It is said that if William Shakespeare were alive today, he would probably be writing for a popular medium like television. Perhaps he would be penning tales of power struggles and family conflict on a series such as Succession. Instead, he wrote on those same subjects in King Lear, one of his greatest tragic plays.
Now in its 34th season, Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival is first getting around to producing Lear – at Carlin Park in Jupiter through July 21, followed by a week at Commons Park in Royal Palm Beach. Director Trent Stephens avoids most of the unconventional liberties of time and place on which the company forged its reputation. True, he edits the epic work down to slightly more than two hours of stage time and he makes the startling choice of casting a woman, Amy Simms, in the title role.
But otherwise, he offers a fairly traditional rendering of this tale of a doddering old monarch who decides to vacate his royal position and divide his realm equally among his three daughters, demanding that they flatter him with claims of admiration and affection. What could possibly go wrong?
In fact, Lear’s naïve retirement plan sets in motion a downward spiral that leaves an extremely high body count and his nation in shambles. Before his/her death — spoiler for those who didn’t pay attention in English class — Lear plunges into madness. And the Earl of Gloucester, a nobleman with two feuding sons, an intentional parallel to Lear, has his eyes gouged out in front of us. (Those considering bringing a picnic with them to eat while watching the show are hereby forewarned.)
The play has a sizeable ensemble cast, but its success depends on the production’s Lear. Simms seems physically too young for the role and her agile movements do not help persuade us of her senility or suitability. Still, she grows into the character, impressively evoking a once powerful leader losing his grasp on sanity.
One of Stephens’ better ideas is twinning the roles of Cordelia, Lear’s youngest daughter, who loves her father but cannot bring herself to fawn over him, and Lear’s Fool, a seeming benign jester who proves to be wise of mind and nimble or tongue. Perhaps there is a thematic value in linking the two characters, but it is sufficient that they are both played by Sara Grant, a high-energy actress who moves with ease between the two roles.
Also a standout in the company is Matthew Paszkiet, as Gloucester’s malevolent son Edmund. The Bard well understood that evil characters are more interesting to write than the good ones, and Paszkiet invests Edmund’s dark qualities with vigor, in contrast to his less dimensional brother Edgar (Kyler O’Brien). It is not the actor’s fault that the character is terminally bland. In a similar family dynamic, Cordelia’s toadying older sisters — Goneril (Kelly Hussey) and Regan (Caroline Tarantolo) — are pure avarice and hypocrisy, likely to bring to mind Cinderella’s evil stepsisters.
PBSF’s King Lear puts its emphasis on the text and manages to render it with admirable clarity. Still, much of the first act is visually static, eventually coming to life with the raging metaphorical rainstorm that Lear and his Fool are caught in. Thumbs up to sound designer Chris Bell and technical director Daniel Gordon for their sheet metal thunder and lightning effects, though the storm often drowns out the dialogue. There are not many opportunities for humor in King Lear, but note the whimsical intermission song choices following the raging storm (“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” “Stormy Weather,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” etc.)
On the whole, however, this King Lear is aptly dark-toned, which may explain why it has taken the troupe this long to tackle its dramatic heights. While Palm Beach Shakes tends toward the Bard’s comic side, this rendering of one of his more challenging tragedies suggests a rich direction for the company to explore in the future.
KING LEAR, Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival, Seabreeze Amphitheatre, Carlin Park, 750 S. Route A1A, Jupiter, through Sunday, July 21. Free (with $5 suggested donation), 561-543-8276. Commons Park, 11600 Poinciana Blvd., Royal Palm Beach. July 25-28. Free (with $5 suggested donation), 561-543-8276. For more information, visit pbshakespeare.org.