- Set designer Scott
Butler arranged a collection of furniture and props in the spirit of
Mid-Modern American Tacky, around which the three daughters play out their
childhood and adolescence, costumed in Early Madonna Floozy, sometimes
wearing lingerie, sometimes bed clothes, sometimes slips but never
defiling the floor with shoes. It’s
not clear why director PJ Hammond chose this wardrobe . . .
but, it’s different.
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- Cordelia, Regan and
Goneril are raised by a mother who’s always too exhausted to love them,
a Nurse who’s too distant to care and a father (who really wanted boys),
who is too busy to notice them.
The court jester, Fool, is
always around too, but nobody pays attention, because . . . well, who listens to
a fool? The girls grow up, semi-loved, semi scared and totally screwed up
and even Cordelia, the favorite, has some issues.
There is even an oblique hint of incest by Lear towards her, although
it’s never clear. The fact that
Cordelia walks around wearing a see-through teddy has nothing to do with the way
her father looks at her. Cordelia
knows she’s the favorite, Goneril knows that as the oldest, she will probably
inherit the throne, and poor Regan is all twisted up, hating both sisters, and
growing up with deep resentment at being the number two child.
Behind subtle references to
Lear’s infidelity, the suspicion that Nurse is really Cordelia’s mother, and
the death of Lear’s wife, the kingdom is literally going to hell.
Goneril assumes the caretaker role held by the mother, but things
continue to spiral. Regan gets
pregnant, but decides to abort, and Goneril figures out the only way to save the
kingdom, is for the sisters to marry wealthy lords.
Cordelia is just plain confused and can’t seem to express herself
clearly.
This set up fits neatly into
Shakespeare’s opening, when Lear demands to know in open court, which one of
the three loves him the most. Those
who remember, will recall the eloquent speeches given by Goneril and Regan, and
the miserable showing by Cordelia.
As commentator Paul Harvey
says, now you know, “the rest of the story!”
But the real story here is
Fool. Beth Fisher is absolutely a
knockout as the bouncy, sassy, irreverent clown of indeterminate gender, who
will always please for a slight fee, and whose wisdom is greater than any king
or lord. This is meaty part and
Fisher takes a huge tasty chunk of it, leaving the audience hungry for more.
Regan is a darker figure, not
quite understood, and Sylvia Keays gives her a somber countenance where you
never really know what she’ll do next. Teresa
Huang as Cordelia, the youngest, is sufficiently pouty and wide eyed, although
sometimes she goes a little overboard with the cutesy-poo shtick.
Haunting and beautiful,
Stephanie Thorpe gives Goneril a business-like demeanor that lets you know this
girl is serious about keeping this kingdom together. We also see a wicked streak which will develop later with
merciless vile.
When we can hear her, Nancy
Petersen was excellent as Nurse. Even
sitting on the first row, her often whispered lines didn’t quite make it
beyond the footlights, so we had to wonder how the folks in the back could hear.
Still, her demeanor and poise belied her servile standing, and the
character we see comes across as having some kind of secret, just waiting for
the right moment to unleash it.
With so many Shakespeare
presentations around, the company chose the right moment to unleash Lear’s
daughters. A few years ago, nobody
ever knew the word “prequel” existed, but now that George Lucas has made it
commonplace, it can be used freely.
The Bard, (who made up his own
considerable share of words) might have some reservations about applying the
term here, but he would certainly approve of the convolutions of the story.
His only complaint might be that only one person died at the end, but
then that’s why King Lear takes care of that little detail – and then some.
Comments?
Write to us at: Letters@reviewplays.com
Click here for Beth
Fisher's web site: www.ONLY1BETH.com
Lear’s Daughters plays
through September 13 at:
The Complex – Ruby
Theatre
6476 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(near Vine)
Reservations at: (310) 289-4460
Tickets: $ 10
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