King Lear - Final Session: "The Art of Character and Conflict" - The Rehearsal Room - The Working Actor's Journey

Episode Transcript
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>> Nathan Agin (00:00):
All right, so, uh, I've admitted,
uh, uh, people from the waiting room.
And we'll give, you know, maybe another 30 seconds or
so just in case anyone, um, is still. Still
finding parking. You know, making sure they
have everything they need.
Holding the curtain briefly.

>> Lizzie King-Hall (00:20):
Why did that make me laugh?

>> Annie Occhiogrosso (00:22):
So very
funny.

Those of us who have been to a lot of theater and running late know.
Know what it's like.

>> Jeanne Sakata (00:33):
Randall. Annie, I'm dying to know. Have you ever,
uh, worked on Arthur Miller?

Hm.

We worked with. We haven't done a
play, but we did immerse
in, um. With. With,
um. All My Sons.
Because we had an actress
who, uh, asked us if she. She
was cast as the mother. This is one of another thing
that we did with various actors.

(01:02):
Um, she would come to New Jersey.
She lives in the set in South Carolina. She would come for
about two weeks and have us take her through the whole
role. And so that
allowed us to learn the play as we were
helping her. And we fell in love with. Randy almost did
a production. What? Randy. Just before the pandemic,

(01:22):
I think. Right. Or was it right after? But
they wanted us at Centenary to do a production of
All My Sons. Um, but it just never. We
just couldn't find the time to do it.

>> Randall Duk Kim (01:33):
So we.
We discovered that that play has such close links
with ancient Greek tragedy.

Ah.

You know, Arthur Miller. You can. You can feel
the ancient Greek roots on that. That piece.

M.

Yeah.

I. I did do An Enemy of the People.
And. And that's what made us so interested
in doing Arthur Miller. Because we love. And
we have our own translation of An Enemy of the People. It
was done by a man by the name of John Wyatt who
worked at our theater. He knew the roots
of so many languages that there was none he
couldn't learn within two weeks. And he learned

(02:12):
Hawaiian. Um,
he did all of our translations because he
knew that the punctuation meant a lot to
us. Whenever he could, he would go to the
playwright's handwritten notes or,
um, the original. As close to the original text
to show us every dot, dot, or, you know,

(02:34):
ellipse or every piece of punctuation.
And so it was as a, um,
wonderful translation, uh, of
Enemy of the People. He did our Oedipus. He
did, um. Ah. What was the other one? Servant
of Two Masters. Comedy. Comedy of
asses.

>> Tom Farber (02:52):
Um, one X.

That's right. Right.
I would.

I'd wondered. I wondered, Randy, if you had ever played a
Willy Lohman.

Oh, my God.

I think that would be amazing.

You know, one of the Books I have here. It's. Oh,
I have it somewhere. It's, um,
Salesman in Beijing. When.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

I loved it because, you know, that whole
thing of, well, you grow in your
career, in your early career, you read all these amazing
plays, but then you say, well, I've never seen anybody that looks
like me do that.

That's right.

So when I opened up that book, I said, oh, my God,
here's like an Asian, um, a Chinese,
uh, Loman family. And immediately that put it in
my head, oh, someday I hope I get to do that.
And, um, all my sons too.
Um, I love that place. I'm so, so glad you
worked on it.

Yeah.

Well, for those watching, we could talk about theater.

Uh.

Oh, sorry. No, no,
nothing wrong. Nothing wrong with the conversation. That's just. That's.
That's the beautiful part about all of this. And I was
thinking, I'm like, boy, what an amazing service, uh,
to have, uh, two actors, uh, and theater
artists like Randall and Annie at your disposal to take you
through an entire play. Uh, we did a

(04:18):
workshop where a couple actors, um, who
had played Lord and Lady M. From Shakespeare's play
worked. Uh, you know, kind of took actors through those
roles, which was. Which was really fascinating. And it's just
like. It's so interesting to look at a play from that
perspective where you're tracking the characters, which you guys did a little
bit, um, you know, with. With the scenes leading up to.

(04:39):
To what you're doing. Um, and so, yeah, no, it's.
It's, uh, it's. It's really exciting. And, um,
um. Um, Magdalene put in the chat that
she. She loves this conversation and those amazing books.
So, um, thank you, Magdalene, for. For that. Um,
and I'm just going to make a couple adjustments
here. Okay. We'll try to

(04:59):
keep, um, anything that comes in technically
to a minimum to. So that all of you guys, all of you
artists can, um, you know, just kind of focus on the work.
But I think we can, uh, get started here. I think we're
all ready to go. So. Hi, everybody. My name
is Nathan Agan. Welcome to, uh, the rehearsal
room. A faction of the Working Actors

(05:19):
Journey. Uh, we've been doing these,
uh, workshops monthly. We restarted them
earlier this year, and we've been doing them
here, uh, online. And it's been a
great place to, um, allow
artists to explore text in depth in, uh,
a way that they rarely get to do even in professional
theater. Uh, so this has been a lot of fun, and we focus

(05:42):
on one scene over the Course of a month. Um,
and what's also exciting for
me as a producer, but then I think for the artists
themselves. And we were just talking about this a
little bit when Jeannie brought up the book.
Uh, it was, um. What was it,
what was the title of the book in Beijing? Uh, Jeanne?

Salesman in Beijing.

Salesman in Beijing. Well, one of the things I love about
these workshops is that we are not beholden to the
same, um,
maybe constructs or ideas that some theaters feel
like they have to, um, be tied to in terms of
casting or things like that.
We can be more conscious with gender or age or
race than maybe some theaters feel they can be.

(06:26):
So it's. It's been very refreshing and
exciting to see actors explore parts that maybe
they feel like they've uh, they've missed or they've been
passed them by or whatever. Just, just getting the chance
to dive into the words and uh, the characters have been really
exciting. And then of course, uh, oftentimes we can
bring artists together who either have never worked

(06:47):
together because of geographic reason reasons,
or it's been 20 or 30 years since they've worked with
people. Uh, so that's, that's been a fun part of
this too. So, um, but today
we're going to focus on uh, the final session of King, uh,
Lear, Act 2, Scene 4. And I'll let everybody
in the group introduce themselves, uh, briefly in just a second.

(07:07):
Now I'll wrap up my little, uh, administrative
things here. We are, uh,
patron supported, uh, to cover some of the production costs. So
I just want to give a quick shout out to our patrons.
Joan, Michelle, Christian, Jim
Magdalene, Ivar, Danielle, Kevin and
Frank. Thank you so much for uh, supporting this
work and allowing it to be possible.

