Photos by Robert Wood

Review Excerpts

“‘‘KING JOHN’ A STRONG, COMPELLING DRAMA’…Kim unleashed lightning bolts of fury from his tiny farm, showing a deeply troubled King John. His was a tough, no-nonsense king, but the torment of defending the crown that was not rightfully his worked on his face, displaying doubt and betraying his vulnerability. Kim has a way of using his small physical stature to the best possible advantage. As King John, he squared his shoulders and acquired a confident gait that made him appear bigger than most of his colleagues.…”
               —Damien Jacques, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL (7/19/1981)

“‘WEATHER ADDS BIT OF REALISM TO ‘KING JOHN’’…Of course, Kim, whether bewailing his lot as the wrinkled gull of ‘Comedy’ or exuding authority as King John, dominates the stage.…”
               —Jay Joslyn, MILWAUKEE SENTINEL (7/20/1981)

“‘‘KING JOHN’ GLOWS WITH PERFECTION’…The cast, led by APT co-founder Rnadall Duk Kim in the title role, deserves acting plaudits.…”
               —Dennis Mullins, WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL (7/20/1981)

“‘‘KING JOHN’ IS PROOF OF APT’S CONSISTENCY’…Randall Duk Kim is unassailable in his portrayal of ‘King John,’ a ruler whose ‘blots on right’ nearly bring England to collapse. His calm commands to the point of ruin. His voice, movements, and gestures all match perfectly the purpose of his role.…”
               —Jacob Stockinger, THE CAPITAL TIMES (7/21/1981)

“‘SPRING GREEN’S ‘KING JOHN’’…Randall Duk Kim, the APT’s director, crafted a well considered and convincing characterization of the vacillating and bitter monarch.…”
               —Paul Hagland, THE DAILY CARDINAL (7/21/1981)

“‘PLAYERS BREATHE FIRE, LIFE INTO TALE’…The portrayal of King John can be summed up in one statement. Actors, classical or otherwise, just don’t come any better than Randall Duk Kim. He uses every moment on stage as an opportunity to create.…”
               —Rose Conrad, HOME NEWS (7/22/1981)

“‘APT SCORES AN IMPRESSIVE DOUBLE PLAY IN SPRING GREEN’…As King John, Randall Duk Kim (APT’s artistic director) conveys power with his deeply resonant voice, but his labored steps, bowed shoulders and morose air suggest a growing weariness and a lack of kingly vision….”
               —Ann Laboley, ISTHMUS (8/7/1981)

“‘MAD WORLDS! MAD KINGS! (APT OPENS WITH A BANG)’…Randall Duk Kim, peppery, pugnacious and loudly a rage, plays the aggressive but politically undermined monarch. Duk Kim throws his voice like a cannonball as he thunders at John’s enemies, promising feats of heroism he can’t perform. Duk Kim, as in all his roles, makes you forget the actor and see only the character in this weaknesses and strengths. At times his King John rises to the villainous heights of Richard III, at others vacillates crazily like a Pere Ubu. At the end this histrionic monarch dies a quiet, discreet death—as if his creator had realized his dramatic potential had suddenly gone bankrupt.”
               — James Dalglish, CITY LIGHTS (8/12/1981-8/27/1981)

“‘KING JOHN’…Randall Duk Kim creates a torn King John, a man who dies cornered by his own history. Kim’s talent seems inexhaustible and ably aided by many of the fine actors of last season.…”
               —Hayward Allen, COMMENT ON THE ARTS, WMTV (8/22/1981)