King Lear

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Michael Collins

"He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love or a whore's oath."

July 10-August 1, 2002

Hudson Shakespeare's second summer installment featured one of Shakespeare's greatest achievements in tragedy and sentimentality, King Lear. Michael Collins, who had previously appeared as Mr. Page and Buckingham in 2001's The Merry Wives of Windsor and Richard III respectively, returned to helm this show. This production was the first to premier two new venues for Hackensack, Anderson St. and Columbus parks, The show's main theme, again one of Shakespeare's favorites, excessive pride and the damage it can cause. King Lear follows the story of an elderly ruler of England is a mythic time between Rome and the Middle Ages. Collins continued with this theme and set the piece in a timeless world dressed in cloaks and color. Lear (Mike Durell), feeling the ravages of age and wanting to dispose of his kingdom evenly among his 3 daughters, calls for all of them to gather at his palace. At the same time he will offer the hand of his youngest daughter to several suitors. As the family gathers with husbands and nobles attending, Lear in boasting pride asks each of them, "How much do they really love him?" Goneril (Danielle Liccardo) and Regan (Tara Smith) with scornful hearts agree that they love their father a great deal. Cordelia (Brandy Mitchell) seeing through her sisters deceitfulness, tries to warn her father, but he only sticks with what he wants to hear. When she doesn't give it to him, Lear is enraged and banishes his only true daughter.

Above center, the opening court scene.

With Cordelia gone, Regan and Goneril along with their husbands and Edmund (Babs O.), bastard son of the Duke of Gloucester (Sean DIll) begin to divide up the kingdom. One of the provisions of the split is that Lear will spend some time with one of his daughters throughout the year. It is not until, Regan drives him and his servants out of her house does Lear begin to see their true nature. Cast out, without money or his title, Lear along with the only man who has ever really stood up to him or treated him as a equal man, his Fool or jester, proceed out into the world. The Earl of Kent, Lear's only other ally, disguises himself to follow and keep an eye on the king hoping to reconcile him at some point with Cordelia. As the king languishes in his misery, his mind begins to go and as the sisters seek to consolidate their power. Edmund frames his half brother Edgar (Andrew Platner) for a crime he didn't commit and makes their father believe it. By having a powerful noble in their midst is too much of a burden. Gloucester is blinded and banished. Edgar disguised a homeless man, meets up with the king and travels for a time, but then sees his blind father in the same predicament. The two reconcile and the truth comes out about Edmund's trickery just before Gloucester dies.

Cordelia, now married to the King of France, takes an army and leads them to invade England. As her sisters' armies clash with hers, Cordelia finds her now demented wandering father, a shell of the man he once was. Lear manages briefly to gain enough control to recognize her and reconcile. However, as the war rages on, Cordelia is killed and robbing Lear of the last link to his lost life and it proves to much for the old man as he dies himself. The kingdom in ruin, many dead, one man's excessive lust to hold on to power destroys an entire family and nation. The following pictures were taken at Pier A Park in Hoboken, NJ

Above left, Edmund (Babs O.) brings his unsuspecting brother into his deceitful scheme. Above right, "An obedient daughter", Goneril (Danielle Liccardo) kneels before her father and professes her "love" for him.

Above, a family affair as the daugthers of Lear and their husbands gather to meet with Lear. Above center, Cordelia is denounced by her father, while her only ally Kent (David Skigen) looks on.

Above, "Blow winds and crack your cheeks", the famous storm scene, Lear and the Fool (Jerry Goralnick).

Cast

Character	Actor
Lear	Mike Durell
Edgar	Andrew Platner
Edmund	Babs O
Cordelia	Brandy Mitchell
Goneril	Danielle Liccardo
Earl of Kent	David Skigen
Regan	Tara Smith
Duke of Albany	James Hadgis
Fool	Jerry Goralnick
King of France/Gentleman	Matthew Ventura
Captain/Duke of Burgandy/Oswald	Michael Romo
Duke of Cornwall	Peter Karinen
Earl of Glouchester	Sean Dill