Katy Sullivan is currently starring in the title role in “Richard III” at the world-renowned Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Her performance is garnering a wealth of praise.
The Chicago Tribune calls Katy’s performance “intoxicating.”
BroadwayWorld refers to her starring turn as “a triumph!”
The Chicago Sun-Times raves about the “sheer exhilarating theatricality” of the production.
Life and Times dubs Sullivan “a force of nature” and the production “an epic of the highest quality.”
Katy is undoubtedly a unique casting choice. Not only is the role scripted for a male-identifying actor, Katy is also a bilateral above-the-knee amputee, adding a new dimension to Richard III’s scripted physical stature.
In the story, the character of Richard is described as deformed. He is often played with a hunchback of varying degrees. An actress such as Katy brings a new physicality to the role. At times she strides the stage with confidence on prosthetic legs. Other times she moves about in a wheelchair, sometimes pushed and other times by her own power. Other times she is on the floor itself.
In this last category of being upon the floor itself, the director and his star use the image of Richard on the ground to convey varying different layers. There are moments when Richard celebrates the freedom of being in direct contact with the ground. Other times Katy’s Richard is all powerful from his position. Still at the end of the play as Richard offers his kingdom for a horse, he stature scrambling on the ground shows off the character’s ultimate weakness.
Katy is a Tony-nominated actress who took the Great White Way by storm with her performance in “Cost of Living”. In addition to her Tony nomination, she was also nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award, Drama League Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award.
It was working on the U.K. mounting of “Cost of Living” under director Edward Hall that the idea of having Katy play Richard III was first teased. During that rehearsal process, Ed informed Katy that it was part of his destiny to direct her in “Richard III” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
A little thing called COVID-19 and the shutdown of the entire country pushed the plans for the “Richard III” collaboration back further than originally intended, but the play’s time has come and what a time it is.
Ed, who recently succeeded Barbara Gaines as the artistic director at Chicago Shakes, has brought to the stage a modern masterpiece. A big part of that is Katy’s bravery in embracing her disability and gifting its attributes and challenges to her character.
I recently had the chance to sit down with Katy and discuss her role in “Richard III” and her personal journey.
Katy explains that her parents’ pregnancy had appeared nonproblematic, so it was a surprise when she was born missing both lower legs. However, Katy notes, her parents kept their expectations of their daughter on par with all their other able-bodied children. They encouraged her to pursue her dreams accordingly.
I joked with Katy that when it comes to career aspirations, she didn’t take the easy path in selecting athlete and actress as her two target professions. Yet she succeeded wildly on both fronts, starring on Broadway and on numerous hit television shows as an actress, and scoring a U.S. record and multiple championships while competing in the Paralympics.
If you want to succeed you have to swing for the fences. And that is just what Katy has done with her life – excelling to a level of excellence as an actress and as an athlete. Her talents even extend to writing and producing, something she does with her company SulliFlinn Productions which she operates in partnership with college friend Becca Flinn.
I find Katy to be a huge inspiration. I, too, live with a disability. In my case, my challenges aren’t as obvious to the naked eye. But even when your struggles remain unseen, they still exist.
Katy has never let her disability stand in her way. She decided at an early age to pursue acting and athletics – and just look how incredibly she’s succeeded in both capacities.
I have a saying that I came up with: I can’t help being disabled, but I can show the world what someone with a disability is still capable of. While I don’t want to put words in Katy’s mouth, I think statement probably holds true for her as well.
“Richard III” is a challenging role for able-bodied men. It is thus all the more impressive that Katy has dominated the role in this unique casting at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
As written by Shakespeare, the character of Richard III is an evil-hearted man. While Katy doesn’t show any possession of that evil in her own lovely persona, she is very convincing on stage. I think that’s because she lets one certain characteristic of herself shine through in Richard – the fighting spirit to pursue goals with a salacious appetite. Failure simply isn’t an option.
I hope you’ll make plans to listen to this week’s episode of “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” – your backstage pass to all things entertainment. Katy Sullivan is a very gifted actress who tells a fascinating story of success that has led her to headlining Richard III at one of the nation’s top Shakespearean theaters.
You can always listen to new and classic episodes of “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” at https://steelbeamtheatre.thundertix.com/events/223766 or wherever you get your podcasts.
It is thanks to listeners like you that “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” has become a top entertainment news program providing access to the stars of Broadway, Hollywood, and the music industry intermixed with human interest stories about up-and-coming artists.
To make reservations to see Katy Sullivan in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s riveting production of “Richard III” visit www.ChicagoShakes.com or call the box office at (312) 595-5600.
You can keep up to date with Katy Sullivan’s future projects by visiting her website at www.KatySullivan.net.