(07:30):
Uh, and in July, uh,
we are going to focus on an
adaptation of Virginia Woolf's to the
Lighthouse. Director, uh, Brian
Nelson wanted to look at that uh,
novel. It was written I think in
1927. And he's kind of put together an adaptation
and we, we have a great, great uh, cast. We have

(07:51):
professional actors. Alberto Isaac, Angie
Bird, Charlotte Northeast, and Mike Gerbe.
And once again we have actors far flung all
over the country coming together to work on this.
Uh, and for those, uh, uh, watching, um, you
can. I'll be sure to include links if you'd like to sign up
to receive both video and audio replays of those
sessions. Typically those will be available on uh,

(08:14):
Thursdays, uh, through the month of July.
So, um, yeah, we have that coming up and just excited
to continue this going and
just the Opportunity for this work
to happen. It, uh, never gets old for me. I'm like a kid in
a candy store every week where it's just exciting to hear these
discussions and all this stuff. And it seems

(08:34):
the artists really enjoy this too. So
I, uh, think that's enough for me. I will mention, uh,
just for uh, the purposes of
questions, um, if you're unfamiliar with
Randall, uh, and Annie's work, they largely focus on
the First Folio. And of course there are other discussions that
this group has been having, uh, along the way. But uh,

(08:54):
that is where their work is kind of geared. So if you have
any questions, uh, about First Folio
work or things that you have about the text,
this is a great place to bring that m up. You can drop those
questions in the chat and I'll collect all those toward the end. Uh,
it's not to say that we can't discuss, um,
stylistic, uh, or. Or character, uh,

(09:16):
situations, but you, uh, know, there can
be an infinite number of interpretations of the
scenes. But uh, you know, I think. I think for
purposes today, um, as they like to
say, uh, the mantra here is like, let's just. Let's do
the play. Let's do the play. So, um,
that's what we're going to focus on. Uh, and uh. And that's

(09:36):
that. So I will again be monitoring the chat
for any questions. I'll come back in a little bit once
the group has kind of done whatever work they'd like to.
Um, and uh, I hope you enjoy it. But with that, I'll turn it
over to Randall and Annie and um, the rest of the group. And
if, like I said, if you guys can do just some brief, um,
very brief introductions of who you are and ah, your. Your

(09:57):
connections to either Shakespeare or other things like
that, that would be great. And I'll
disappear.

Okay. Come back.

I will, I will.

Don't worry.
Later.

Who would like to start?

You go first.

I co founded the American Players Theater with Randall
Kim. We have shared a
wonderful, um, partnership,
um, uh, in the theater for
53 years. And so the
kind of directing that I think you'll
see today is steeped in the

(10:35):
text. Um, I'm not a conceptualist.
I'm somebody who says, let's look at the script and
let's see if we can have Shakespeare's script come
alive. When we started the American Players Theater,
we promised the audience that they could come up
our wonderful hill and see the plays
totally uncut, um,

(10:56):
and not updated because we were
very curious about, uh, the play itself.
And that's what we're trying to pass on now, um, to
this group of. Of actors. And we're having a
wonderful time doing it. So, Randy, I guess you can pick it up
from there, huh? Huh?

I'm actor and his fellow
explorer.
That's it.

Randy, say a little bit about your background.

Oh, I started acting when I was
18 years old. Uh,
my. The main influences at that period. I had seen
a production of Oedipus Rex and Hamlet,
and that turned me on to a material that
I would never have dreamed of getting
involved with. Then, uh, I saw an

(11:44):
actor by the name of Morris Karnofsky who
gave me the light that I needed to light
my way through life and my work.
He set the example. He was a model. Uh,
and of course, he was the old man in the.
The group theater during the 30s.
Um, but I had, uh, his

(12:05):
shylock. I was, uh, particularly
indelibly imprinted on my soul.
And I tried to
find how that kind of
work could be done. And I've spent
my life trying to find it.

I think one of the things that Randy rarely mentions in
the connection with King Lear is
that, um, Morris and his wife,
Phoebe Brand, came out to the American Players Theater
and directed Randy in King
Lear. I sat by their side and assisted
them. Um, but it was wonderful to see
Morris pass his Lear on to Randy.

(12:45):
I wish it could have all been there. Um, it was
magnificent. But that. That made Lear
very special to us. And that's why we continued working on
it even till today. Yeah.
Yeah. So, Thomas, shall we sneak down to
you?

Yeah, we can do that.

Uh, hello, everyone.

My name is, uh, Tom Farber. Um, I
started acting when I was 15
years old. I mostly did contemporary plays. A
few musicals here and there as well. Um,
I met Randy and Annie when I was
19. I had the option
to either do an English Shakespeare class or do

(13:23):
an intensive with them. And I chose to do
an intensive of Merchant of Venice with them
and took one look at Randy and Annie's talent. I was like, well,
this is the pedestal. This is where I
have to be with my acting now.
Um, and I've recently started working
with them consistently again.

(13:44):
I think November of last year is when we started
really working together on the classics. Um,
and, uh, that's all I really have to say.

Good. And Jeanne.

Hi, everyone. I'm Jeannie Sakata. Uh,
I am an actor and playwright. I
actually started acting kind of late.
I was on my way to becoming a. A library and
information science specialist. And then
I attended East West Players,
Asian American company here in Los Angeles, and
saw a play about a, uh, Japanese American farming family,

(14:19):
Wakako Yamauchi's Emma Sol Shall Dance.
And that totally turned my life around. Uh,
I became an actor starting off at east west and then
branching out into regional theater
and some TV and film,
and also became a playwright. And I
wrote a solo show about a young college student named

(14:39):
Gordon Hirabayashi, who during World
War II, defied and legally challenged government orders
to mass incarcerate all people of Japanese ancestry on the West
Coast. And I feel very fortunate to
have had the career I've had. But one thing that I've always regretted
is that I haven't been able to do as much classical
theater as I hoped when I was first

(14:59):
starting out. So, um, a workshop like this is
just balm for the soul for
me. And, um, thank you, Annie.
And thank you, Randall. And, um,
thank you, Nathan, for the opportunity.

And Lizzie.

My name is Lizzie King Hall.
Um, I am a good example of when they
tell you only become an actor if there's nothing else
you could possibly do. Um,
because I can't imagine myself doing anything
else. Um, I've been doing Shakespeare since
high school, uh, and it's
wonderful. We talked a little bit during this month

(15:39):
about growing, uh, with it.
It's such a human experience
to play Shakespeare that it,
um, always applies to your life
along the way. So it's wonderful
to touch in at this age, at
this moment with, uh,
with these actors and this character. So

(16:01):
I, I, I too, thank everyone.

Good, good. Um, I
guess then we should begin.

