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CNN Saturday Morning News

The Novak Zone: Interview With Wallace Acton

Aired April 26, 2003 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: A nation perched on the edge of war, with a leader who takes the lives of children and family. Saddam Hussein? No, this evil character comes from William Shakespeare's "Richard III," a drama that mirrors current world events.
Is there a message in the bard's words for people of today? Actor Wallace Acton, who is portraying a modern Richard III at Washington's Shakespeare Theater, joins CNN's Robert Novak in this week's edition of "The Novak Zone."

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: "Novak Zone." Dah-dah!

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT NOVAK, HOST: Welcome to "The Novak Zone." I'm Robert Novak at the Shakespeare Theater in downtown Washington, D.C. My guest is actor Wallace Acton, who has the title role in "Richard III," presently being performed at the Shakespeare Theater.

Mr. Acton, I saw your magnificent portrayal of Richard III. As the war was starting in Iraq, and I compared Richard III with Saddam Hussein, Saddam Hussein killed his son-in-laws, Richard III killed his brother and his two nephews -- that is, the fictional character did.

Do you think Shakespeare had a presentiment of the mass killers and villains of the 20th and 21st centuries, Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein?

WALLACE ACTON, ACTOR: I think Shakespeare was probably spending more time thinking about the mass killers from the past., who had been written about in the "Chronicles" of Hollingshead, for instance, where he got his story of Richard III.

But I wouldn't put it past Shakespeare, having done over half the canon now, to have some sense of the mass of humanity barreling on forward into the future as it has always done in the past.

NOVAK: The famous soliloquy that opens "Richard III, "This is the winter of our discontent... "

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ACTON: Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this son of York...

(END VIDEO CLIP) NOVAK: This, unlike Saddam Hussein and Hitler, this Richard III looks like he is really -- particularly as you portray him -- looks like he's really enjoying the evil he's contemplating. Is that true?

ACTON: Well, yes, that is true. In fact, he -- historically, as according to Shakespeare, had some enjoyment in his role in the war, the War of the Roses, the civil war. And when this play begins, that war has ended, and Richard has no fun left over, so he has to create some for himself.

NOVAK: Do you think -- I got a feeling, sitting in the audience, that although this man was a terrible murderer, that you kind of made him a little bit likable. I thought the audience kind of took a shine to him. Do you think that's true?

ACTON: I do get that sense from the audience in the evening, on both ends of the story, on the enjoyment level of the story, which I think is important for getting through the evening, but even towards the end, on the more pitiable level of the character. And I think that is the genius of Shakespeare, actually, that he's -- he has inherent in his script both sides of the coin.

NOVAK: He is such a bad guy. He -- two of the scenes, when he is commiserating with his brother, the Duke of Clarence, going to the Tower of London, when, in fact, he is responsible for sending them to his death, and then when he proposes to Princess Anne over the body of her father, the late king, who he has murdered, how do you feel portraying such villainy, this -- do you enjoy that, or...

ACTON: I enjoy it immensely. It's nice to be given the license in a safe environment to explore the darker sides of one's personality.

NOVAK: This was regarded as Shakespeare's first hit play in London...

ACTON: Yes.

NOVAK: ... and it's still enormously popular. In all candor, I don't think it has the complexity of "Hamlet." Why is it so popular? Why was it popular then, and why is it popular now, do you think?

ACTON: Well, I'd like to say that if Shakespeare were alive today, he'd be making Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. And I think that's partially why this is as popular as it is. This is a quintessential Hollywood thriller. It has a fast-moving plot line, it has a lot of blood, it has a lot of humor. There's a lot to be enjoyed in the evening.

And I think, I think that's one of the reasons. It's not often that you get to, you know, kill off kids and kill off brothers and woo ladies over their ex-husbands. And I think there's something to be said for the audience's participation in that -- in those events.

NOVAK: And now, the big question for Wallace Acton. Mr. Acton, what is the message, do you think, that this play has for us? We live in a troubled time, maybe as troubled as the War of the Roses, with a war against terrorism. Is there a message, do you think, for the audiences of the 21st century by Shakespeare?

ACTON: I think there are several messages. I think Shakespeare's message, I think, is rather vague personally, just in my personal experience with the script. Shakespeare doesn't take a point of view. We have taken a slight point of view, but I think we leave it up to the audience to a great extent. I'm sure your point of view about the proceedings would be very different from your cohort, James Carville's point of view about the proceedings.

And therefore, I am going to leave it in the hands of Shakespeare and let the audience decide themselves.

NOVAK: And that's the genius and the wonder of Shakespeare, isn't it?

ACTON: It is, and the beauty of it.

NOVAK: Well, thank you very much.

