"Richard III"
Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company at the Container Globe
Detroit, Mich.
Aug. 23, 2025
Many may view Shakespeare as theater for the elite and inaccessible to the masses. But back in Shakespeare’s time, his plays were aimed at a mix of social classes, often performed at his open-aired Globe Theatre. The arena-style set-up was more casual than the dark, quiet, more rigid theaters of today.
Detroit opened its own version of the Globe a couple of years ago with the “Container Globe,” an open-air theater made of shipping containers, located in the parking lot of the long-vacant Herman Kiefer Hospital. The Container Globe has hosted a variety of events, plays and concerts. Last weekend it went back to its roots with Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” performed by the touring Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company, based in Grand Haven.
The play, based on England’s War of the Roses, depicts the rise and fall of King Richard III. Starting as the Duke of Gloucester, Richard manipulates and murders his way to the top, offing his brother, young nephews and anyone else who gets in his way. Under his tyranny, his allies begin to turn against him, leading to his eventual defeat by the Earl of Richmond and the rise of King Henry VII and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.
I’ve experienced my fair share of Shakespearean plays, but I can’t say it’s my go-to preference for theater entertainment. And at 2.5 hours long, I was worried I would not be able to sit through the entire performance, though I was encouraged to come and go as I wanted. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the production and was able to follow along with the story, despite the old English and British history I was only mildly familiar with.
Part of that accessibility comes from the nature of the theater itself. Since it was a less formal, sunlit environment, I was able to use my phone for Google assistance as needed without disrupting others’ theater-going experience. This was especially helpful in the beginning sorting out the numerous characters – with references to multiple Edwards, Richards and Henrys – and their relationships to one another.
Once I got going, it was fairly easy to follow along and more engaging than expected. Reading Shakespeare plays is rarely easy for modern English speakers, but watching characters come alive on stage where actors’ emotions, inflections and body language help convey the story makes the play significantly more accessible and enjoyable, and the Pigeon Creek actors nailed it.
The gender and age-blind cast was stellar, with about a dozen performers portraying the play’s more than 25 roles, switching out costumes to convey different characters. This was a bit confusing at times, but I was able to follow along for the most part. Kudos to the cast for the ease and sheer speed it took switching back and forth to multiple characters, many of whom transformed gender and age.
As the title character, Scott Lange gave a strong performance as a bitter, rejected man who had no moral qualms at doing whatever it took to achieve his ambition. Scott Wright as Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby and one of the murderers gave a notable performance as each of his different characters. With his eloquent old English, rich tone and spot-on, soulful expressions, he seemed plucked right from England’s Royal Shakespeare Company. He also rocked a stellar recorder during the cast’s musical performances that opened each act, which set the tone for the afternoon.
We were lucky to get a comfortable, sunny afternoon. Watching a classic play among a gritty, urban background felt like a distinctly Detroit experience, which made it even more special.
Pigeon Creek’s “Richard III” was an engaging performance, and pairing it with the unique, informal and intimate Container Globe stage made what might otherwise be an intimidating experience feel accessible. I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would and look forward to experiencing performances with both the company and the theater in the future.
