There's no fool like an old fool: Lear on the Common

This year was the 20th presentation of free summer Shakespeare on the Boston Common by the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. The play ran July 22 to August 9 at 8 PM except for an earlier start on Sundays. Reserved seating up front was available for donors, and there were many requests for donations at the show, but basically you could show up with your lawn chairs or blanket and enjoy an evening of professional theatre at no charge. The logistics were well-handled, and easy parking was available at the underground garage. The acoustics were excellent, and the actors could be heard everywhere. The play is well-known: the aging King Lear decides to turn over his kingdom to his three daughters equally, but at the last moment asks them to profess their love. The two older daughters fawn over him, while the youngest expresses her love plainly. The enraged king disowns her on the spot and divides his kingdom in two instead, and Cordelia leaves with the king of France, who appreciates her honesty. Lear soon finds that his loving daughters are not so loving when he has no power or wealth, and is driven mad. The climax of the first half is his encounter with Mad Tom in a raging storm, with water pouring down and giant fans blowing. There are, as in all Shakespeare, sub-plots aplenty, and the play ends with the stage littered with bodies. All of the cast were excellent, with Will Lyman’s Lear a tragic figure for the ages and Brandon Whitehead’s Fool getting many of the best lines and applause. My only issue was the late start. For a long play, an earlier start would make it much easier for working folk to enjoy.