Enter the King

Tomorrow night, What Dreams May Co's production of King Lear opens, with me in the title role. It is rather surreal, has been one hell of a journey, and I am so excited to get to share this work with an audience.

I'm not going to lie, I think this is the most difficult role I have ever played. Not only is she fantastically nuanced, and the path through her madness intricate, but there is a lot that goes along with tackling Shakespeare's largest characters. When I played Hamlet, it was similar. I knew everyone watching the production would judge it almost entirely on "To be or not to be..." and I was terrified while shooting that scene and completely emotionally wiped afterward. In this production, I know everyone will be judging me for the storm - Lear is the storm - and I know I will be judged harshly. The internal pressure to do it well is intense. I want to honor Shakespeare's words. I want to honor the other people who auditioned for the role and were not cast. I want to honor the rest of this cast and crew who have so generously donated their time and talents to making this production a success. I want to honor all of the other men who have played the role, and especially the other women who have played the role, to show that this is not a show about gender, but about aging and loss of identity and the search for love (albeit a rather misguided search). I want people to come to the theatre and see Lear, not a young woman saying some lines. I want them to see Lear.

If you have the means to come see the show, tickets can be purchased here, and please use the code "Lear" when you buy them. I would love to see you at the theatre and hear your thoughts on this production. I'm fantastically proud of the work we've put into it, and hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed exploring the man and his madness.