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King Lear
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Robert Falls
At the Goodman Theatre
170 N. Dearborn
Chicago, IL
Call 312-443-3800, tickets $20 - $75
Tuesdays at 7:30 Pm
Wednesdays at 7:30 PM
Thursdays at 1:30 & 7:30 PM
Fridays at 8 PM
Saturdays at 2 & 8 PM
Sundays at 1:30 & 7:30 PM
Running time is 3 hours, 15 minutes with intermission
Through October 22, 2006
“You don’t choose King Lear; it chooses you.” -- Robert Falls
“I have heard it said that King Lear is a sad play. It is not a sad play. It should rip your heart out.” --Stacy Keach
The definitive production of King Lear reigns at the Goodman Theatre
In one of the most triumphant productions ever at the Goodman Theatre, Robert Falls’ King Lear is a masterpiece of passion. It is a visually stunning, robustly powerful modern production of The Bard’s most controversial play. This is the most thrilling and engaging play I’ve seen in years! Fall’s King Lear humbles me as it demonstrates the sheer magnitude of live theatre to reach us. This emotionally wrenching, raw, sexually explicit and violent masterwork contains savage wit, heartbreaking tragedy and in-you-face explosive political commentary. King Lear contains intriguing twists on destiny, duty versus love, friendship versus betrayal, loyalty versus leadership. The aging process and inevitability of death are clearly examined. This is a King Lear for the 21st Century and for the ages!
With modern dress including sexy woman’s gowns and men’s fashions ranging from skin-tight black t-shirts, hip-hop outfits to conservative suits and Eastern European military uniforms (Serbian?), Ana Kuzmanic has dressed this Lear vividly. Walt Spangler’s tremendously realistic, stunning sets featuring a grand ball room with high ceiling, tall doors and a gigantic mural of the younger Lear that transforms into a gated villa, a junk yard with crushed autos; a stainless steel large kitchen table with over-hanging pots gives underscoring to throw-cutting and eye gouging. The battlefield lined with white-plastic wrapped dead bodies, a deep grave covered with lot’s of smoke with amazingly eerie lighting by Michael Phillipi together with riveting sound design by Richard Woodbury makes this Lear a marvelous audio and visual spectacle. It encompasses a scale befitting the extensive violence and emotion of Shakespeare’s tale. Here atmosphere is pervasive.
Stacy Keach leads a fabulous cast of 29 actors as the mad king. Keach leaves everything he has on the stage as he mixes emotional rage, sardonic wit with comical asides with his perfect diction and eloquence combined with his graceful physicality to give a complexity strength and truthfulness to the aging Lear. Keach’s Lear can sing, dance and party with the best yet his angst, vulnerability and gentleness is winningly effective. Keach leaves us wondering if Lear really crazy or crafty? And if he is mad, does it come from a sin of pride as he will not face the error of his ways? Does his self knowledge drive mad? Certainly his Lear is one to remember and cherish. Stacy Keach’s King Lear is the finest, most complete rendering I’ve witnessed. His is one for the ages, indeed!
Synopsis: The aging Lear is tired of ruling his fiefdom and wants to relax in his waning years so at a large gathering lead by a hip-hop DJ singing in Serbian, he chides his three daughters to let him how much they love him so that each will share thirds of his kingdom. When his youngest favored child, Cordelia (Laura Odeh), refuses to join her sisters in false flattery, Lear goes into a rage and quickly decides to divide the kingdom by giving half to his daughter, Goneril (Kim Martin-Cotton) and her husband Albany (Kevin Gudahl) while bestowing the remaining portion to Regan (Kate Arrington) and her husband, Cornwall (Chris Genebach). Cordelia gets nothing and is banished from the realm. The nobleman Kent (Steve Pickering) is also banished for question the King’s decision.
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Meanwhile, the Earl of Gloucester (Edward Gero) is also having family problems. His bastard son Edmund (Jonno Roberts) convinces Gloucester that his favorite son Edgar (Joaquin Torres) wants to kill him for his land. Edmund’s lies force Edgar to flee leaving the Earl not knowing whom to trust.
Lear, after the division, wants to survive on the two daughter’s hospitality but both Goneril and Regan refuse and throw the former king out on the street with his Fool (Howard Wit) and a disguised Kent during a raging storm. Lear must now face his inter demons as well as the weather. What began as two royal families feuding ends us in a horrible war and extreme cruelty and hardship for Lear and Gloucester. Madness is reached here. Eventually Lear reconciles with Cordelia just before she is lost to the violence his actions have unleashed.
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The stellar cast features excellent work, especially from Howard Wit as the Fool and Edward Gero’s Gloucester. I especially was taken by Joaquin Torres’ Edgar and Junno Roberts’ Edmund. Steve Pickering’s Kent and Dieterich Gray’s Oswald together with Chris Genebach’s Cornwall offered steady moments. Kate Arlington’s Regan and Kin Martin-Cotton’s Goneril were sensually provocative while Laura Odeh’s Cordelia was effectively real. I can’t remember witnessing a finer ensemble.
This production of King Lear will sweep you away with its magnitude, power and raw sensuality. This Lear contains nudity, extreme realistic violence and decadence. The rich poetic language and the scope of Falls’ vision with strong references to the Bosnian-Serbian wars works to underscore the nihilistic tone of the play. Kudos for the Goodman and Robert Falls for daring to take adventurous chances with this classic. It succeeds far beyond one’s expectations. This is a splendid theatrical experience.
Not to Be Missed
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2006
Jeff Recommended
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