King Lear

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an actual Shakespeare production at STC. Before I saw the mediocre Jane Anger, the last thing I saw was Blindness in 2021, which was my first post-vax show. That was excellent, but my last show before that was…sheesh, I can’t even remember. It’s been years, even before 2020. So I was especially excited about the announcement that their next bard production would be King Lear starring Patrick Page, his first performance since his Tony-nominated role as Hades in the folky smash Hadestown on Broadway.

I have a hard time judging whether I should even do a review of the plot itself. I mean, it’s Shakespeare, and this is one of his most popular works. So popular, in fact, that STC plastered the entire plot to the very end, even including a TL;DR, in the lobby. But the idea behind performing these works in this day and age is seldom about whether it’s a “good plot”—it’s about how timeless Billy the Bard’s pieces are. How characters from 500 years ago are so malleable and relatable to this day that you are afforded the creativity as a production house to re-contextualize things like setting, costumes, and music, and have it all work, despite everyone reading the beta release version of the English language. For my own TL;DR, here’s a haiku:6/10

Lots of lovely DC theatre favorites in this cast! Craig Wallace (Earl of Gloucester), Shirine Babb (Earl of Kent), Michael Milligan (Fool) and Terrance Fleming (Burgundy) come to mind, alongside some STC debuts in Julian Elijah Martinez (Edmund), Rosa Gilmore (Goneril), and Stephanie Jean Lane (Regan). Punctuating the ensemble is the STC return of Patrick Page as the titular king. Page clearly takes some pointers from his acclaimed run as Hades, intertwining flowery renaissance prose with gravely, enrapturing power that only grows more unhinged as his character declines over the course of the show. He’s just so good in this mad king trope, and I really couldn’t picture anyone else in it while watching him. Craig Wallace has always been a favorite of mine in the local scene and this was yet another great entry in his long history of STC roles. My pick for a standout performance, however, was Martinez’s Edmund. Pure swagger on that stage as the scheming Gloucester bastard, and he had the audience eating out of his hand every time. Ultimately, I was disappointed by the performance of Lily Santiago as Cordelia; which, given the level of prowess on stage at any given moment, was not THAT bad as far as things went. To me, it just felt under-performed, even nervous at times. I’ve seen her do quite well in Baltimore theatre, though, so it’s not as if she can’t kick ass. I just wanted….more, maybe? Regardless, this was already extended twice 9/10prior to tonight’s opening, so I’m really excited for lots of people to see this talented group.

Staging involves a lot of moving wall set pieces, which I love. A handful of well-picked furniture and other scene-setting materials — such as unique country flags and mid-century modern lamps — make for a familiar and immersive set. Subtle lighting alongside them creates different atmospheres and rooms, and detailed projections bring scenes from war triages to torrential storms to life (great efforts from Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew and Aaron Rhyne). Sound-wise, you’re treated with wistful violins during sadder moments, and buzzing helicopters buzzing from aisle to aisle during the war scenes. I found it a little loud at times, and one older audience member mentioned at intermission that they had to turn off their hearing aid because of it. The vast emptiness of looking over the Cliffs of Dover contrast with the hectic nature of a nation at war are just some of the contrasts you’ll see, and nothing felt underwhelming. Not every show has8/10 to be flashy and expensive-looking, nor does it have to be minimal and experimental. There’s a middle ground and this show pulls it off really well.

Program design uses a high-contrast. partially obscured grayscale portrait of Page (shot by Patric Shaw); I think it does well to capture the ruggedness of King Lear as a character, intense yet hiding mentally behind the realities of age. Pre-show staging is an industrial aircraft hangar with plenty of flags and a fancy desk, as if it were on a military base, setting the tone of the show as militaristic right off the bat. Overall, great branding for what seems to be this season’s signature show.7/10