It’s only fitting that the Queen City should play host to such a dramatic story of an English monarch. William’s Shakespeare’s “King Lear” will be presented by the Charlotte Shakespeare Festival at McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square, Aug. 3-14.
The drama, a tragedy, tells the story of Lear, an aging English monarch who descends into a state of madness after unwisely dividing up his kingdom between two of his three daughters. Family ties and loyalty, inasmuch can exist when a royal family also wields great government and diplomatic powers, play out to form a tragic ending — regarded by historians and literary critics as one of Shakespeare’s greatest achievements.
The Charlotte Shakespeare Festival’s presentation of “King Lear” will star Graham Smith as the title character. The play will be staged Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Saturday matinées on Aug. 6 and 13 begin at 2 p.m. and Sunday matinées on Aug. 7 and 14 begin at 3 p.m. Admission is free and no reservations are required, though a $5 minimum donation is suggested.
The festival is presented by Collaborative Arts, headed by Executive/Artistic Director Elise Wilkinson and Managing Director Joe Copley. In 2010, the group staged “Othello” during that year’s Charlotte Shakespeare Festival. The group has also staged “Julius Caesar” and “Twelfth Night.” : :
Want to go?
“King Lear”
Charltotte Shakespeare Festival
Aug. 3-14
McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square
345 N. College St.
collaborativeartstheatre.com/kinglear.htm