Yeah.

Um, and I thought the best way to do it was to, would be to
start with the scene. Unless you guys had
any questions or thoughts about
last week or, uh, or any of the work. If you
do, I'll open it up to you. If not, let's just
jump in and do the same.

Great.

Okay.

I'm good to just jump in?

Yeah.

Okay. Good.

All right.
Good morrow to you both.

Hail to your grace.

I am glad to see your highness.

Regan, I,
I know you are. I
have reason to,
to think that if thou shouldst
not be glad, I would divorce
me from thy mother's tomb. Sepulchering an
adulteress. Uh, are you
free? Uh, some other time for

(17:05):
that. Beloved
Regan, thy sister's
naught she hath tied
Sharp toothed unkindness
like a vulture here
I can scarcely speak to thee. Thou wouldst not
believe with how depraved a
quality. O Regan.

I pray you, sir, take patience.
I have Hope you less know how to value her
desert than she to scant her duty.

Say, how's that?

I cannot think my sister in the least would fail
her obligation. If, sir,
perchance, she have restrained the riots of
your followers. Tis on such ground, and to
such wholesome end as clears her from all
blame.

My curse is on her.

Sir, you are old. Nature
in you stands on the very
verge of his confine. You should be
ruled and led by some
discretion that discerns your state better than you
yourself. Therefore I pray you, that to our
sister you do make return. Say you
have wronged her.

Ask her forgiveness you but
mark how that becomes a house. Dear
daughter, I confess that I'm old.
Age is unnecessary. On my
knees I beg that you'll vouchsafe me
raiment, bed and food.

Good sir, no more. These are unsightly tricks. Return
you to my sister.

Never.

Uh, Regan. She hath abated me of half
my train, looked black upon
me, struck me with her tongue, most serpent
like, upon the very heart. All the stored
vengeances of heaven fall on her in grateful
top. Strike her young bones,
you taking airs with lameness.

(19:04):
Fie, sir, fie. Nimble
lightnings dart your blinding flames into
her scornful eyes, infect
her beauty. You fen sucked fogs,
drawn by the powerful sun to fall and
blister the blest gods.

So you will wish on me when the rash mood is on.

No, no, Regan. Thou shalt never have my
curse. Thy tender
hefted nature shall not give thee o'er to
harshness. Her eyes
are fierce. But
thine to comfort and not
burn.

Tis not in m thee what, uh,
tis not in thee.

Tis not in thee to
grudge my pleasures, to
cut off my train, to bandy
hasty words, to scant my sizes, and
in conclusion, to oppose the
to bolt the door against my coming in.
Thou better knowest the
offices of nature, bond of

(20:11):
childhood, effects of
courtesy, dues of
gratitude. Thy
half of the kingdom hast thou not forgot
wherein I thee endowed.

But, sir, to the purpose.

Who put my man in the stocks?

What trumpet's that?

I note my sister's. This approves
her letter, that she would soon be here.

Is your lady come?

Yea, this is a slave, whose easy
borrow'd pride dwells in the sickly grace of her. He
follows out varlet, from my sight.
What means your grace, who
stalk'd my servant Regan? I have good
hope thou dost not know on't. But
who comes here? O, uh,

(21:02):
heavens.
If you do love old men, if your
sweet sway allow Obedience. If you
yourself are old, make it your cause.
Send down and take my part.
Art not ashamed to look upon this beard?

(21:29):
Regan. Will you take her by the
hand?

Why not by the hand, sir? Uh, how
have I offended? All's not offence
that indiscretion finds, and
dotage terms so.

Besides, uh, you're too tough. Will
you yet hold? Who stop?
My servant.

I set him there, sir, but his own
disorders deserve much less advancement.

You did you?

I pray you, father, being weak seems
so. If, till the expiration of
your month you will return and sojourn with my
sister, dismissing half your
train, come then to me. I am now
from home, and out of that provision which shall be needful
for your entertainment.

Return with her and 50
men. Dismiss'd now. Rather I
abjure all ruse, and choose the wage against the
enmity of the air. Be a comrade with the wolf
and owl, necessity sharp pinch'd.
Return to her.
By the hot blooded France

(22:39):
that dowerless took, uh, our youngest born. I could as
well be brought to knee his throne and
squire like pension, big to keep
base life afoot. Return with her.
Persuade me rather to be slave and sumpter
to this detested groom.

At your choice, sir.

I prithee, daughter, do
not make me mad.
Ay,
I will not trouble thee. My child
will no more meet, no more see one
another. But

(23:21):
yet thou, uh, art my
flesh, my blood, my
daughter, or rather
a disease that's in my flesh, which I must needs call
mine, knows how'r to boil a
plague sore, an embossed
carbuncle in my corrupted blood,

(23:43):
that I'll not chide ye.
Let shame come when it will. I do not
call it. I do not, uh,
I do not bid the thunder bearer shoot, nor tell
tales of thee to hide, judging Jove
mend when thou canst, be better
at thy leisure. I can

(24:04):
be patient. I can stay with Regan, I
and my hundred knights.

Not altogether so. I
looked not for you yet, nor am provided
for your fit welcome. Give
ear, sir, to my sister, for
those that mingle reason with your passion must be content
to think you old and so.
But she knows what she does.

This well spoken.

I dare avouch it, sir. What, 50
followers? Is it not well? What should
you need of more? Yea, or
so many? Sith it both charge and danger
speak gainst so great a number? How in one house
should many people under two commands hold
amity? Tis hard, almost impossible.

Why might not you, my lord,
receive attendance from those that she calls servants?
Or from mine?

Why not, my lord? If then they
chance to slack ye, we could control
them. If you will come to me. For now I spy a danger.
I entreat you to bring but 5 and
20. To no more will I give
place or notice.

I gave you all,
and in good.

Time you gave it.

Made you my guardians,
my depositaries, but kept a
reservation to be followed by such a number.
What, must I come to you
with five and 20, Regan, said you
so?

And speak again, my lord, no more with me.

Those wicked creatures yet do look well
favoured when others are more wicked.
Not being the worst stands in some rank of praise.
I'll go with thee. Thy 50 yet
doth double 5 and 20. And thou art, uh,
twice her love.

Hear me, my lord.
What need you 5 and 20,
10, or 5, to follow in
a house where twice so many have a command to tend
you?

What need one?

