Considered one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies by such luminaries as Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Percy Bysshe Shelley, King Lear also has been taken to task for its wanton cruelty by the likes of Samuel Johnson, and writers Charles Lamb and A.C. Bradley have deemed it nearly impossible to be properly presented onstage.

Similarly of two minds am I after viewing Theatricum Botanicum’s reverse-gender production, as my general esteem for the artistic merits of the company is leavened by the fact that its adaptation seems to confuse the intricate plot of the original more than it illuminates. As such, it becomes difficult to invest emotionally in the production. read more…

Considered Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy, Theatricum artistic director Ellen Geer takes on the title role of the aging monarch that sees Lear divide her kingdom and test the loyalty of her three sons.

Yet, this Lear, directed and interpreted by Ellen Geer and Melora Marshall, is interesting, intriguing, funny and ultimately, heartbreaking. read more…

The Theatricum Botanicum summer production of Lear is a must see. The outdoor theater is one of the most beautiful in all of Southern California with an ambiance that is both inviting and magical all at once, as if you’ve unknowingly stepped into a summer Narnia and something truly great is about take place. It smells like the woods, it looks like the woods, it sounds like the woods, and it tastes like hot chocolate and iambic pentameter. The stage blends effortlessly into the Malibu hills, and when the characters are a long way off, as Shakespeare often writes, the actors are genuinely a long way off. How often do we get to see that kind of space and scope in densely packed Los Angeles? read more…

A frightening thing happens when a woman plays the title role in a gender-reversed King Lear; the betrayal and revenge between mother and sons takes on an added level of horror. What was already tragic to begin with, as originally written for a father and daughters, now feels even more threatening in the reverse. Perhaps it is because the bond between mother and child pre-dates even birth making the treachery of flesh born of flesh feel like the ultimate violation of a sacrosanct relationship. When it is a son raising his hand against his mother the threat is magnified, especially when viewed through the lens of today’s modern society.

In Shakespeare’s King Lear, an aging ruler is ready to give up his throne and apportion his kingdom among his three daughters: Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, based on how much their declarations of love please him. Two of the daughters acquiesce and feed Lear’s ego with false reassurances but Cordelia, the youngest, answers with a seemingly less spirited reply. “I love your majesty according to my bond, no more nor less.” Though she goes on to explain the logic of her words, Lear is enraged and sets in motion a series of events he will too late come to regret. Make no mistake, this tragedy ends in death. A lot of death. read more…

As with most plays from antiquity, Shakespeare is difficult to adapt for modern times. History is rife with sexism and racism and all of the other horrible-isms we’ve made so much progress against, and the stories of the times are not immune. Granted, Shakespeare is notable for his strong and complex female characters, yet they are often awful people.

Last year, I reviewed Theatricum Botanicum’s production of “The Taming of the Shrew,” and was most impressed with the way they were able to take one of his more painful pieces, rife with psychological and physical torture, and make it sweet. And somehow, those fantastic folks at the most magical theatre in Los Angeles have done it again with their production of “Lear.”

Gender-swapping the main characters and dropping the “king” from the title, “Lear” tells the famous story of the old monarch divvying up their lands to the children who can say they love them the most. In this version, Her Majesty Queen Lear divides her land amongst her three sons, yet when the youngest refuses to use empty words to prove his love, he is disowned by his mother and queen, and the lands meant for him split between his elder brothers. read more…

Shakespeare’s King Lear has its potencies. Simply described, it follows the downfall of a once-
powerful leader and the dysfunction of his family. Pondering his retirement, the monarch asks his three daughters to avow their love. The elder two, Goneril and Regan, lavish empty words on papa. The youngest, Cordelia, refuses to play that game, believing her actions of loyalty and respect will trump her sisters’ verbiage.
The role of Lear is also a noted goal of male actors who are, shall we say, no longer castable as Romeo. Audiences expect to see an aged Lear, whose two eldest daughters are married, who is ready to divide his kingdom among the three heirs. Age and apparent frailty aside, Lear commands the stage, the role requiring vocal and emotional range and calling for masses of memorization. Who among our great actors can fit the bill? And, can a woman take on the role?

After more than 40 years of filling theatergoers’ summer schedules with various productions of Shakespeare plays and starring in probably every leading female role in those plays, Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum artistic director Ellen Geer takes on Lear. Completing the gender swap, this Lear’s three children are sons. Will the audience feel more protective of a female Lear? Do the two sons’ actions now feel like elder abuse? Alas, it seems disrespect, hunger for power, and plain ol’ cruelty know no gender. read more…

At times, it seems unbelievable that playwright Alice Childress wrote Trouble in Mind in 1955. The show, which features the tried and true dramatic structure of a play-within-a-play, examines racial politics with a razor-sharp wit. Playing in repertory at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga through the end of September, Trouble in Mind follows a cast of actors, most of whom are black, as they rehearse for the Broadway opening of the fictional “Chaos in Belleville,” a drama about sharecroppers that warns of the evils of lynching. CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE!