COURTESY OF THE HAMPSHIRE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

Hampshire Shakespeare Company, established in 1991, is presenting Richard III outside at the Hartsbrook School in Hadley, a Shakespeare worthy venue complete with rolling green pastures and meandering cows in the background.

Richard III is a dark comedy about the Duke of Gloucester who has designs on the crown of England, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal (he kills off practically his entire family). Stephen Eldridge plays Richard in this production, and arms the character with a sense of humor that is refreshing and unexpected, while still indulging the madness that Richard the despot is known for.

A shining scene in this production (pictured) is the wooing of Lady Anne (played by Lindsay Stone) by Richard while she is mourning the death of her husband who was slain by Richard's hand. Stone takes Lady Anne on a journey from the very brink of uncontrollable rage, to the depths of heart-wrenching sorrow to starry-eyed and swooning over Richard, somehow rendering all of those emotions believable.

Another stellar scene is an addition to the play by director Dean Acheson. Ghosts of the betrayed and slaughtered don masks, take their turns vehemently cursing Richard and then congregate on stage for chanting and dancing. The eeriness of this scene lingers well into the battle where Richard's consuming madness is worn like a shirt, for the world to see.

And it just wouldn't be Shakespeare without broadswords and battles, which rage, in this performance, up and down the aisles between patrons. Watch the fighting moves closely -- word is they've been practicing since February.

So bring a blanket and some snacks to nibble on and get comfortable -- really comfortable, the show's a little long. And don't worry, there is much-needed bug spray on hand, the all-natural kind and the not-so-natural-get-them-bugs-good kind.