Reason not the need
A, uh, Basest beggars are in the poorest things
superfluous. Allow
not nature more than nature needs.
Man's life is cheap as beast.
Thou art a lady
if only to keep warm were gorgeous. Why, nature

(26:33):
needs not without gorgeous wearest, which
scarcely keeps thee warm. But for true
need
you see me here, you, God,
poor old man, as full of grief as age,
wretched and bold. If it
be you that stir these

(26:54):
daughters hearts against their father,
fool me not so much to bear it tamely.
Touch me with noble anger. And
let not women's weapons, water drops
stain my man's cheeks.
No, you unnatural, uh,
hags. I will have

(27:15):
such revenges on you both.
I will do such things. What
they are, I know not, but
they shall be the, uh, terrors of the
earth.
You think I'll weep? Oh,
uh, I'll not

(27:36):
weep. I have full cause of weeping.
But this heart will break into a hundred thousand
flaws or ere I'll
weep.

Fool.

I shall go mad.

Good, good. We'll stop
there. And next time I'd like to take it to
the very end, if we could. Good. Okay,
let me ask. Let me just first ask the
question about. How do you find working with the folio?

Us?

Uh, yeah, you guys.

I mean, it's all I know at this point. Working with you
too, so.

Right.

It's got a change. But, um, I,
I. It really reminds me of scoring
a text. And it's almost like the score.
This is such an obvious thing to say because this is what you've been
proposing that it is. This is your thesis.
It is like a score. Um, so
I, But I don't.
Of course, you would memorize It.

(28:41):
But as I'm reading just
reminds me that there's an option for
length, an option for emphasis,
uh, where to take the breath.
Um, it is like someone 400 years ago
scored, you know, the text.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Anybody else?

Well, um, when you were talking, was
it last week or maybe the last two weeks, Annie.
About the commas.
I mean, I think that the thing that really
came to life for me in this last month
is the idea of keeping the text
very alive.

Yes.

Because I think that. And, you know, like I said, I haven't done
as much classical theater as I would have
liked in my career. And I
think that I realized. I thought of it in such
a. I think a more technical way. You know, the
iambic pentameter and, you know, the stresses
and where the trochees and the, you know, and all that.

(29:41):
And, um. And I think that, you know,
the real delightful thing about working with the first
volume, what you said about the punctuation, the commas,
really brought that alive for me, especially in the first scene when
I'm making that speech, you
know, about how I love my father the most.
And it really came alive for me, observing

(30:02):
the commas and making up
that speech on the M, you know, on the fly, right in the
moment. Because I totally caught off guard.

Yes.

The proposal and also gone roll,
you go first. And whole game
aspect of it, having to scope out, you know, what are my sisters going to
say? So, um. So
similarly, there's not as many comments for Goneril in this
scene, but it really brought alive
for certain parts that, you know, when I say,

(30:32):
I, uh, hear me. And then I think it's comma, my
lord, that there can be a moment where.
Where she's, you know, I, uh, mean in
that moment. He says, I'll go with. I'll go with.
Conroe, you're only giving me 25, 50. Sounds good.

I'll go with.

I have to stop him. So it's hearing me, my
lord, Right. All one. But.
But that little pause. I
began to wonder, why is there that little comma there,
you know, And. And, um. Just little things like that
throughout the scene. Little goodies, little tidbits were
great.

Yeah. I think. And I think the more you work with it, the
more you'll see it's an interpretive tool, you know.
I'm reminded that when Morris, um,
gathered everyone around the table to do
Lear, he said, um, I would like
to say something now. And we all, you know,
we took out pens and papers and we thought, we're Going to write

(31:25):
it down. We'll never forget it. And he
said, just talk.
Okay, let's start rehearsal. And I thought,
that's it. That's the great Morris
Karnofsky. And he's saying, just talk. Where's
the wit? You know? And I found ever
since he said that, that

(31:46):
actors don't talk, uh, uh, so
often. And I think the Folio
allows you to. I think, Jeanne, when you talk
about the comma and the spontaneity
of it, that that's what I think Morris
was ultimately saying is that you
don't know what you're going. Just. Just the way I'm speaking to

(32:06):
you now, I don't have a speech that I have in my back
PO Pocket. And I'm putting it forth.
I'm thinking on my feet and expressing
it. Um, and I find
for me, over the years that that's what the
Folio has helped with,
is that people actually sound as if they're
talking to one another. And

(32:28):
I thought that reading that time through, I thought
you guys were pulling it together beautifully.
Um, there are a couple of suggestions that I want to make for the next
step. Um, because I think.
And I might be wrong, but I think
sometimes, at least in some
productions that I've seen, um, we
tend to want to say this

(32:51):
character is such and such
evil, good, um,
sweet, whatever. And
that's what we play throughout. And I think what
you're doing now is you're allowing those women
to not do that, to not
carry the coat of behavior

(33:11):
or some kind of.
I don't know, the adjective that describes the
things you do by the end of the play. And that's
what I'm looking for more. And there are
even more moments, I think, that can happen, because
I think sometimes we forget that
we know the play now. The audience knows the play up

(33:33):
to this point. Okay, we
saw, uh, Regan,
uh, leave her home when she heard Lear was
coming. We heard. We said. And we
heard the scene, uh, where
Cornwall and Regan said, no, we're
too tired. We're ill. Uh, we can't come
to see the King now. And Gloucester's trying to convince them

(33:56):
to come down. We've heard that. We in the audience
have heard that. So you have an
opportunity when you see your father. And I
think it. It makes the skin
crawl more, uh, than any evil
you could ever. Tone of evil that you
could put on it by welcome,
welcoming him as if you have been

(34:17):
dying to see him. Because we see
hypocrisy come to life.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

See what I mean? Because we know, we know
what led up to it, so that
helps that that's what in the end is going
to let us know. Oh, my God. Is she really
doing that? Randy, I would
also suggest that when you,
when you say I think you are, um, you're glad to
see me. I, I, I

(34:47):
would say try a sense of
absolute relief because you've just been told
that she was in on stalking Kent.

Right, right, right.

And that she wasn't going to come down to see you.
So when she says, I'm glad to see you, I
think the idea that, oh, thank God I still
have, you know, and that's why I think, uh, my
idea is to say, even joke a little bit about
the mother, you know, uh,
you know, I, I would say I'd have to say that she wasn't

(35:16):
even your mother if that because of relief. I mean,
I'm not, you know, from, for me to tell you how to
act as a joke in itself, but, um, just
giving, you know, take it and run with it.
Um, okay, um, and then
the next good thing is, are you free?
So that gets put aside. Even though that's the

(35:36):
reason. I keep saying that's the reason
you want to talk to them.

Yeah.

