King Lear at Theater in the Round

In the midst of a heated election season, Shakespeare’s masterful King Lear is the perfect reminder of the consequences of living in a “post-truth” society.  If we demand to hear only the sweetest declarations of love and adoration, the “facts” that confirm our basest assumptions, can we be surprised when the truth ultimately betrays our rosy picture of the world and drives us mad in the realization of our folly?

The Theater in the Round Players’ King Lear invites us to explore these themes that could hardly be more relevant in this strained political climate.  The story follows the aged king’s division of his kingdom amongst his three daughters as he seeks to retire in comfort, intertwined with the machinations of an earl’s bastard son as he quests for power and glory through deceit and treachery.  Lear, powerfully played by Meri Golden, quickly learns that his elder daughters’ wildly exaggerated protestations of love for him turn out to be less than superficial, and regrets banishing his youngest for speaking the truth. Meanwhile, Edmund, played with sly gusto by Luke Langfeldt, makes swift use of deepfakes and disinformation to set his father against his legitimate half-brother Edgar.  The damage caused by Lear’s failure to accept the truth about his daughter’s love and Edmund’s willingness to say anything to accumulate power ultimately result in their own demise, but many others pay the price along the way.

Lear is a long play, but TRP manages to condense it down to a brisk 2.5 hours.  This does result in some hastily delivered dialogue at times, and those with hearing difficulties might struggle at times to hear the actors’ lines, but the direction by George Roesler, manages to keep the audience from getting lost along the way.  The cast uses the whole theater, including the upper levels and the aisles, to give the production a sense of scale.  In all, King Lear is a thought-provoking production well suited to the moment.

King Lear runs now through October 6, 2024 at Theatre in the Round in Minneapolis.  Tickets and more information available here.

Photo byAaron Mark Photo Film