(OUTscene NW) RE-view: As a Novice of Shakespeare, even SSC's King Lear made me 'MAD"!

Riedmann (as Edmund) plots against Lear (Kremer) Photo by John Ulman

by MK Scott

I must confess, I am not a Shakespeare fan, (except maybe parts of  Midsummer Night's Dream and Taming of the Shrew), so when my friend urged me to see SSC's King Lear, I needed to give it a try and give Lear a chance.

To me Shakespeare is like a foreign language, it is hard to interpret what the actors are really saying. Like British TV on PBS, you are asking, 'Where are the Sub-titles"?

If not the Language, then you can still look forward to stunning period costumes, and an elaborate set. Lear's costumes were not period, the guys wore black trousers, instead of Tights, and the women wore plain greyish gowns, that looked like a costume for a woman's choir. The set was non existent and had black wall, with scaffolding wrapped in Plastic. Even my friend, the Lear insider, agreed with my observations. 

This is why I prefer opera better, because they try to do a great job in improving the original material that engage their audience from Costumes, Set, and sub-titles for where new fans can be entertained.

King Lear tells the story of The title character descends into madness after disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king.

Chacon (as Edgar) shares a cell with his Father Lear (Kremer) 

Photo by John Ulman

I found Eric Riedmann's performance as Edmund as the most  intriguing especially when he is with Jorge Chacon, who plays his half-brother, Edgar. I saw an incestuous, Bromance between the 2 men as well as the actors that was homoerotic. Too Bad, Edmund's goal is to discredit Edgar and the fact they are bothers to begin with. No wonder Lear went mad. The End.

For more on King Lear at Seattle Shakespeare Company, go to seattleshakespeare.org.