King Lear

Posted on by Turff

I’ve finally started reading Lear for the first time. Yes, my top-notch Tennessee education never broached the subject, and until now, I had not seen fit to do so for myself. Since there is nothing else going on here, how about this: name a role you might like to play (doesn’t even have to be your most desired), a role you would not like to play, and a role you would like to see someone in particular in the group to play (and tell who the person is). It would be helpful if you would tell us which role was which. In the interest of being clear, I am speaking of roles within King Lear, not just in general.

30 thoughts on “King Lear”

  1. I’m just going by memory here, but I’ve always thought it would be great fun to play Edmund the bastard son. I’m not too keen on playing Cordelia. Lots of good roles. I’d love to see Mark play either Lear or the fool. The two wicked sisters (Regan and Goneril? — memory plays tricks) get to do some good scenery-chewing, as well.

  2. I really want to play either Goneril or Regan, whichever is nastier. (Tough choice there, I know.) I’d play Lear if Marc would double as the Fool and Cordelia (which is actually a common practice.) There aren’t any roles I would refuse to play in this show. It is my favorite of all Shakespeare. I’d like to see Craig as the Earl of Kent.

  6. “How sharper than a serpant’s tooth it is/ to have a thankless child!” (Act I, Scene IV} Would love to do Lear..but pretty much interested in all roles..That or King of France. 🙂

  9. Lear, eh? (in my fantasy of trodding the boards with the Lions, that’s what I would say…or maybe: “Doing Lear, eh?”)

    So does our standing in the avant-garde Shakespeare community have to be based exclusively on our “original practices” approach, i.e., no females? Afraid of the depths I would sink to to get myself cast as Cordelia. There are enough murky dark agendas at work in the plot. Let actual ladies fight it out. And we can devote an audition just to lifting to make final decisions. What about a multitude of lifts–diverse Lears and Cordelias–the stage covered with mournful lifting…and howling?

  10. I’m still only about half-way through with my reading, but so far I am most intrigued by the role of the fool (though I have not the foggiest how to play it) or possibly playing one of the serpent’s teeth. To marc’s point, I like both our all-male approach as well as letting some women play at their roles. I’m assuming by now that someone else has already tried the idea of reversing genders in the play? I’d be well out of my depth taking on Lear. Marc or Dale as Lear would be great fun.

  11. Now you’re thinking. I like it.

    I don’t see any reason to exclude the women-folk.

    I am thinking we should think about the black box space at NCTC as a venue instead of the park. I don’t know why I think that.

  12. No, I agree. Black box. I also like the idea of incorporating the femmes, this time.

    I truly do not think that our “standing in the avant-garde Shakespeare community” is at risk.

  15. Does that mean that my “The Folger Library General Reader’s Shakespeare” may not be canon?

  16. I agree as well w/ being a unisex show, and it would be awesome if we could do it in the blackbox. This is just my opinion..feel free to change anything or comment. Cast List just for the guy’s who I know might do this.

    Lear- Dan C., Marc, Craig
    Cornwall- Dale, Craig
    Albany- Marc, Jeff B.
    Kent- Craig, Jeff A.
    Gloucester- Dale, Kevin M
    Edgar- Jeff A., Kevin M.
    Edmund- Jeff B., Dale, Scott
    Oswald- Dan, Craig
    Fool- Marc, Scott, Kevin M.

  18. I agree as well w/ being a unisex show, and it would be awesome if we could do it in the blackbox. This is just my opinion..feel free to change anything or comment. Cast List just for the guy’s who I know might do this.

    Lear- Dan C., Marc, Craig
    Cornwall- Dale, Craig
    Albany- Marc, Jeff B.
    Kent- Craig, Jeff A.
    Gloucester- Dale, Kevin M
    Edgar- Jeff A., Kevin M.
    Edmund- Jeff B., Dale, Scott
    Oswald- Dan, Craig
    Fool- Marc, Scott, Kevin M.

  20. The Folger edition is fine. I just like the Signet because it has bunches of textual stuff and criticism.

    Gang, we could start meeting on the 24th (I’m in Seattle/Vancouver next week) doing our usual playing around with the text. I think that Lear is rich with potential for Vocal Sequence stuff.

  22. Boy, take a couple of days off from reading the posts and a new show is in the making, and King Lear no less. You people are fearless and I would love to join you. Maybe at a couple of rehearsals.

    I better get my Signet and so I can follow along with many nuances this show provides.

  23. After reading the footnotes in King Lear..I wonder if Shakespeare was ref-to King James I rule of Britain? interesting.

  24. I have my Signet, and for good measure the Cambridge Dover Wilson, although I think its usefulness is minimal. I need to drag out my Folio.

    What amazes me about this play is how fast paced it is.

  25. I tried to get me a signet issue but B&N was out of it when I went there. So for a dollar more I got the B&N edition by Andrew D. Hadfield which has alot of great notes to use in Lear. I have skimmed threw it..and I am starting to love the charcter of Edgar. Great read.

  26. I need to go dig out the (cassette!) of my personal favorite version of this — Gielgud / Branagh / Thompson!

  28. I’m starting to be intrigued by the prospect of being the “man of a thousand faces”. There’s one fawning bit of dialogue by a gentleman just before Cordelia’s reintroduction that I’d like to give. Dale, this may give me chance to be your Albany as well, as he doesn’t seem to be over-used.

  30. A certain amount of humor is inevitable in that relationship. Also, I think it’s really satisfying for an audience when mousy little Albany slaps that bitch down in Act IV and becomes our hero.

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