In the scheme of things, few things created by mere mortals merit the label of “Monumental”.  Beethoven’s Ninth – Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Milton’s Paradise Lost –Shakespeare’s King Lear are but a few that can fit the category. 

In the case of King Lear, we should consider ourselves fortunate to live in a part of the country where theatre is still practiced with reverence and respect and companies take pains to preserve the nuances of the original works by the masters. 

Consider the production at Theatricum Botanicum. 

Nestled snugly in a canyon in Southern California, the outdoor theatre provides an idyllic setting for any presentation, but especially so for one of the caliber of King Lear.  With meticulous costuming and heartfelt acting, the current production offers a sense of authenticity that beckons the days of old,  almost as if one went back in time to the original play. There is a double edge to this wonderfully mounted production, that revolves around a powerful man doing battle with his closest family, suffering indignities beyond belief.  We are treated to a thespian war of sorts between two forces in local theatre.

Steve Matt as the King and William Dennis Hunt as the Earl of Gloucester offer performances that could be case studies for how to do Shakespeare’s Lear.  Their power and strength fills the outdoor stage, yet in their agonies, they bring the audience to them, almost begging for a pitiful embrace, which their daughters and sons have selfishly denied them.

Shakespeare no doubt intended to depict the misery that the closest of family can inflict on one another because of arrogance, pride, selfishness or just plain ignorance.  Director Ellen Geer has brought out every one of these sins from the characters, as the actors immerse themselves in the story and deliver compelling readings all around.

King Lear’s selfish need to hear praise from his daughters and the Earl of Gloucester’s disdain for his illegitimate son intertwine to weave a sinister, lustful plot that pits young against old, sisters against sisters and brothers against brothers.  As elaborate as the plot is, the salient fact is that the driving force of the characters remains the same.  Almost everyone is motivated by the one trait they would deny, even though it’s the one they succumb to more often – they’re driven by greed and lust for power.

 

In typical Shakespeare fashion, almost all the important characters die, are killed or commit suicide by the end of the last act.  But the real plot is, what drove these men and women to treat others as they did, and given the opportunity, would they do it again?

 

That is the question.

 

Comments? Write to us at: Letters@reviewplays.com

 

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 Click below for map to Theatricum Botanicum:

Map of 1419 N Topanga Canyon Blvd
Topanga, CA 90290-4275

click to read about Lear's Daughters