King Lear at Michael R. Klein Theatre

King Lear

Michael R. Klein Theatre
450 7th Street NW Washington

Caught in a carousel of memory, the head of a dysfunctional royal family grapples with power-hungry children and the threat of losing the empire he created. Real and imagined worlds coalesce, creating a political and personal horror that threatens to swallow the mind of the monarch. The incomparable Patrick Page (Hadestown, The Gilded Age) returns to STC as the once-revered king caught in an emotional hurricane ravaging his home, head, and heart.

Thru - Apr 2, 2023

Show Type: Drama

www.shakespearetheatre.org

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King Lear Reviews

Average Rating based on 6 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Highly Recommended

"...Director Simon Godwin pares down Shakespeare's brutal tragedy to a sleek and riveting 2½ hours, which compresses and intensifies the devastating impact of a story that ricochets from paranoia to poetry to horror to heartbreak. I can't remember the last time the reunion in captivity of remorseful Lear and pure-hearted Cordelia (played by Lily Santiago), the daughter he foolishly disowned, left me so moved."

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- Peter Marks

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

"...Only rarely in a lifetime of attending theater is there a production that so engages the minds, hearts, and senses of an audience as to leave one nearly breathless with awe. Anchored by Patrick Page’s powerfully moving performance in the title role, director Simon Godwin’s emotionally and physically compelling production of King Lear at Shakespeare Theatre Company does just that."

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- Bob Ashby

MetroWeekly - Recommended

"...Given the dark nights of COVID, it’s hard not to celebrate the STC’s march back to normalcy with a thrice-extended run of the perennial crowd-pleaser, King Lear. For many, the chance to see some full-blooded classical theater live and in person will be enough. Unfortunately — and despite Patrick Page’s pulsar-like charisma in the titular role — this production isn’t the reward it should be. Put simply, it feels somehow undercooked with too many ingredients that never quite come together."

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- Kate Wingfield

Washington City Paper - Highly Recommended

"...Instead of counting down the days until the final season of HBO's Succession starts, consider filling the time with the original version of that story. William Shakespeare's King Lear is currently onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company in a spectacular production, taut and tense, starring Patrick Page in a magnificent performance. An overbearing, elderly father. Ungrateful and unruly adult children. A vast empire that everyone wants to run. Twists and turns, and knives in backs. Check, check, check, and check. Unlike Lear's family, the Roys, as of yet, haven't plucked out any eyeballs."

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- Colleen Kennedy

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"...Even if you have seen "King Lear" before, you will want to see this fascinating production by Shakespeare Theatre Company. Expertly directed by Simon Godwin, the play is taken into the modern era. For the Shakespearean purists, you should take the plunge, and if you have never seen this play, STC makes the story easy to follow and still keeps the Elizabethan feeling of the drama through its talented cast and creative team."

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- Susan Brall

BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended

"...King Lear is known as one of Shakespeare's most influential and bloodiest plays. Lear is known for his descent into madness, and it takes a very seasoned actor to play such a tremendous role. In Shakespeare Theatre Company's production of King Lear, Patrick Page, known for his role in Hades in the musical Hadestown, plays Lear. It's a role perfectly made for Page, but besides the perfect match, King Lear's casting is also phenomenal. STC's King Lear is fresh and breathtaking, and even funny. Yes, there is even humor in the tragedy."

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- Hannah Wing

King Lear at Michael R. Klein Theatre

King Lear

King Lear Reviews

Washington Post - Highly Recommended

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

MetroWeekly - Recommended

Washington City Paper - Highly Recommended

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended

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