Now, I mean, you have the other reason, of course, to tell her about
Goneril and all of that. But what provokes
this idea of, Let me. The king
wants to see the father wants to see his daughter.
The kingdom, all of that stuff that came before
was because of Kent in the stocks. And
so now when he's free,
you decide, and you've heard that she's happy to

(36:05):
see you. That can be put aside now. Now
I can get back to sharing with her.
You know, what your sister did to me. This is
terrible. Then the next moment
is the next shocker. And
that, of course, is Regan's response.
Um, that I have hope you

(36:25):
less know how to value her dessert than
she. I think you all have a
little more time after the
period to take in
and determine what your
response is. I think if it's an unfinished
line, then you come right in. I get that. But

(36:45):
there's a moment, for instance, um,
let's see, even little
things like, uh, uh, I'm m on the
first part of the scene. Ah, Regan.
Um, I cannot think my sister right
in the least would fail her obligation.
And at the end of it, you say, tis on such ground and

(37:07):
to such wholesome end as clears her from all
blame. And he finishes my curse. He comes
right in. My curse is on her. Take just a
moment for your next argument.

Yeah.

And we'll see that. That. Oh, sir, you
know, because I think if you come right in, it
becomes almost argumentative. Rather than
convincing him to go back
to Goneril,
um, the older you can make him
be, the more feeble. And I think you have to
ask yourself, how does one do that to an elderly

(37:40):
person? It's not by beating them up,
which neither one of you did. Um, but
I'll throw that caution out there. It's by making them
believe they can't do anything on their
own. You really need us to
care for you. And, um, I
think Brandy. Uh, that brings me to the next
one.

Um.

Oh, and again, just a reminder. And I think you're doing
it. And I would urge more just as a
reminder in order to make the
line, uh, you shall never have my
curse. The tender. Thy tender hefted nature.
Lizzy, we. He has to see that in you.
So the. The kind of tightrope you're walking
here has got to make him believe you are

(38:32):
not goneral. You are not the daughter who would
ever do. Because if you show any sign of
that, then one wonders what it. You know, then we come.
Then what happens is, as scholars now take it, and they'll
say, well, he's mad. This is proof he's mad.
But I don't think that that's what's happening. I think
you want to. To, um,

(38:53):
you know, let be the good sister.
Be that. Be the nice sister. You know, until. Until
you have to m. You know, change things when he
won't listen. Okay. Um,
I'll put my man in the stocks. Oh, Randy.
After, um. I know it. My sisters approves
her letter that she would soon be here is your lady

(39:15):
come. That's one of those moments. Take a
moment. See him.

Yeah.
Okay.

Right. Rather than just saying, oh, this is like.
Otherwise, it seems like Lear just gonna be angry at anything.

Right, right, right, right.

All right. Okay. Um.
And I. And Thomas, what are you.
What is it that you're doing on what means. I know you're doing
the folio, but what is it that you're
asked. What does he surprise you
in his reaction to Oswald?
Are you angry? I can't tell

(39:49):
what you're doing with the line.

Um, what I'm. Yeah, no, you go ahead. You go
ahead.

No, I was going to say, you know, I'm not. I don't want to pressure you into
having. It's not a matter of a final answer. I just want you to
be.

Yeah.

Voice on It.

Yeah.

All right.

Right.

And I would put the same caution out to you. Take
your, um. Your
behavior, take it off of Regan, because
I think Cornwall follows Regan very
closely. He has a couple of lines in this play where
he'll say, nor I, neither Regan. Or he talks
to Edmund about her. Um, so I
would take my cue from her.

(40:28):
Okay. Okay. Um. I know
it's a tiny little thing. What's happening for me
now is you guys are filling it
beautifully, and now I'm getting greedy.

To me, it's starting to feel like a real family.
You know, I feel like. I feel like, um.
I mean, we've all had moments with aging parents,
right, where we're trying to say, this is
for your own good. You don't need
all this, you know, I
mean, in Lear, of course, it's, you know, the nights. But

(41:05):
I know with my own dad, it was other things. We had to try and
convince him, you know, we can take care of
this now. But it was a matter of pride. You know, he
wanted it. Starting to
feel that way to me, which is really exciting.

And I. It does. It feels to me like you. You are
sisters. I feel the same thing. And that Randy's
your father. I mean, it's starting to come to life that
way. The thing we can never lose sight of, and it
was occurring to me while you were reading it, while you were doing
it, is
Lear is astounded
by this. Now, it's all well and good to say

(41:40):
what Goneril has said earlier, that he's
rash, that we saw his behavior with
Cordelia, that, you know, and that
is there. But we also
have to somehow
understand he gave
his kingdom to you.
That's what he's struggling with.

(42:03):
You said you loved me
deeply, thoroughly,
and I gave you a kingdom.
Absolutely. It's a fatal flaw,
one would say, but nonetheless,
that has to be underneath this
somehow. Not just
father, daughter, car keys,

(42:25):
uh, that what's at stake here
is a kingdom. And I. And
again, in your imagination, my imagination,
we go into a world of. What would that be
like? It's not
money. I mean, again, just. I think of
funerals and how people fight over the remains

(42:46):
of, you know, what was left behind and end
relationships based on it.
Um, and this. This. You have to
multiply it. And Randy, I think that, ah, what I
was getting more and more of in. In this
was if you look at your speech
to Regan, um,
you say the caps come in. You're all

(43:08):
lower. This the. No, Regan. Thou shalt never have
my curse.

Yes, yes.

Nature's capitalized and then everything's
lowercase. Until what?
Offices of nature bond of
childhood, effects of courtesy
Jews. And look at here. Of
gratitude. And look at the capital long
spelling on kingdom. He's
reminding her. So it's not just. No, you're

(43:33):
too sweet to have this happen.
You would never allow,
you know, ingratitude to take over
what I gave you. And I think it plants
a seed in her. This is why I. I think
she starts to weaken.

Yeah.

I think she hears it. She's weak. And that's why her point
is. Stop talking to the
purpose. Get to the point.

I love that moment. To
the purpose, dad.

And thank God that trumpet blab. That
trumpet comes in and he's. Now
we get to Randy. The thing you were looking for a
page ago. Who put my man in the
stocks? That's what you want to know, right? That
when you hear that what trumpet said you hear. I
know it's my sister Regan. I
suggest great relief. You don't have to

(44:25):
thank God she's here. All right.
Because when she comes in, you don't
speak, uh, until she.
She talks about, you know, you have that one at the. I pray you,
father, being weak. But. But she takes over.
Why not by the hand. And the fact that you take
her by the hand. We know

(44:45):
that you, Albany and Cornwall are
preparing to fight each other. We've already
heard that news. There's news abroad
that. That is happening. And
you go and you see him and you take her by the hand.
Why? Because the bigger enemy is not
each other. It's Lear. He can

(45:05):
take it all back and then you can go fight all
you want. But until we handle
Lear, we've got to be friends.
Then we'll. Then we can separate and fight each other.
So that's why I think you rush over to her. He
sees that. He's shocked after everything
he's just said to you about

(45:26):
her. And you take her by the
hand. You've rejected everything that he's put forward
forth. Now the sisters are in league,
right?

