During the opening conversation between Gloucester (Sam Robinson) and Kent (Samantha Kernaghan), we see Edmund (Christopher Martin), who looks up on Gloucester’s “This young fellow’s mother could,” indicating that he has heard their talk. We feel for Edmund in that moment, though he has something of a dark countenance from the beginning. As Lear (Matthew Reidy) enters to fanfare, he takes Cordelia (Renee Turner) by the hand and gives her a little kiss, showing from the start how she is favored among the three daughters. Cordelia is even given a central spot, positioned between Goneril (Linda Bisesti) and Regan (Kathleen S. Dunn), who of course can’t fail to notice that. As Lear speaks of Burgundy and France, the camera shows us Cordelia, and there is a sweet innocence about her. Lear applauds both Goneril and Regan after their speeches in which they profess their love for him. It is interesting, because of course these are performances worth applauding, performances insisted upon by Lear himself, and perhaps – at least for the moment – he is aware that these are simply performances. Cordelia’s asides during their speeches are cut.
Kent being female in this production gives a different feel to the line “Lov’d as my father,” since we’ve just heard from Lear’s actual daughters regarding their love for him. It puts Kent more in line with those daughters, which is a bit strange. Also, Cordelia is the woman who stands up to Lear in this moment, so Kent’s being female, in a way, makes it seem like she outdoes Cordelia. That being said, Samantha Kernaghan gives a strong performance, in this scene and throughout the production. When France (Brandon Sy) tells Cordelia, “Bid farewell to your sisters,” he kind of spits out the word “sisters” as if he has no respect for them. It is a somewhat odd choice, as he wasn’t present for their performances, their proclamations of love, and so his scorn seems to come from nowhere. Linda Bisesti and Kathleen S. Dunn deliver tremendous performances as Goneril and Regan respectively, and what’s more, they are completely believable as sisters, which is clear when they stand together as Cordelia addresses them. The moment with Goneril and Regan together after Cordelia has exited is excellent. The camera is close on them, almost like we in the audience are part of their small confederacy. What is particularly wonderful is that as the camera pulls back, we see that they’ve been holding hands. And as the scene ends, they let go of each other and take the arms of their husbands, showing that their allegiance to each other is something stronger, more natural, than that to their husbands. It is a brief moment that reveals a lot.
Edmund is rather creepy in his white gloves. He gives his “base” speech outward, but not directly to the camera. Gloucester’s lines regarding the letter are delivered in a rather jovial and playful mood, which is nice, giving him plenty of space to go once he reads it. At first he is incredulous. Oh, if only he remained so. On “brothers divide,” Gloucester gestures to Edmund. And on “the bond crack’d ‘twixt son and father,” he looks at Edmund as if perhaps deep down he knows the truth. Interestingly, after Gloucester exits, Edmund delivers his next speech directly to the camera, the “excellent foppery of the world” speech. At one moment, we see that his anger is about to get the best of him, and he has to work to control it, which is great. On “go arm’d,” Edmund hands Edgar (Richard H. Pluim) a knife. There are no swords in this production, and later Edmund uses a knife to wound his own arm.
When next we see Lear, he is dressed more casually, in a plaid shirt and a hat. Kent’s disguise is more extreme and believable than in many productions, for she disguises herself as a man. It works, though her answer to Lear, “A man, Sir,” has a different ring to it because of her gender. She carries a large walking stick, and uses it to trip Oswald (Cal Zwahlen). The Fool (Julian D. Carrasco) is in a suit, his coxcomb being a regular cap. There is nothing too outrageous about his appearance, except perhaps the polka dot tie he wears. But he gives a delightful performance, and the connection is strong between him and Lear. I love that in this scene Goneril seems to truly care about her father on the lines “and put away/These dispositions which of late transport you/From what you rightly are.” She seems disturbed by the man she sees in front of her, by his changes, as well as by the behavior of his men. After all, this is her father, the man she has likely looked up to all her life. Goneril is much more effective when not played as simply evil, as is sometimes done. It is when Lear curses her that she really begins to change, and we see that in her expression. After Lear sends Kent off with the letter, there is a great moment where Lear sits, looking weary and tired. The Fool sees this, and tries to cheer him. It is such a moving moment, especially coming after the previous scene in which Lear was losing his temper with Goneril. Matthew Reidy is fantastic here as Lear.
