King Lear

Hearing Lear, rather than seeing it, emphasizes the power of Shakespearean language. As the aging king who gives up his throne, Trevor Peacock deteriorates from petulance to madness. Gerard Murphy delivers Edmund's monologue on his bastard condition with masterful control, humanizing evil with an anger born of oversensitivity to injustice. Julia Ford brings a gentle strength to Cordelia; her voice alone is enough to convince that she is virtuous but not weaker for it. However, Lear is so complicated that even with striking sound effects this production is confusing at times. Some elements, such as Kent's disguise or Gloucester's blinding, must be seen for full effect. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine


An aging and powerful monarch chooses to cede his vast kingdom to only two of his three daughters. Madness, familial intrigue, and political devastation ensue. By sticking to their American accents and vocal rhythms, Michael Winters (King Lear) and the entire Oregon Shakespeare Festival cast bring emotional freshness, ease, and clarity to the dense and heightened language and classic characters of this cornerstone of world literature. Well-mixed transitions, percussive music, and intense and convincing sword and battle sound effects add layers to the production, making it sound more film-like than stage-like. "Ay, every inch a king: When I do stare, see how the subjects quake." A solid and well-spoken interpretation of a time-honored classic. B.P. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine