"THOUGHTFUL AND AFFECTING. King Lear has lowered its voice, the better to be heard more clearly…Mr. Pennington’s King…punctuates the expected blasts of rage with a quieter, introspective insight that is more devastating…More than any Lear I’ve seen this production gives the impression of talking to — rather than yelling at — its audience…Ms. Arbus is here to remind us just how much Lear is a story not only of dynasty but also of families."

― Ben Brantley, The New York Times

"Spare…Powerful…Potent"

― Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News

"The gifted Shakespearean Michael Pennington plays the role with valiant sensitivity and insight…"

― Alexis Soloski, Village Voice

"A stark, supple staging with a good company headed by Michael Pennington, who is wonderfully subtle."

― Michael Sommers, NewJerseyNewsroom.com

Overview

THIS YEAR: Six major productions of KING LEAR in London, Stratford, Canada and New York, What does it say about us culturally that there are so many?

TRAGEDY: About a King. Written for a King. But, what is a King? Five of the productions staged by men – only one by a woman: Arin Arbus directing the two-time Olivier Award nominee Michael Pennington. What will one of England’s greatest classical actors and this young American artist (“Most talented new director to emerge in 2009” New York Times) uncover in this story of the fracturing of the state, family and self?

HEAR and experience King Lear at the “sleek, new headquarters of a company that has devoted more than three decades to conjuring epic landscapes in small spaces.” (Ben Brantley, New York Times)


SCRIPPS Mainstage in a thrust configuration. Elegant, extraordinary acoustics and intimate–only 265 seats. “Bringing the performer and audience into an unfiltered, direct and honest relationship that Shakespeare’s work is best served by. It’s like the relationship in Shakespeare’s original theatres, the Globe, Curtain, Rose and Blackfriars” (Michael Boyd, former artistic director, Royal Shakespeare Company).

This production is sponsored by Deloitte.

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Michael-Pennington-headshot-150X150Michael Pennington (Lear) has been acclaimed as Hamlet, Timon of Athens, Angelo and Berowne for the Royal Shakespeare Company; and as Coriolanus, Macbeth, Henry V and Richard II for The English Shakespeare Company, which he co-founded. He has played central roles in plays by authors such as Ibsen, Strindberg, Pinter, Stoppard and Mamet and last appeared in New York in Love Is My Sin, adapted and directed by Peter Brook and presented by TFANA.

 

Arin-Arbus-135X135Arin Arbus (Director) has staged at TFANA Shakespeare’s Othello, Measure for Measure, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing. She recently staged Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia at Houston Grand Opera and last fall she directed La Traviata at The Lyric Opera of Chicago.

 

Pictured above: Michael Pennington in the title role of King Lear; photo by Carol Rosegg. Left: Arin Arbus, photo by Phyllis Graber Jensen.

Musicians: Michael Attias, Pascal Niggenkemper, Satoshi Takeishi

Creative Team

Sets: Riccardo Hernandez
Costumes: Susan Hilferty
Lighting: Marcus Doshi
Composer & Co-Sound Designer: Michael Attias
Co-Sound Designer: Nicholas Pope
Fights: B.H. Barry
Movement: John Carrafa
Resident Voice Director: Andrew Wade
Dramaturg: Jonathan Kalb
Casting: Deborah Brown

Production Stage Manager: Renee Lutz*

Cast

Bianca Amato

Benjamin Cole

Mark H. Dold

Lilly Englert

Jacob Fishel

Jason Thomas Gray

Jonathan Hooks

Jake Horowitz

Robert Langdon Lloyd

Patrick McAndrew

Christopher McCann

Ryan McCarthy

Saxon Palmer

Michael Pennington

Rachel Pickup

Ryan Quinn

Jon Stewart, Jr.

Timothy D. Stickney

Ian Temple

Chandler Williams

Graham Winton

Ariel Zuckerman