From left, actors Robin Robertson as John Marshall, Shawn Durham as Thomas Jefferson and Marcel Ames as Robin Spurlock in "King of Crimes" (Photo courtesy Michael Duni)
He stands accused of treason. The nation is riveted by any number of questions: Was there collusion with a foreign power to damage the country? What did he know, and when did he know it? The answers will be broadcast, because the David L. Robbins stage play about the Richmond-based trial of Aaron Burr — remember, the damn fool who shot Alexander Hamilton? — is coming to your television, in cooperation with the John Marshall Foundation (JMF) in partnership with WCVE-TV, airing April 18 at 9 p.m. in Richmond on the Community Idea Stations (WCVE PBS), Charlottesville (WHTJ/WVPT PBS) and Harrisonburg (WVPT PBS).
If you’d like to see the show among others similarly inclined, you can attend a premiere on April 9 at 5:30 p.m, hosted by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, WCVE-TV and JMF in the Robins Family Forum at VMHC. While there, you may take in an exhibit that contextualizes the significant and fundamental role in our nation's history of Chief Justice Marshall.
Director Michel Duni received the task of bringing a play he directed into a form that could be televised and performed in front of an audience at the studios of WCVE. Duni, who has a strong background in casting, and with Erica Arvold, reopened the process to bring in actors who had more camera experience, retaining two from the stage production: Bill Blair plays the conniving General James Wilkinson, and Jasmine Shea is Burr’s daughter, Theodosia.
The roles were filled regardless of gender or race to represent not the United States of 1807 but that of today. The actors — who double up in their portrayals — include Washington, D.C.-based Elan Zafir (Harman Blennerhassett), Robin Robertson (John Marshall), J. Shawn Durham (Thomas Jefferson) and Marcel P. Ames (Robin Spurlock). Each presents a perspective on the complicated events, and somewhere in there are the various truths of the matter.
“King of Crimes” involves a great deal of machinations, and Duni says that makes it good for filming. “The camera allows us time, nuance and understanding,” he explains. “These are very human stories, though, using technical language.”
There is also an otherwordly effect to the proceedings. The director adds, “These characters are coming out of the ether to not only tell their stories but show us how they say things happened. They offer perspectives on their lives and history while talking to a 2019 audience.”
Duni’s production team included veteran behind-the-scenes staff, some who worked on Spielberg’s “Lincoln” among other regionally made productions, which got the show filmed in four and a half days, following months of preparation and rehearsal. Duni ran the play for the audience and later picked up with close-ups and transitions. “The audience is a vital component because, in certain places, they are part of the story.”
The set is stylized both to bring the viewers into the action but also to reinforce this time-out-of-time experience. An additional component is the score by Portuguese composer Tiago A. Calvário. “His score really moves along the narrative and accentuates the story and period,” Duni says. The play has few set pieces, and no backdrops, thus the music is part of the scenario and fills in the spaces.
Consider a break from today's present drama by peering into the past at the beginning of the nation’s story.
The premiere screening of "King of Crimes," including a post-film discussion with playwright David L. Robbins and director Michael Duni, takes place April 9 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Tickets are $12 to $35.
