King Lear (review)

King Lear is a play about families, and in particular paternal relationships—Lear and his daughters, Gloucester and his sons. These relationships are touching, tragic, and riddled with dysfunction and division. The Georgia Shakespeare King Lear homed in on this theme of division in very tangible ways, primarily through the set itself. Reminiscent of the fences surrounding a World War II concentration camp, a large chain-link and razor wire fence bisected up center stage, parallel with a shorter segment of fencing, creating a passageway along the length of the stage. The characters, however, seemed unaware of its existence—the fence was ignored and merely used as a convenient screen, masking entrances and exits in a way that still allowed the audience to see who was coming and going. The fence became the back wall of the throne room in 1.1 and a passage through the moors in act three. Even in Lear's impassioned moments, the fence was never acknowledged or even touched: in the throes of his madness, we might have expected him at least to shake it with rage.

Allan O'Reilly as Kent and Tim McDonough as King Lear in Georgia Shakespeare's 2010 production of King Lear, directed by Sabin Epstein.

Photo courtesy of Jen Hofstetter.

At the top of the show, the stage went dark and a German newscast filled the theatre. As the lights went up, the cast stood in tableau, displaying the range of styles and periods that made up the costuming. For the opening scene, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia wore Victorian dresses with high collars and long sleeves; the men wore berets and military sashes. In 1.4, Albany came onstage in slacks and a sweater and Gloucester's attractive female secretary (an added role) wore a 1960s skirt and blouse throughout the production (in fact, a lot of the costuming hinted at this decade, making one wonder if the costume designer had wittily twisted "the fools and Mad Men" line). The entire production hinted at film noir, with dim lighting punctuated by harsh spots, creating shadows and an aura of secrecy and adding to the impression that these individuals were constantly on the outside looking in, furtive and desperate in their dealings. But the set design and elements such as the newscast were never fully explained and the audience was left to wonder why these characters were placed in this particular world, much less how it was relevant to the story of King Lear.

Tim McDonough as King Lear and Park Krausen as Cordelia in Georgia Shakespeare's 2010 production of King Lear, directed by Sabin Epstein.

Photo courtesy of Jen Hofstetter.

Tim McDonough's Lear was leonine and commanding in the first two acts. When Cordelia good-naturedly told him "nothing," he was affronted and very nearly spiteful. He threw the map of the kingdom down in a fit of pique, and as he exited, threw his coronet on top of that. Such volatile and violent behavior made us believe his descent into madness was inevitable. This was not a king who goes insane after a few traumatic incidents but rather a man exhibiting unstable behavior from the outset. The conflict in 1.3 was an unfair fight as Lear and Kent viciously beat the lame Oswald (who walked with a limp and used a cane) to the ground.