Yeah.
Of kids too.
I was the only person who could really stand up to my
grandmother.

Mhm.

I think people felt
or just anyone where like, oh, let's bring
her along.
She's so good with him.
So much easier to be around him when she's there.
And I feel that when Jeannie comes in, I'm like, oh, she's going to
take over. She always
knows what to say.

That's right.
Okay. And then
m.
I love at your choice. It's a great
Moment. Um. Oh, Randy.
Now this next section starts with you.
When you do, um,
goodbye to her. Yes, I would

(46:26):
suggest that. But yet thou art my flesh, my blood,
my daughter. Well, let me ask you first, what.
What do you feel about that line
Are.

Um,
that no matter what my negative feelings
towards her are.

Yep.

She's a part of me.
I'm a part of her. We're down,
um, somehow.

Yes. And that's what makes it so
sad to say farewell,
you know. But yet you're my
daughter. You're my blood.
Um, so we get that and then
that keys off the next section of her being
a disease in your blood.

You.

Mhm. Gave birth to that. So
whatever is in her, some
part of you is responsible.

Yeah, yeah.

Um, but then
absolute security. But I'll not
chide you. And this is again one of those
moments where my heart breaks because he thinks
he's so secure he can say do what you want.
I'm not even going to yell at you. You know why
I have her.

I've got Reagan.

Yes. So that security, that
false security believing that
Regan is going to be there and what, it's
the same thing? Almost. Almost the same thing that Cordelia
does to him. It's false security. And
then she comes in with. Of course not
altogether so.

(48:18):
And I keep that a little. I would try keeping
it, um, uh, not
harsh. Look, I didn't. I didn't know
you were coming. Try to see it from my point
of view still,
because I think you're going to find. And you did
this. You started to build from there.

It's also the second time I've said that.
I've already told you I'm not ready for
you.

Mhm.

I'm saying it again.

Yes. And the way you're saying it to me right now
is that's what I'm Instead of
it sounded when you did the last time. It
sounded agitated rather than.
Let me say this one more time.
So it still has a kind of spell
it out for whatever. You know what I mean?

Yes.

Um, okay. And then, uh,
again, confusion on his part. Is this
well spoken. Now you swear to it.
I dare a voucher. I swear it.
And then you give your uh. And that's all
fine. Um, and then Goneril, you
decide. Does it seem to you,

(49:30):
Jeannie, that there's a little change there from,
you know. Now you come in with some good advice. Why don't
you do this and do this?

Yeah. That felt to me like I was sort of following.
I mean, uh, Regan and Lear,
you Are talking to each other and, and, you
know, about. No, no, I'm not ready for you. You
know, and I'm sort of following all this, and I'm trying to figure
out, you know, what move
she's making and, you know,
just trying to suss everything out as this

(50:01):
is being spoken. And then when she
says, um, what, 50
followers, is it not? Well, what should you need of
more? I felt there was a little change
there because it's a different kind of topic.
Um, now she's talking about,
uh, not that I'm not ready to receive you, but,
hey, dad, you know, do you really actually

(50:23):
need 50? And so my ear went
up. My ears sort of went up at that moment because
I thought, oh, I can pick up on this, and I
can further this argument. I
can take it further. I can, you know, because this is
a very reasonable argument.

Yeah.

You don't need these 50 men.

And so look what you're doing. Uh,
both of you are not. It's not like you want to
throw them out into the storm. It's. You
want to diminish his power, his
train. Those men can be
dangerous. Remember when you were saying last week, Lizzie, about
knights, what are we going to do about the knights? Well,
you know, if they were just servants, they wouldn't be as

(51:06):
threatening. It's important that they're
knights.

Yeah.

Um, they have weapons,
and they're going to back him. So, so the
first, you m. Know, the thing we have to take care
of here is diminishing that train.
And, and you do it brilliantly. I mean, the
women are just.

Yeah, we're sound. I think we sound
very reasonable.

There's no.

We're 50 or 25. 10 or 5.
Because we have more than enough to take care of you.

That's right.

Yep.

Um, but underneath, I don't want
them.

I want my own people.

I just love how human this is.

You know, I, I, I,
I think when we get to what need one,
I would say slow it down just a little
bit, because
that's the end. We've, we tried 50,
we've tried 25. We've tried 10. And
now you're saying, why do you need any?

Don't act like a famous speech is coming.

Yeah, that's right. That's right.

That would help.

Right? And then, Randy,
I still think you have, um, a
possibility. Not. Don't feel like you have to
jump right in because what they've
just proposed. I think this speech is
essential. This idea
that you're calculating,

(52:36):
uh, that a human life can be
calculated. Well, unfortunately, that's exactly
what you did in the first act,
the first scene. How much you
love, you put a price on love.
And now they're putting a price on
power or taking it away or what you

(52:57):
need on need.
And this play, I think, deals a lot with
that. Um, you know, Randy
and I, Randy in particular, is doing a lot of
research on the notion of the soul.
And I think this play is such a perfect
example of, um,

(53:19):
uh, people acting from the soul.
And not the measure of love,
not the measure of a king. I gave you
a kingdom, you give me love. Doesn't
work that way. And I think that that's part of the lesson
that we have to find through the course
of the play. So this speech right here

(53:40):
about reason, not the need,
I think is just really important.
Um, and Randy, this time through when we do it,
I want you to read it only because you left
out Grant me the patience.

Yes, yes, gotcha.

So that was, ah, uh, very
important.

Oh, I'd love to have it memorized.
But my brain doesn't work work as well as it
used to.

Let's see, we've had eight hours, you know.
Okay, uh, any other. Any
other, uh, questions?

No.

Get me to stop talking?

No, I'm just eager.

Uh, okay. Can we do it one more time?

Yeah, yeah.

I do want to make a note.

That there is a storm going outside right now, so it's perfect
setting. Oh, what's about to happen?

Yikes.

Hey, thank you for letting us know, Tom.

Good.

A good morrow to you both.

Uh, hail to your grace.

I am glad to see your
highness.

Oh, Regan, I think you are.
I know what reason I have to think so. If
thou shouldst not be glad, uh, I would
divorce me from thy mother's tomb
sepulchering an adulteress.
Are you free? Uh, some other
time for that. Beloved
Regan, thy sister's

(55:17):
naught.

Ah.

