Rudolf II

Sex, science, and paranoia in 16th century Prague

By Edward Einhorn

Directed by Henry Akona

See the reviews and production photos

At the Bohemian National Hall

321 East 73rd Street, New York City

Untitled Theater Company #61 takes you on a journey to the dark side of a tormented psyche in Rudolf II, an intimate drama of delusion, science and sexual experimentation.

In 1600, Rudolf II, the bisexual and bipolar Holy Roman Emperor, is obsessed with alchemy and astronomy; as well as his longtime mistress and his newest lover and valet, a converted Jew. His enthusiasms establish Prague as a center of artistic, scientific, and sexual investigation.  As he notes with pride, “I have something more than soldiers. I have knowledge.” However, his underfunded army, combined with his constant mood swings and paranoia, threatens to destroy everything he’s tried to build. 

Set completely in Rudolf’s bedroom, the increasingly reclusive Emperor confines himself in a suffocating atmosphere filled with court intrigue. Rudolf’s court was literally the stuff of legend, providing the basis for Goethe’s Faust and the original Golem. The play features several historical figures, including astronomer Tycho Brahe; Elizabeth Jane Weston, Latin poetess and daughter of the original Faust (Edward Kelley); and the spirit of Libuše, the prophetess who founded Prague. 

CAST
Libuše: Adriana Disman
Tycho Brahe: Joe Gately*
Rumpf: Eric Oleson
Elizabeth Jane Weston: Shelley Ray*
Rudolf II: Timothy McCown Reynolds*
Katerina: Yvonne Roen*
Philip Lang: Jack Schaub

Pages: James Isaac, Romo Hallahan

Musicians: Katherine Boynton, Rosalynd Darling, Mike Hill, Parker Scott*. Phoebe Silva*, Sandy York*

* Member of Actors Equity Association

PRODUCTION
Playwright: Edward Einhorn

Director: Henry Akona

Dramaturgy: Karen Ott
Costume Designer: Carla Gant

Lighting Designer: Ian W. Hill
Stage Manager and Props Designer: Berit Johnson
Assistant Director: Tom Berger

Assistant Stage Manager: Lindsey Carter

Assistant Costume Designer: Candace Lawrence Assistant Lighting Designer: Romo Hallahan