And thank you for being with us in "The Novak Zone."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired April 26, 2003 - 09:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: A nation perched on the edge of war, with a leader who takes the lives of children and family. Saddam Hussein? No, this evil character comes from William Shakespeare's "Richard III," a drama that mirrors current world events.
Is there a message in the bard's words for people of today? Actor Wallace Acton, who is portraying a modern Richard III at Washington's Shakespeare Theater, joins CNN's Robert Novak in this week's edition of "The Novak Zone."

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: "Novak Zone." Dah-dah!

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT NOVAK, HOST: Welcome to "The Novak Zone." I'm Robert Novak at the Shakespeare Theater in downtown Washington, D.C. My guest is actor Wallace Acton, who has the title role in "Richard III," presently being performed at the Shakespeare Theater.

Mr. Acton, I saw your magnificent portrayal of Richard III. As the war was starting in Iraq, and I compared Richard III with Saddam Hussein, Saddam Hussein killed his son-in-laws, Richard III killed his brother and his two nephews -- that is, the fictional character did.

Do you think Shakespeare had a presentiment of the mass killers and villains of the 20th and 21st centuries, Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein?

WALLACE ACTON, ACTOR: I think Shakespeare was probably spending more time thinking about the mass killers from the past., who had been written about in the "Chronicles" of Hollingshead, for instance, where he got his story of Richard III.

But I wouldn't put it past Shakespeare, having done over half the canon now, to have some sense of the mass of humanity barreling on forward into the future as it has always done in the past.

NOVAK: The famous soliloquy that opens "Richard III, "This is the winter of our discontent... "

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ACTON: Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this son of York...

(END VIDEO CLIP) NOVAK: This, unlike Saddam Hussein and Hitler, this Richard III looks like he is really -- particularly as you portray him -- looks like he's really enjoying the evil he's contemplating. Is that true?

ACTON: Well, yes, that is true. In fact, he -- historically, as according to Shakespeare, had some enjoyment in his role in the war, the War of the Roses, the civil war. And when this play begins, that war has ended, and Richard has no fun left over, so he has to create some for himself.

NOVAK: Do you think -- I got a feeling, sitting in the audience, that although this man was a terrible murderer, that you kind of made him a little bit likable. I thought the audience kind of took a shine to him. Do you think that's true?

ACTON: I do get that sense from the audience in the evening, on both ends of the story, on the enjoyment level of the story, which I think is important for getting through the evening, but even towards the end, on the more pitiable level of the character. And I think that is the genius of Shakespeare, actually, that he's -- he has inherent in his script both sides of the coin.

NOVAK: He is such a bad guy. He -- two of the scenes, when he is commiserating with his brother, the Duke of Clarence, going to the Tower of London, when, in fact, he is responsible for sending them to his death, and then when he proposes to Princess Anne over the body of her father, the late king, who he has murdered, how do you feel portraying such villainy, this -- do you enjoy that, or...

ACTON: I enjoy it immensely. It's nice to be given the license in a safe environment to explore the darker sides of one's personality.

NOVAK: This was regarded as Shakespeare's first hit play in London...

ACTON: Yes.

NOVAK: ... and it's still enormously popular. In all candor, I don't think it has the complexity of "Hamlet." Why is it so popular? Why was it popular then, and why is it popular now, do you think?

ACTON: Well, I'd like to say that if Shakespeare were alive today, he'd be making Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. And I think that's partially why this is as popular as it is. This is a quintessential Hollywood thriller. It has a fast-moving plot line, it has a lot of blood, it has a lot of humor. There's a lot to be enjoyed in the evening.

And I think, I think that's one of the reasons. It's not often that you get to, you know, kill off kids and kill off brothers and woo ladies over their ex-husbands. And I think there's something to be said for the audience's participation in that -- in those events.

NOVAK: And now, the big question for Wallace Acton. Mr. Acton, what is the message, do you think, that this play has for us? We live in a troubled time, maybe as troubled as the War of the Roses, with a war against terrorism. Is there a message, do you think, for the audiences of the 21st century by Shakespeare?

ACTON: I think there are several messages. I think Shakespeare's message, I think, is rather vague personally, just in my personal experience with the script. Shakespeare doesn't take a point of view. We have taken a slight point of view, but I think we leave it up to the audience to a great extent. I'm sure your point of view about the proceedings would be very different from your cohort, James Carville's point of view about the proceedings.

And therefore, I am going to leave it in the hands of Shakespeare and let the audience decide themselves.

NOVAK: And that's the genius and the wonder of Shakespeare, isn't it?

ACTON: It is, and the beauty of it.

NOVAK: Well, thank you very much.

And thank you for being with us in "The Novak Zone."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com