Uh, Regan, she hath tied
sharp toothed unkindness like
a vulture here.
I can scarce speak to thee that would not
believe with how depraved the
quality of. Uh, Regan.

I pray you, sir, take patience.
I have hope you less know how to value her dessert than
she descant her duty.

What say? How is that?

I cannot think my sister in the least would
fail her obligation.
If, sir, perchance, she have restrained the riots
of your followers. Tis on such ground
and to such wholesome end as clears her from all
blame.

My curse is on her.

Oh, uh, sir, you
are old. Nature in
you stands on the very verge of his
Confine. You should be ruled and
led by some discretion that discerns
your state better than you yourself.
Therefore, I pray you that to our sister you do make
return. Say you have wronged her.

Ask, uh, her forgiveness.

You.

But, mark how this becomes a house.

Wait, hold on a sec. I want to just go
back. Um. I pray you,
um. Go ahead. Do it. Come on. Be a
good boy.

Therefore, I pray you.

Yep.

You should be ruled and led by some
discretion that discerns your state better than
you yourself. Therefore, I pray you
that to our sister you do make
return. Say you have
wronged her.

What? Uh, it's
still sounding harsh. I needed to be.
I. I think I would like you to try
to be, um, gentler.

Okay.

Got it.

You know what? This is for your own good. Just go. Say. Say that
you've wronged her.

Got it.

Simple. Yeah. And that's why he
says. Am I hearing this right? What?
Yes. Yeah.

You should be ruled and
led by some discretion that discerns your state better than you
yourself.

Good.

Therefore, I pray you that to our sister you do make
return. Say you have wronged her.

Good.

Ask her forgiveness. Do
but mark how this becomes the house.
Dear daughter, I confess
that I'm. Old age is
unnecessary. On my knees,
I beg that you'll vouchsafe me
raiment, bed and food. Good sir.

Uh, no more. These are unsightly tricks.
Return you to my sister.

Never. Regan. She hath abated me
of half my train, looked
black upon me, struck me with her tongue, most
serpent like, upon the very heart. All the
stored vengeances of heaven
fall on her ingrateful top.
Strike her young bones. You, taking airs
with lameness, defies her. Uh,

(58:37):
fie when the lightnings dart your, uh, blinding
flames into her scornful eyes,
infect her beauty. You, fen, sucked
fogs, drawn by the powerful sun to
fall and blift her the blessed
gods.

So will you wish on me.

Your choice was better. Your choice was better.
Better than mine. No, because now it changes.

Okay?

Because now he's. He's becoming threat, you
know? So stick with you. Oh, the blessed God, you did it before. And
if that's. Yeah, Randy, give it to
her. Damn. Um.

You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding
flames into her scornful eyes. In
fact, her beauty, you, fen, suck
fogs, drawn by the powerful sun to.

Fall and blistack the blest
gods. So will you wish on me when.
The rash mood is on.

No, Regan. Thou shalt
never have my curse.
Thy tender, hefted nature shall not give thee O'er to
harshness on her eyes are, uh,
fierce but thine
to comfort and not burn.
Tis not in thee to grudge my

(59:53):
pleasures, to cut off my
train, to bandy hasty words, to scant
my sizes, and in conclusion, to oppose the bolt
against my coming in. Thou
better knowest the offices of nature,
bond of childhood, effects
of courtesy,

(01:00:14):
dues of gratitude.
Thy half of the kingdom hast
thou not forgot, wherein I
thee endow'd.

>> Lizzie King-Hall (01:00:24):
Good sir, to the purpose.

>> Randall Duk Kim (01:00:29):
Who put my man I the stocks?

>> Tom Farber (01:00:32):
What trumpet's that?

My note, my sisters. This approves her
letter, that she would soon be here.
Is your lady come?

This is a slave
whose, whose, um.
Easy, whose easy
borrowed pride dwells in the sickly
grace of her. He follows out, uh,
varlet, from my sight.

>> Nathan Agin (01:00:56):
What means your grace?

Who put my man in the stocks?
Regan, I have good hope thou does not know on it. But
who comes here?
O heavens,
if you do love old men, if your
sweetsway allow obedience,

(01:01:19):
if you yourselves are old,
make it your part.
No, uh, your cause.
Stand down and take my part.
Art not ashamed to look upon this
beard?
Regan, wilt not take her by

(01:01:40):
the hand?

>> Jeanne Sakata (01:01:41):
Why not by the hand, sir? Uh,
how have I offended? All's not
offence that indiscretion finds, and
dotage terms so.

O sires, you're too tough. Will you
yet hold? Who
put my man in the stock? I
said.

>> Annie Occhiogrosso (01:02:01):
Well, let's get it, so Thomas can get his
luck. How came my man?

Oh, how came.
I'm sorry.
How came my man in the stocks?

>> Tom Farber (01:02:11):
I upset him there, sir, but his
own disorders deserved much less
advancement.

You did you, I pray you,
father, being weak, seem so.
If till the expiration of your month you will return
and sojourn with my sister, dismissing
half your train, come then to
me. I am now from home
and out of that provision which shall be needful of your

(01:02:38):
entertainment.

Return with her and 50
men dismissed. Nor rather I
abjure all ruse, and choose to wage against
the enmity of the air. Be a comrade with
the wolf and owl, Necessity's
sharp pinch. Return with her.
Why, the hot bloodied France that dowerless took our

(01:03:02):
youngest born. I could as well be brought to knee his
throne and squire like pension, beg to keep
base life afoot. Return with her.
Persuade me rather to be slave and sumpter
to this detested groom at your
choice.
I, uh. Prithee, daughter, do

(01:03:24):
not make me mad.

I. I will
not trouble.

I will not trouble you, my child.
Farewell. We'll no more
meet, no more see one another
but yet thou art
my flesh, my blood,
my daughter.

(01:03:53):
Or rather a disease that's in my flesh, which I
must needs call mine.
Thou art a boil, a plague
sore, an embossed carbuncle in my
corrupted blood.
But I'll not chide ye.
Let shame come when it will. I do not

(01:04:13):
call it. I do not bid the thunder bearer shoot,
nor tell tales of thee to hide judging
Jove mend when thou canst
be better at thy leisure. I
can be patient. I can stay with
Regan, ay, and my hundred knights.

Not altogether so. I.
I looked not for you yet nor
am provided for your fit. Welcome.
Give ear, sir, to my sister. For, uh,
those that mingle reason with your passion must be
content to think you old and so.
But she knows what she does.

Is this well spoken?

I dare avouch it, sir. What,
50 followers, is it not well,
what. What should you need of more?
Yea or so many sit that both
charge and danger speak against so great a number?
How in one house should many people
under two commands hold amity? Tis hard,

(01:05:15):
almost impossible.

