King Lear

Synopsis: Videorecording of the play directed by Travis Preston The production was informed by a visit Preston made to Karbala and featured an all-female Afro-American cast.
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Video
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Recording date: 23 Jun 2002
Duration: 150 mins

Director

Travis Preston

Writer

Royston Coppenger; William Shakespeare

Music

Vinny Golia

Production Design

Christopher Barreca

Costume

Ellen McCartney

Choreographer

Rica Blunck

Cast

Frances Bennett	Lear
Sydney Slayden	Cordelia
Joan MacIntosh	Earl of Gloucester
Elina Lowenstein	Fool
Marissa Chibas	Edgar, later disguised as Tom o’Bedlam
Amanda Decker	Captain
Andrea Leblanc	Goneril
Elaine Tse	Duke of Cornwall
Gina Belafonte	Duke of Albany
Heather Ehlers
Jessica Morris	King of France
Lori Woodall	Duke of Burgundy
Mandy Freund	Oswald
Mary Lou Rosato	Earl of Kent
Tane Kawasaki	Regan

Theatre: Brewery Arts Complex, Center for New Theatre at CalArts, Los Angeles
Theatre company: Center for New Theatre
Production type: Stage Recordings
Plays: King Lear
Subjects: Drama
Keywords: Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); All-female casts; Black actors

General: Scenic designer Christopher Barreca created a set with bleachers for 140 spectators. The bleachers moved about the space on air casters, as the audience looked at the action. In other scenes the audience moved into the adjacent space, where video images were projected on the walls. The production budget, for a two-week engagement, was estimated at $600,000.
Textual information: Text adapted for performance by Royston Coppenger
Reviews: Deese, Helen, Shakespeare Bulletin 21, no.2 (2003), pp42-4. Chaudhuri, Una TDR: The Drama Review 48, no. 1 (2004), pp86-94.

British Universities Film & Video Council