Lone Lear
Sunday, May 4th by scott malia
In the past few years, King Lear has been defined largely by star turns. In the past year, Sir Ian McKellen embarked on a worldwide tour with the play, earning reviews ranging from the rapturous to the rancorous. A few years prior, Christopher Plummer took Lear to Broadway and raged mightily as the tortured King. The play is now being performed at The Globe featuring an actor many have never heard of—David Calder. A recent review noted Calder’s lack of fame while heralding his performance’s richness and psychological complexity. The reviewer also noted that the show begins and ends with Calder. For this viewer, the supporting cast was incredibly inconsistent, throwing of the balance of the production.
People of the theater are fond o f trotting out sayings about the ensemble nature of the profession and how the success of a given production depends on the achievements of all involved. Reading this review, I wondered if this is always the case. With particular regards to Shakespeare, is this true of King Lear? No one would argue that a capable cast of talented actors would enhance any production. Also, there are plenty of good parts to be had in this particular tragedy, which manages to balance a wide range of characters while still giving them individuality and complexity. Still, with a play like Lear, most folks are going to see the title character. Is it possible that King Lear has become a vehicle play over the years, a work sculpted by directors to highlight the talents of actors of a certain age?
May 5th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
The ensemble always matters. Sure you sell tickets to King Lear based on the actor in the title role. And most companies choose the play with an actor already in mind or cast. But in terms of the quality of production, the ensemble has to still be good. And I would argue especially with a play like King Lear - Edmund, Edgar, Gloucester, this are not easy roles. I would venture to say that it’s easier to do Richard III with one strong actor and a weak ensemble than it is to do King Lear.
Also, with both of the recent successful British tours - King Lear with McKellan and Macbeth with Patrick Stewart, the productions have been fantastic - both in their leading men, and in their supporting casts.