By Sarah Re
Renaissance Now Theatre and Film brings an eerie chill to the summer heat with William Shakespeare’s King Lear. Set against the barren and craggy backdrop of Rock Canyon in Provo, the actors shine in minimal set and costume, bringing humanity and depth to the rich text. King Lear delves into the human issues of love and loyalty, ambition and humility, and right and wrong.
Lear, played by the multi-talented Marvin Payne, demands that his three daughters declare their love and devotion to him to be rewarded with portions of his kingdom according to their dotage. The eldest, Goneril (Alice Ellsworth*), showers the king in adoration and is handsomely rewarded with a prime portion of her father’s kingdom, including vineyards and beautiful farmland. The middle daughter, Regan (Aspen Thompson), also declares her love for their father and is rewarded her third of the kingdom. However, the youngest, Cordelia (Olivia Rae Casper), refuses. Lear becomes outraged when his favorite daughter says she will only love him with half her heart, since the other half is reserved for the man she loves. Cordelia is banished and disowned, leaving her to marry the king of France without a dowry. Lear’s servant and friend, Kent (Colt Brown), is also banished for defending Cordelia. Lear, however, soon discovers he has made a grave mistake. Having received their halves of the kingdom, Goneril and Regan decide to overthrow their father, claiming he’s too old to be fit to govern either the kingdom or himself.
All three of the sisters are excellently cast: Ellsworth is savage and beautiful as Goneril, and Thompson is snotty and devious as Regan. Their cold sarcasm is in stark contrast to the genuine goodness Casper brings to Cordelia. While all three are perfectly cast to type and have the chops for Shakespeare, I do feel there is opportunity for Goneril and Regan to further explore the cruel depths of ambition and sibling rivalry.
The entire cast is filled with incredibly talented actors. Payne captivates the audience with a majestic voice and gravitas so at odds with the madman he becomes. Eloquent, expressive, and sympathetic, our hearts break with him at the betrayal of his own daughters. He also brings a playfulness to his interactions with the other characters, such as Josh Needles’ fooland Kent who has returned in disguise as a new servant, Caius. Needles expertly handles the witty banter required for a good fool, easily breaking into song to soften the blow of his constant roasting. Having little more than a week to prepare for his role due to heightened safety protocols, Brown steps up to the challenge, conquering both the text and the nuances of his relationship with Lear and the rest of the cast. I love the hilarious confrontation with Goneril’s saucy servant, Oswald (Merick Masters).Masters is perfectly flippant using the text to make his parries.
The Gloucester storyline, however, steals the show. Stunningly portrayed by Joel Applegate as Gloucester, Will Ingram as Edgar (Gloucester’s legitimate son), and Logan Murphy as Edmund (Gloucester’s bastard son). Applegate is a powerful presence onstage, genuine and sympathetic, qualities well-matched in his true born son. Ingram and Murphy are a perfect match in opposites, akin to Thor and Loki in both appearance and nature. Ingram brings out the beautiful richness of Shakespeare’s text in the nobleness of Edgar, showing incredible range as “Poor Mad Tom.” Murphy imbues Edmund with nuance and depth, a role that easily could fall flat into an archetypical “bad guy.” The two are a perfect mirror of the capacity for light and dark within us all.
The set and costumes are simple, but they remain perfectly suited to the production. The ragged canyon juts up behind the stage, emphasizing the tumultuous conditions in which Lear finds himself. As I watched, the wind picked up while the sun set, adding a physical chill to the chilling story of Lear’s descent into madness.
Director Kathy Curtiss deftly shows a deep understanding of Shakespeare’s writing by capitalizing on moments of comic relief contrasted with the depth of human emotion in tragedy. In fact, the comedy comes from compassion for the human condition: How does one deal with grief and betrayal? What does it mean to be loyal and to love someone who has hurt you?
One big question for performing artists and enthusiasts alike during this pandemic has been how to safely find a new normal, and Renaissance Now nails it with this production. Anticipate receiving a temperature check upon arrival and wearing mask for the duration of the performance,. The event is donation-based with only forty tickets available each night; reserve tickets in advance ensure proper physical distancing.
King Lear is part of Renaissance Now’s “Shakespeare in the Park,” which also features A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the same location, with several of the same actors. If you are looking for a way to safelybegin to enjoy summer Shakespeare once more, then don’t miss your opportunity to see Renaissance Now’s King Lear, a tragedy of humanity, love, forgiveness, and redemption.
*The role of Goneril is played by Alice Ellsworth July 23, and Maren Lethbridge July 18th, 21st, 25th
Renaissance Now Theatre and Film presents, “King Lear” by William Shakespeare.
Rock Canyon Trailhead Amphitheatre
Shakespeare in the Park
King Lear July 18, 21, 23, 25, 2020, 7:30 PM
A Midsummer Night’s Dream July 17, 20, 22, 24, 2020 7:30 PM
Suggested Donation for tickets, $10 student/senior, $15 general admission
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/111985597938
Performance Attendance by reservation only, 40 reservations taken for attendance per night, in accordance with the COVID-19 Utah state restrictions.
Face masks required, socially distanced seating
0 Comments