A Shakespearean history set in Mexico and a musical about the political and emotional aspects of international chess competition have beaten a crowded field of student productions vying to grace Harvard’s largest stage this spring, the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club (HRDC) announced Sunday.

Only two student shows per semester are picked to be performed on the Loeb Mainstage—an extremely difficult venue for student producers, directors and actors to use.

In recognition of that difficulty, HRDC board members said they plan to play a larger role in advising this spring’s productions—Richard III and Chess—than the HRDC has in the past.

Three board members will be assigned to help out with each show, and American Repertory Theatre (ART) directors will also be more involved in helping the productions use the Mainstage’s advanced technical system and sprawling stage.

“We see that as students we can always be improving,” said new HRDC Vice President Jeremy W. Blocker ’04. “This is one avenue of improvement.”

The massive Mainstage has gotten the better of many student productions, as students have struggled to sell 500 tickets per show and master the use of elaborate lighting equipment usually handled by ART professionals.

“The difficulty comes in translating a big vision to the little details of every aspect of a big production,” said new HRDC President Benjamin D. Margo ’04.

Students applying to use the Mainstage must submit a script and music, a list of production staff, an itemized budget, cast size and preliminary set sketches. HRDC then interviews the show’s entire staff.

In the past this extensive application process has limited the number of applicants to only two or three per semester.

But this semester’s selection committee got to decide which of six shows would have the best chance to succeed on the Mainstage.

This semester’s selections take unique approaches to dealing with the complexity of Mainstage production.

Chess, which will run from April 4-12, will be directed by Katherine M. Bencowitz ’03 and produced by Anne E. Patrone ’04 and Kristel C.Q. Leow ’04.

Chess portrays the politics and emotions behind a match-up between an American and a Russian at a chess tournament.

Bencowitz submitted Chess last year and was rejected. She reapplied after toning down the historical and political details of the script and focusing on how the characters retreat into a parallel fairy tale world.

“It’s something that I’ve been wanting forever, and I have a great group of people working with me,” Bencowitz said.

Patrone said the Mainstage is the only place at Harvard where the musical can achieve its desired effect of switching from a huge spectacle to a sense of isolation and alienation immediately.

“The set itself and the feeling of the show needed the Mainstage,” Patrone said. “No other space would work.”

Richard III, which will run from April 25-May 3, will be directed by outgoing HRDC Vice President Kenneth P. Herrera ’03 and produced by Michael M. Donahue ’05.

Set at the fall of the Aztec empire, the production will aim to intertwine text and culture, religion and society. Herrera said he hopes to bring the Aztec culture to life with music and dance, colorful costumes and elaborate sets—including a large temple.

“Ken does nothing but theater. Ken is theater,” Donahue said of his director. “He has a knack for beautiful imagery, an incredible capability to use imagery to tell a story—especially with Aztec culture which is already so rich.”

Herrera said he envisions Richard III as a man caught in a single-mindedly religious society. In order to gain political power, Richard exploits the religiosity of the society, using ritual sacrifice and violence.

Upon achieving political supremacy, he finds he cannot escape this religious worldview. Ultimately his reliance on religion causes his defeat to Richmond (Hernando Cortés) and thus the downfall of the entire Aztec empire.

“The play is dark in imagery and subject matter. There’s also a danger of the audience being alienated from things not palatable to a Western audience, like ritual sacrifice,” Herrera said. “I want to capture the beauty of Aztec society. The light, vibrant aspects of the culture will provide a good contrast.”

Herrera said he is “excited, honored and thrilled” to have the chance to direct on the Mainstage.

“There are lots of challenges that artistically I am ready to face,” he said.

—Staff writer Jeslyn A. Miller can be reached at jmiller@fas.harvard.edu.