The Tony-nominated actress Katy Sullivan will star in “Richard III” at Chicago’s Shakespeare Theatre, making her the first woman with a disability to play a lead production role.
The upcoming production will run from February 2 through March 3, 2024 at the company’s Courtyard Theater with direction from Edward Hall. Sullivan, who previously appeared in the U.K. premiere of “Cost of Living” as well as the limited Broadway run, will perform alongside castmates Scott Aiello, Mark Bedard, and Ora Jones, among others.
Sullivan told Playbill that the production is providing the story of King Richard III “in a totally different way.” “Richard III” delves into a different account of the infamous power-hungry leader — whose life was also plagued by a physical disability. The production promises a “scathing dark comedy and high-stakes family drama” that “grapples with violence, power, and the gray area between good and evil.”
Sullivan, a four-time Parapalympic champion and bilateral above-knee amputee, became the first-ever actress who is an amputee to perform on Broadway, as well as the first-ever Tony-nominated amputee. While performing in “Cost of Living,” she acted alongside Gregg Mozgala, who has cerebral palsy. She described the play to Playbill as “confronting in a lot of ways,” noting that “it makes people look at the fragility of life, and we’re not used to seeing disabled bodies on stage.”
While Broadway has taken a step in the right direction, Sullivan told the publication there’s still some ways to go.
“People with disabilities are the largest minority in this country, and the least represented on our stages and on our screens,” Sullivan said. “There are so many stories that can be cracked open and elevated in a really cool way just by adding that basic, human element underneath it.”
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