Original Practice Shakespeare Festival presents “The Life and Death of Richard II”

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival offers a free presentation of “The Life and Death of Richard II” at 7 p.m. July 24 at Irving Park, 707 N.E. Fremont St., Portland. The company uses the original practice techniques of Elizabethan England: limited rehearsal, scrolls in hand, audience interaction, and an onstage prompter. Gender-fluid casting (just like in Ye Olde Shakespearean Days) is the norm.

To sum up the plot: Young King Richard flaunts wealth and power. When Richard exiles Bullingbrooke and seizes the ancestral land, dissension brews. While Richard is at war in Ireland, Bullingbrooke marches on England. Faced with an overwhelming force, Richard abdicates. Plots against the new king are hatched and Richard is executed, sort of accidentally.

The Original Practice Shakespeare Festival performs all 25 plays in its repertory over the summer at 11 different Portland parks, with no admission fee. The company of skilled, flexible actors will perform with occasional interruptions of songs, dances and sketches. Shows usually begin at 7 p.m. and the audience is welcome to arrive during the hour before to watch dance and fight rehearsals. Children and leashed dogs are welcome. Picnic meals are encouraged. To see the complete summer schedule, visit www.opsfest.org.