ROVING SHAKESPEARE 

King Lear by William Shakespeare

 

King Lear is the fourth production of the season for this unique graduate-level company.

 

The production wass based on the first quarto of King Lear, published in 1608, which is distinguished from the first folio version, a compilation of works printed in 1623 after William Shakespeare's death. The company strived to recreate the rehearsal conditions for which Shakespeare originally wrote the play, imposing a series of restrictions upon the production based on research into the theatrical practices of Shakespeare's day. Most notably, the cast of King Lear produced the play without the aid of a director or designers.

 

Guest artist and assistant professor in the Shakespeare and Performance program at MBC, Matthew Davies, joined company ranks as Lear.

 

King Lear, an aging monarch who divides the power of his kingdom among his daughters, instigating a struggle for dominance. As his elder daughters work to minimize his control, he strives to hold on to his sanity and dignity amidst impending political turmoil. King Lear explores the rocky dynamics of family love and proffers a vision of forgiveness and destruction.