Independent Weekly review

By Sarah Lupton, Independent Weekly
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A157989

King Lear
Common Ground Theatre, Durham
Closed in Durham July 29; Continues in Holly Springs Aug. 3-5

The July 29 matinee and final production of Shakespeare's King Lear at Common Ground Theatre concluded with a collective exhalation from the audience after an emotionally grueling production by Bare Theatre's Rogue Company.

In usual Bare Theatre style, stage adornment was minimal; a blanketed, throne-like chair stood on the solid black stage, which was adorned with one tiered platform. The sparseness spotlighted the performers—many between the ages of 13 and 21—who emerged on stage before the first act for a series of choreographed poses to briefly introduce the characters and foreshadow the play's intensity.

And intense it was: The cruelty, greed and betrayal afoot in the kingdom of a disconnected, aging ruler quickly leads to greater tragedy than the characters (scheming or innocent) could have predicted. The audience queasily watched the gore and treachery unfold, including a convincing gorging of an eyeball.

Despite the gruesomeness of the performance, the adept actors played their arduous roles coolly, experimenting with the emotional range of their voices. Austin Krieger played Edgar with thundering vehemence, while Sloan Thompson portrayed a duplicitous, sweetly smiling but ruthless Goneril. As a respite from the play's sinister tone, Tara Pozo convincingly channeled the Fool, who somersaulted and leaped across the stage to comically and frankly reveal truths about the declining King Lear.