With this summer’s premiere of King Lear, the 66th season of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CSF) has reached a new high. That’s thanks in no small part to its lead, Ellen McLaughlin, whose previous credits include Angel in Tony Kushner’s original production of Angels in America. Here the Broadway icon gives a stunning performance as the play’s namesake king, who transforms from a powerful ruler to a helpless old man.
Shakespeare’s seminal tragedy, playing at the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre through Aug. 12, features family drama, shady political dealings and turbulent fortunes. It is arguably one of the finest plays ever penned by the Bard, and CSF’s current staging is a truly electrifying production.
The plot of King Lear revolves around an aging British monarch (Ellen McLaughlin) who divides his kingdom among his three daughters: Goneril (Jessica Robblee), Regan (Anastasia Davidson) and Cordelia (Shunté Lofton). Lear requests declarations of love from each of his kids. He then distributes his possessions to his two eldest daughters, who lavishly praise him. Cordelia is exiled by the king, despite the fact that she is his favorite, because she shows her love in a more subdued manner than her sisters.
This choice turns out to be Lear’s fatal flaw, as it forces him to depend on Goneril and Regan in his old age. When his two eldest daughters expel him from their homes, Lear loses his mind and starts wandering through a storm. Although Cordelia eventually returns to assist her father with an army, they lose the battle, and the entire Lear family is killed.
In the midst of the conflicts within the royal family, Edmund (K.P. Powell), the bastard son of the Earl of Gloucester (Brik Berkes), devises a scheme to create the impression that his brother, Edgar (Sean Scrutchins), is trying to murder his father. The interpretation of this subplot is one of the production’s few misfires. Powell portrays his villainous character as a wise-cracking improviser who frequently undermines the stakes of a given scene. The script has its share of humorous moments, but Powell’s forced levity clashes with Berkes’ and Scrutchins’ nuanced performances and Carolyn Howarth’s grounded direction.
Apart from Kevin Nelson’s ominous scenic design — surrounding the Rippon with two commanding white set pieces that flash to help create the stormy moments, along with a rock formation the actors can scale — the stage is kept empty. Howarth’s minimalist staging of King Lear is successful because it keeps the focus on the standout performances, underscoring the concept of “nothing” explored in the play.
Ironically, Lear’s Fool serves as one of the play’s primary catalysts. Sam Sandoe’s enthralling, sincere portrayal of The Fool contrasts beautifully with McLaughlin’s towering performance. The two share a natural chemistry, which makes their quick back-and-forth exchanges captivating to watch. Additionally, Scrutchins and Mare Trevathan, who plays the Earl of Kent, make strong impressions in their supporting roles.
With a rich, tragic performance by McLaughlin at its core, CSF’s production of King Lear is reflective, timely and urgent viewing. If tragedies aren’t your thing, consider skipping this play in favor of some of the festival’s other offerings, like the romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing (through Aug. 13), the melodramatic tragicomedy The Winter’s Tale (through Aug. 12) or Richard Bean’s outrageous farce set in England during the 1960s, One Man, Two Guvnors (through Aug. 13).
ON STAGE: King Lear by William Shakespeare. Various times through Aug. 12, Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre, 277 University Ave., Boulder. Tickets here.
