Three bold actors bathed in brooding light and soundwork take charge of the outdoor stage in Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s ingenious production of RII, a compressed adaptation by Jessica Kubzansky of Shakespeare’s King Richard the Second.

The effect is by turns brilliant and surprising. Hearing Shakespeare explore the power of the English language makes RII a mesmerizing experience.

The actors move fluidly in and out of their various parts, bodying forth all the intrigue, allegiance, and plotting that will launch the Hundred Years War. Thanks to intelligent direction by Melissa Rain Anderson, we are never in any doubt as to who’s who...

Fine acting and inspired light and soundwork keep the various flashbacks moving swiftly, interweaving the doomed Richard and his chequered past into a shimmering organism.

RII is worth its weight in dramatic gold. Skillful acting, pliant adaptation, and the exciting stagecraft we’ve come to expect of Santa Cruz Shakespeare.

The romantic tale of a forbidden love comes to life with a fresh take on the characters, time period, and costumes. The result is intriguing and captivating...Redhouse's Romeo and Juliet, under the creative direction of Melissa Rain Anderson, is refreshing from the casting choices to the setting and especially the line delivery. It is a beautiful, thought-provoking, and creative production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Under Anderson’s direction, the show moves across the thrust-styled stage with real grace and urgency.

...a captivating and raw production of Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves under the impressive direction of Melissa Rain Anderson.

...because the dialogue is so sharp, authentic, and kinetic I quickly got caught up in the girls’ stories/lives. Of course it helps that the play is smashingly well acted by an incredible ensemble and directed brilliantly by Melissa Rain Anderson. ...take my word go see it. It’s a knockout.

“All Is Calm” uses an incredibly talented 10-man cast to tell this story with powerful simplicity and subtle beauty. The fine acting and Anderson’s direction adds depth to the story and a bittersweet quality to the Christmas miracle.

As a lament to this loss of life and dignity, this production directed by Melissa Rain Anderson stuns her audiences with its simple messages and warnings. The richness of four-part men's harmonies, and the quality of individual voices [“O Holy Night“, for example], stress the senselessness of war, a potent theme of All is Calm that leaves a lasting memory.