TRAGIC KINGDOM // A THEATRE REVIEW OF "KING LEAR"

BY MATEO MORENO

Through the thunder and the lightening, through the madness and the text (OHHHH, the text) the title character in Shakespeare’s KING LEAR usually rants and raves, screams and shouts, all to our delight.  However, in “Theatre for a New Audience’s” latest production, which runs through May 4^th at their luscious new Brooklyn location, this King Lear believes “less is more.”  That is, he still is a fire-raging bit of emotion, banishing his youngest daughter for daring to not compliment him, but it’s a quiet rage, and one he regrets (a subtle stroke that gleams British actor Michael Pennington’s eyes).  Pennington doesn’t attempt any past Lear here, instead chooses to interpret it completely different.  He’s a sadder Lear, one that is quietly crumbling in front of us instead of sinking quickly into Lava.  After Lear banishes his youngest daughter Cordelia (a quietly affective Lilly Englert), the pieces all through the land start to fall apart.  His other two daughters Goneril and Regan (Rachel Pickup & Bianca Amato) begin their own scheming, against each other, and being to doom each other in the process.  The Earl of Gloucester (Christopher McCann) has his own giant problems forming within his family; his son Edmund (Chandler Williams) is scheming against his own brother Edgar (Jacob Fishel).  Once the scheme has begun, much darker consequences come into play, as anyone who has read or seen Lear before knows.  Edgar must become a different man to seek justice and the Earl himself is about to get a literal blinding revelation thrust upon him.  And all of the madness and misfortune that comes has to do with an incredibly selfish family decision.  Oh, how we say the things we don’t always mean…

Director Arin Arbus (the Associate Artistic Director at TFANA) has again crafted a beautiful adaptation of a Shakespeare classic, much like she has done recently with Much Ado About Nothing & The Taming of the Shew.  The stage is mostly bare but intensely effective lighting and a slowly descending drawbridge door compel you just as any flashy set would (the ending sequence is especially effective).  The story of Lear is a tragic one, one that traces King Lear wanting to retire and then banishing his daughter, the Earl of Kent, and slowly tears apart everything that he once held dear.  Michael Pennington relishes each scene, from his slow walk into the theatre to his plunge to death in the final tragic scene.  It’s a beautifully layered performance, and Pennington truly strikes a new Lear that feels fresh and original.  As his three daughters, Lilly Englert, Rachel Pickup, & Bianca Amato each impress; Amato is especially delicious with her self-serving sister.  Even her smallest facial expressions garnered laughs within the audience.  Also a major highlight is Jacob Fishel, who delights in both his roles of Edgar and his madman disguise.  Not everything works, however, as there are a few flat performances or in the case of Jake Horowitz’s Fool, full of odd and peculiar choices.  His Fool seems like a bratty teenager with less wit than he thinks instead of a classic Shakespeare Fool who relishes mocking those around him.  However, even with a few missteps like that, this King Lear is a beautifully spare piece of theatre.  One that showcases what a powerhouse this play truly is.

MATEO’S GRADE: B+

Directed by: Arin Arbus  Written By: William Shakespeare Starring: Michael Pennington, Lilly Englert, Rachel Pickup, Bianca Amato, Jacob Fishel, Chandler Williams, Christopher McCann, Timothy D. Stickney

Content Advisory: Language, Violence, and Brief Nudity 

BOTTOM LINE:  Spare and powerful, Theatre for a New Audience adds yet another winner in their impressive history of memorable Shakespeare.