Compagnia de’ Colombari - King Lear

Compagnia de’ Colombari’s KING LEAR, adapted and directed by Karin Coonrod, is a raw, primal, and potent “paper crown” Lear that strips down the Shakespearian classic to its essence through a vigorous exploration of the text and characters’ psyches and motivations. An ensemble of ten actors ranging in age and gender all embody King Lear at the beginning. One by one, they strip off their paper crowns, transform into other characters, and conduct a take-over of the text and the theatre space. Spreading across the play's treacherous psychic cartography, the performers dig deep into the internal and external voyage of a mighty king who loses and then finds himself again after arduous challenges. This fresh, vital, and urgent exploration of encountering oneself is a journey of a fractured soul and a broken community discovering wholeness through almost unbearable suffering.

*Festival Friend, Festival Family, Supporters Circle, Premiere Circle, and Founders Society Insiders are invited to join us for a post-show artist toast after this performance!

For student tickets, please contact the box office at (888) ART-IDEA.

Host or Publisher International Festival of Arts & Ideas