. The results can be impressive technically, but for me they seem a bit impersonal, like clip art.

When I was working on the last batch of posters, I considered typing in a few words into an AI interface and seeing what the computer would spit out. I could not figure out the log in information with codes and passwords, so I abandoned my first curious venture. Instead I returned to painting by hand. Though the results look analog, I am working digitally on an iPad. The reason is that changes can be done much quicker digitally. Every element of the painting is on a separate layer and if a layer has to be altered I can just turn it off and try something new.

I have taken three months to travel Europe and follow my father’s footsteps at the end of WWII. It felt good to sketch with pen and paper along with watercolors. Decisions had to be made on the fly and there was no control Z to undo a pen stroke. Decisions had to be bold and decisive. If mistakes were made they reminded on the sketch and part of the process. It is that imperfectness that I love. Hopefully each sketch gets better and the bold decisions come faster. Having a machine make those bold choices for me seems unappealing.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: Final Poster

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For the final Orlando Shakespeare Theater poster for the Hound of the Baskervilles, I kept the seated poses for Watson and Sherlock Holmes. In the Hound of the Baskervilles, Watson actually plays a much larger role than Holmes since he goes to the Baskerville estate to investigate alone. It is a chance to see him use his powers of deduction, but he is as swept up in the legend of the huge hound as the townspeople.

Through the mystery and intrigue Sherlock was actually investigating from afar. The Hound of the Baskervilles has been adapted so many times for movies and theater production that it is a perfect fit for a comedic farce. Most people are well aware of the story. It was required reading for me in high school.

mangling, murder and mayhem can be extremely funny when resented with tongue in cheek. In this production actors hod ornate picture frames to portray the historic Baskerville family lineage. I always love paintings that come alive, by expressing emotion.

If you get a chance to see this production, I would highly advise it. It should be laugh out loud funny.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: Second Pass

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The second pass at the Hound of the Baskervilles poster was simply a sketch I had done several years ago of the production. My primary concern while sketching live in the theatre is always to catch the key characters in a scene together. It is less about character and expression and more about doing anything possible to get the sketch done during the course of the play.

i knew this sketch would not fly, but I like to offer plenty of options. If this sketch was approved, I would then refine the poses and push it to more of a polished look. I do remember laughing out loud at the show. There were obvious theater doorways and frames were used which actors would hold as if they were posing for a portrait.

It was a very fun show to watch and sketch. The poster however serves a different purpose. It isn’t about portraying what happens on the stage but about conveying an idea of what you might expect to feel watching the production.My sketches from life are almost always a long shot trying to show what is happening on the entire stage. The poster image needs to be more of a close up, offering a chance to see the actor’s expression. The challenge for me of course is that aI never know who the actors will be. This created a catch 22 where I need to be specific but also generalized in the approach to the image.

Hound of the Baskervilles: First Pass

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My first pass at The Hound of the Baskervilles poster was done thinking this was a serious drama based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle book. I wanted a mysterious and ominous hound to be the primary image to catch the attention of anyone looking at the image. I wanted a deep forest with plenty of looming fog. I then decided to make to hound huge and integrate it into the surrounding landscape. The idea was a bit abstract but it represented the psychological spirit of the beast.
I then added the more straightforward image of Sherlock looking through his magnifying glass.

Of course this idea didn’t fly because the play is an adaptation  that is a comedy. My image had nothing to do with a comedy, I was looking for intrigue, mystery and a dash of horror. Most of my paining for the past four years have had all of those elements, so it is hard to shake off the dark nature of the images that first come. Out of my hands.

The Hound of the Baskervilles will be running from September 24 to November 2, 2025 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater 812 East Rollins Street Orlando Florida. Be prepared for a hilarious time.

Stuart Little Final Poster

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For the final poster image of Stuart Little I had to reduce the size of Snowbell and move him into the background. Stuart remained standing right where he was and I made Snowbell’s head as large as I could in the negative space to the left of Stuart.

The title looks much better against a bright blue field so it can be read from a distance. I kept the chalky typeface for the credits.

Staurt Little is running right now at the Shakes. It involves some puppetry and a brightly colored set.

The vertical poster was adopted for a horizontal format in the promotional video. Since I am always rushing to finish the posters on time, I don’t paint behind foreground layer. In this poster Stuart is the foreground layer, that meant I didn’t paint the parts of Snowbell that could not be seen. When Stuart is removed, a Stuart shaped unpainted negative space appears on Snowbell’s fur.

This year I am re configuring every poster as a horizontal image as well so that such strange unpainted areas don’t happen when the poster is dissected and pulled apart for various uses.

The jealous gaze of Snowbell now is softened to curiosity or concern. Since he is reduced in size the threat is also softened.

Stuart Little runs through April 27, 2025. Tickets are $20.

Second Pass at Stuart Little Poster

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This was the second pass at the Stuart Little poster for the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. The show is being performed through April 27, 2025. Tickets are $20.

For this poster I focused on the scene where Stuart captains a tiny radio controlled sail boat in Central Park in NYC. I used to live in NYC and this lake was a welcome get away from the hustle and bustle of surviving in the city.

The scene takes place in early morning as the sun rises in the east. I know that because I am familiar with the warm light.

It should be noted that this is a quick color sketch which I assumed might get rejected. Because of that I don’t refine the brush work very much. Working fast like this, I often prefer to leave some of those panicked brush stokes rather than refining and polishing every aspect of the piece.

I am thinking this because I am working on the final stages of the posters for next season. Part of me wants to refine everything, but I resist and only work on areas that have changes or adjustments. I always want to have the poster look like it was made by hand. The best way to do that is to leave hints of the human touch.

I like the look of Stuart in this sketch but once again he is the sole focus of the poster. I wanted to include at lead one other character as well.

My research turned to Snowbell who is jealous  of how well Stuart fit into the family where he was once the sole prince.