I confess that Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, has never been one of my favorites. But the performance of “The King” by John Basinger at Oddfellows Playhouse last night was gripping and made me see the play in a totally different way. Tonight is the final performance, at 7:30 p.m., and I highly recommend it. Basinger speaks only the lines of Lear, from the mind of a dreamy or deranged character who sees the other characters in the play – his daughters, their husbands, and others – in pieces of broken furniture, a pole, or a broom. The lines of the other characters are imagined in the King’s mind. I know, it sounds bizarre and perhaps farfetched, but it works like magic. Basinger makes the humanity and torments of Lear come alive in a way I’ve never experienced before. If you love provocative and imaginative theater, don’t miss it.
And don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the play already. You might want to look up a plot summary before you go to the theater, but you don’t even need all that. Here are the rudiments of the dominant story line. The King divides his kingdom between 2 of his 3 daughters, Goneril and Regan, but withholds a portion from his 3rd daughter, Cordelia, because she does not repeat the excessive flattery of her sisters. Cordelia is banished to France. Now securely in possession of their inheritance, Goneril and Regan abuse their powerless father in various ways. Lear ends up homeless in a rainstorm, crying out to the goddesses, and there he encounters another victim of familial treachery, Edgar, disguised as Tom the Fool, who appears in the form of a forked stick perched on Lear’s arm. They commiserate and philosophize together. In the end, the King is comforted by his one true daughter, Cordelia, when she returns from France. Cordelia dies in his arms.
Extracting the character Lear from Shakespeare’s script takes the play to a more psychological and slightly more abstract level, so the power of Lear’s voice shines out and engages the audience’s own imaginations more deeply.
The production is a fundraiser for Oddfellows Playhouse. Tickets are $25, $12 for students. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Call 860-347-6143 for reservations.
Unfortunately I was not able to attend Basinger's recreation of Lear. In fact, I had not known about this amazing local artist. Upon researching him and learning that he has committed the entire 10,000 lines of Milton's "Paradise lost" to memory I decided to buy his four disc DVD performance of "Paradise Lost".
ReplyDeleteA great review, wish there was some way to see your King Lear. I didn't know I could claim to have known such a talented man when he was a teenager. I am impressed, particularly because I can't memorize much beyond my own address and phone number.
ReplyDelete"Gussie" from your long distant past.