King Lear, the story of an aging monarch who decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters, is widely regarded as William Shakespeare‘s crowning artistic achievement. In this story Lear puts his daughters through a test, asking each to tell him how much she loves him and if they obey, he will give them a third of the kingdom accordingly. However, despite his seemingly practical efforts, in the end the king loses everything including his family, sanity and kingdom.
John R. Briggs, a professional director with more than 40 years of experience, helped make this stage reading a reality by interpreting King Lear. Apart from Lear, he also has directed Dracula, A Rock Opera and Doubt, and co-wrote the Broadway Musical Play Me A Country Song. The reading, performed in the Smith Recital Hall at the Silver Center, was very well rehearsed and cast members on stage spoke with elegance and poise. With John’s resume and expertise, he was the obvious choice for the position. However, a performance as such was no easy task.
“The production was extremely difficult to do,” said Briggs as he mingled in the foyer after the reading. Other members of the cast gave testament to this, “We had to do a lot of reading and research prior to rehearsals. I guess to understand Shakespeare you have to read it,” said Evan Grande (Edmund) after the production.
Each cast member added their own personality to the roles they were playing. Facial expressions added life to the small amber lit stage as the cast yelled, cried, laughed, and seemed to engulf the audience in the presence of Shakespeare.
The Fool (played by Danielle Aucoin) is Lear’s own stand-up comedian, but more interestingly, he’s the only guy that Lear allows to criticize him. Laughs could be heard from the audience following quick remarks to the king like: “Yes my asses are ready,” when referring to the horses requested by the King. Often times The Fool would speak with rhyme and riddles, quite trademark of the Shakespearean character.
It was a seventeenth century verbal ping-pong-match as emotions filled the room. Briggs’ interpretation of Lear seemed to intensify on stage as the reading progressed. The walls shook as a result of his boisterous voice, which instantly demanded the audience’s attention. The scenes of the King’s rage really came out as a result of his professional experience and performance. Everyone did a great job and you could tell that they worked hard and showed passion for their work.
Understanding the speech of Shakespeare can be difficult. The play was filled with phrases such as: “Hast practiced on man’s life: close pent-up guilts,” and, “For the rain it raineth every day.” Audience members unfamiliar with Shakespeare had to be paying close attention to what was being said in order to understand what was happening in a particular scene. All the members of the reading spoke with clarity and crisp pronunciation in the style of Shakespeare.
Probably the most intriguing aspect of the reading was how the cast seemed to speak directly to the audience as emotions filled their faces and their voices rose and fell in volume adding dynamics to the script. Props didn’t adorn the stage and costumes weren’t present, just raw emotions without distractions. The production was well directed, rehearsed, and performed but as Grande said…”I guess to understand Shakespeare you have to read it.”