SCT PRODUCTION OF “KING LEAR” OPENS AT EAGLE

 

The Sierra Classic Theatre (SCT) summer Shakespeare production of “King Lear” opened on the slope at the backside of Eagle Lodge on Wednesday. 

The production comes on the heels of the untimely death of David Page, husband of SCT’s Artistic/Executive/Managing Director Allison McDonell Page, so there is a palpable sense of cast and crew wishing to “win one for The Gipper” in her absence. 

And certainly, in the best spirit of community theater, the cast gamely leans into this dark Shakespearean tragedy, where virtually everyone dies, often bloodily (but to pretty damn good special effect). 

In particular, Skyler Kenny (Edgar), Amanda Smith (Edmund) and David Baron as Lear stand out. Kenny was absolutely committed in every sense. The best I’ve seen him. 

Page, the producer of the show, had been slated to play Goneril, Lear’s eldest daughter, prior to her husband’s death in a car accident on July 7. 

Associate Producers Susan Dalian and Kenny have stepped into the production breach in Page’s absence. And the show’s director, Aurora Locria, took over the role of Goneril.

In brief (and it never hurts with Shakespeare to read a plot synopsis beforehand), an aging king decides to divide his realm amongst his three daughters. 

He banishes the honest one (Cordelia) and embraces the two sycophants (Regan and Goneril), who then betray him, driving him literally crazy. 

On a parallel track, there’s the Earl of Gloucester’s illegitimate son Edmund, who schemes,  schmoozes and seduces his way into Regan AND Goneril’s good graces. 

And then there’s Cordelia, who marries the King of France, and then attempts to rescue her father as war is waged between England and France. 

*This is important because the second act starts with warfare and in the moment, I was baffled as to why – this is the tough part about editing a four-hour play down to two. 

Quite honestly, it’s tough to follow. 

It’s Shakespeare. That’s a given. 

I hesitate to criticize too much because productions evolve and grow over the course of their runs. 

That said, a weakness of this production (as of the final dress rehearsal) is the sound. As in, there’s too much of it. An overproduction. I don’t need the sound to cue me at every turn. What I need is to be able to hear the actors, because it’s tough enough to follow as it is. 

Also … it has been and is still called “Shakespeare in the Woods” for a reason. Because I want to occasionally space out and listen to the wind in the trees

In my notes is written, “They absolutely need to remove the constant low rumble from the speakers – I have no idea what it’s supposed to represent.” 

Another weakness (which I acknowledge will likely ebb in time as the actors become more comfortable) is in volume. As in, the actors defaulting to raising their voices to display anger versus conveying their emotions in subtler ways. 

There was one point in the first act where Lear warns, “Do not make me mad!” And I thought to myself, make you mad? You’ve been mad the whole damn time! By intermission, I was wondering how the hell Baron (as Lear) would garner any sympathy from me, but his portrayal was far more nuanced and vulnerable in the second act. You root for him in the end. As you root for the entire cast. These are your friends and neighbors laying it out for you. Definitely worth an evening.