Rather than actual stocks, in this production a gunnysack is placed over Kent’s head, and her legs are tied. The sound of barking dogs is heard as Edgar is being pursued. While hiding, he delivers his “happy hollow” speech to the camera. Meanwhile, behind him the search continues, and it gets closer, until he is caught, something I don’t recall seeing in any other production. And it is in that moment that he calls out “Poor Tom!” And his captor moves on. It’s a fantastic and exciting moment. He then delivers his “Edgar I nothing am” line. Later, when Gloucester speaks with Edmund, the camera is placed behind various objects, enhancing the covert aspect of Gloucester’s speech.
As with Goneril, this production allows Regan moments where she truly seems to care for her father. Regan helps Lear up when she says “I am glad to see your Highness,” leading Lear to say “Regan, I think you are.” It’s heartbreaking, in part because we know what is to come, and in part because in that moment we see that what is to come is not necessary, that it could be avoided. The “take her by the hand” moment is even stronger because we saw Goneril and Regan take each other by the hand in the first scene. So this shows they are still of that mind. The scene where they discuss the numbers of Lear’s train is powerful and moving, with Lear, Goneril and Regan all giving excellent performances. Lear’s tirade leaves Regan in tears, a wonderful touch.
For the storm, a rain effect is employed. The trial of Goneril is cut. When Lear mentions dogs, Edgar barks, leading to Lear’s “they bark at me.” There is an ice pick on the floor, which Lear picks up, and, without knowing it, accidentally stabs the Fool, an interesting way to dispose of a character who disappears from the text after that scene. After “And I’ll go to bed at noon,” the Fool collapses on the ground and dies. The eye plucking scene manages to be shocking, in part because of the performances by Craig Damon as Cornwall and Kathleen S. Dunn as Regan, especially the twisted joy Regan takes in it. What is also wonderful here is that Regan and Cornwall are given a moment of intimacy before this scene, which almost feels like foreplay. There is something nearly sexual passing between those two in their moment of extreme violence, and with Regan, we get the sense that she is just now learning this about herself, and that from here on out, that will be a significant part of her character. It is riveting. She also takes such delight in revealing to Gloucester that Edmund is the one who betrayed him. She is wonderfully wicked here, and yet does care for her husband when she learns that he’s been wounded. Goneril flirts with Edmund in a fashion similar to how she earlier interacted with Oswald. And in fact her “wear this” refers to a ring she suddenly takes from Oswald and places on Edmund’s finger (over his white gloves), an excellent touch.
Richard H. Pluim shines as Edgar when he sees that his father is blind and lets go of his Poor Tom posture. It is incredibly touching when he takes Gloucester’s hand. Edgar leads him to a spot from which there is a drop of a few inches, so that when Gloucester tentatively reaches out with his foot, he finds only air and so believes he is at the cliff. How heartrending it is to pretend to lead one’s own father to his suicide. We feel for both Edgar and Gloucester here. But of course the most moving moments involve Lear’s reunion with Cordelia. Lear is dressed in a hospital gown, asleep in a wheel chair, when Cordelia sees him. His delivery of “You are a spirit, I know” is poignant. Because Kent is female in this production, Lear’s “and know this man” about Kent has a different sense than usual. For it shows that he doesn’t quite recognize her, at least not as Kent, though perhaps as the servant Kent has pretended to be. It feels like we lose something there, the possibility that he is coming back to his senses. However, Lear’s recognition of Cordelia is incredibly touching. Music is added to that moment, but it is not necessary; the performances do all the work here.
When Regan takes ill, Goneril says “If not, I ne’er trust the poison,” following the Quarto reading
rather than the Folio’s “medicine,”
which is usually used. Edgar wears a cap down to cover some of his face
when he fights Edmund. Of course, having a portion of one’s face covered would
make a duel all the more difficult. He then removes the cap before “My name is Edgar.” Albany’s “Great thing of us forgot!” is cut. Lear
has Cordelia in a bed sheet, and pulls her in by the sheet rather than carrying
her. On Lear’s “Do you see this,” a
light shines on his face, and he looks up, nearly in ecstasy, seeing Cordelia
before him. Perhaps she is an angel coming to lead him into an afterlife?
Perhaps she is only in his mind, but the presence of the light seems to
indicate that he really does see something. Kent and Edgar gently help him lie
back as he continues to see Cordelia before him and passes in a state of joy.
It is beautiful. Following the Folio, Edgar speaks the final words of the play
rather than Albany, as in the Quarto. This is an absolutely captivating production of Shakespeare’s finest work.
This production of King
Lear was directed by Baron Kelly, and is available to watch online through
September 12th. It is free, but donations are encouraged. Visit The Southern California Shakespeare Festival website for more details, and to watch the production.
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