Hold on. Hold for a sec. Because I want. I want to
go back, but I. This is the
speech. One of the things you are both contending
with is a dangerous learning.
He's. He will. He's.
He's going to take things back.
He start, you know. That's why I think you've got to
get him to understand that this is for his

(01:05:39):
best. You do, you know. Um, but I think
here, this is Regan. This is the
speech. Sith both sit that both charge
and danger speak. Speak against so great
in them danger to who?

Yeah, you know.

You see what I'm saying?

Yes, yes.

We can't gloss. Gloss over
too quickly.

Okay.

Even though it may be subconscious on her part.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Right.

Okay.

Um. Good.

Um.

So. So, uh, Randy, if you can just take it
to, um. But I'll not chide thee.

Okay.
But I'll not chide thee. Let shame
come when it will. I do not call it. I do not
bid the thunder bearer shoot, nor tell
tales of thee to hide judging Jove
mend when thou canst be
better at thy leisure. I can
be patient. I can stay with

(01:06:38):
Regan, I and my hundred
knights.

Not altogether so. I'd
look not for you yet, nor am provided for
your fit. Welcome. Give ear,
sir, to my sister. For those that mingle
reason with your passion must be content to think you
old and so. But she knows
what she does.

Is this well spoken?

I dare avouch it, sir, what
50 followers is it not. Well, what should
you have need of.
More yea or so many?
Sith hippo charge and danger speak gainst.
So great a number.
How in one house should many
people under two commands hold amity? Tis
hard, almost impossible.

Why might not you, my lord,
receive attendance from those that she calls
servants? Or from mine?

Why not, my lord? If then they
chanced a slackie, we could control them. If
you will come to me. For now I spy a danger. I entreat
you to bring but 5 and 20 to no more
will I give place or notice.

Okay, hold this. Hold one sec. That's a
new figure. You've
just. You've just subtracted 25
men.

I know. I tried to slip it in.

Don't slip. Don't slip.
Don't slip so much because we need to hear.
We. We need to hear that you. You cut
it.

Ah,
good tactic, Lizzy.

Yes, very good tactic, very good. But.
But I. I need to hear it.

Okay.

And that will lead to see again. Every one of
these is a blow to him.
He thinks he's going to you with a hundred
knives. Yeah, and
you burst that balloon pretty fast. And.
And then we're back to the
50. And now we've just reduced
it to 25. Okay, just

(01:08:49):
so we can keep hearing how it's being pared down.
All right. Why might not you, my lord?

Oh, I'm sorry. That's me. Right.

I'm sorry.

Why might not you, um, my lord,
receive attendance from those that she calls
servants? Or from mine?

Why, uh, not, my lord. If then they chance to slack
you, we could control them. If you will come to
me. For now I spy a danger. I entreat you to bring
but 5 and 20 to no more will I give
place or notice.

I gave you all, and in
good.

Time you gave it.

Made you my guardians, my
depositaries, but kept a
reservation to be followed with such a number.
What must I come to you with
five and 20, Regan, said
you so?

And speak'd again, my lord.
No more with me.

Those wicked creatures yet look well favoured,
when others are more wicked, not
being the worst, and some rank of praise.
I'll go with thee. Thy fifty, yet not double
five and twenty, and thou art twice her love.

Hear me, my lord.
What need you 5 and
20, 10 or
5, to follow in a house where twice so
many have a command to tend you?

What need one?

A, uh, reason not the
need. Our
poorest beggars are the poorest things.
Superfluous. Allow
not nature more than nature
needs man's
life Is cheap as beasts.
Thou art a lady. If only to go warm were

(01:10:40):
gorgeous. Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous
wearest. Which scarcely keeps thee warm.
But for true need.
No, you
God, you see me
here.

Give me that patience.

Oh, um, you see, you, you gods. Give me that.

Randy, go back, you heavens. Give me that patience.

I'm sorry.

That's right. Uh,
thou art a lady.

Thou art a lady. If only to go
warm or gorgeous. Why, nature needs not without
gorgeous wearest, which scarcely keeps thee
warm. But for true need.
Oh, you gods.

No, you heavens.

Uh, you, heavens, you
heavens. Give me m. Patience,
patience I need.
You see me here, you gods. Poor
old man. As full of grief as age,
wretched in both.
It be you that stirs these daughters.

(01:11:48):
Hearts against their father.
Fool me not so much to bear it tamely.
Touch me with noble anger.
And let not women's weapons, water drops
stain my man's cheeks.
No, you unnatural, uh,
hags. I will

(01:12:11):
have such rim vengeance on you
both that all the world
shall. I will
do such things. What they are yet I know
not, but they, uh, shall be the terrors of
the earth.
You think I'll weep? No, I'll not

(01:12:32):
weep. I have full cause of
weeping. But this heart shall
break into a hundred thousand
flaws. Or ere I'll
weep.
Ooh, I shall go
mad.

And if you have the script in front of you. Can we
continue?

>> Tom Farber (01:12:55):
Let us withdraw. It will be a
storm.

This house is little. The old man and
people cannot be well bestowed.

It's his own blame hath put himself from
rest. And must needs taste his swelling.

For his particular, I'll receive him gladly.

But not one follower.

Uh, I purposed. Where's my lord of Gloucester?

Okay, follow the old man.

I want you to do it again. And I want you to do it
as the sweetest women on earth.

Oh, even though we're
alone?

Yes,
and I'll show you why. But trust me.

Got it?

>> Tom Farber (01:13:34):
Want me to take it back to let us withdraw?

Yes, please.

>> Tom Farber (01:13:38):
Okay, Let us
withdraw.

It will be a storm.

This house is little. The old man that's people cannot be well
bestowed.

His own blame hath put himself from
rest. And must needs taste his folly.

For his particular, I'll receive him gladly, but not one
follower.

So am I purposed. Where's my lord of
Gloucester?

And now follow the. You go ahead. Keep going.

>> Tom Farber (01:14:03):
Follow the old man. For he is returned.

King is in high rage.

>> Tom Farber (01:14:08):
Whither is he going?

He calls to horse, but will I know not
whither.

>> Tom Farber (01:14:14):
Tis best to give him Way he.

Leads himself, my lord, entreat him
by no means to stay.

Alack, the night comes on, and the
high winds do sorely ruffle for many miles about
their scarce a bush.

O, sir, uh, to wilful men, the injuries
that they themselves procure Must be their
schoolmasters. Shut up your doors.
These attended with a desperate train. And what they may
incense him to being apt to have his ears
abused, Wisdom bids fear.

>> Tom Farber (01:14:45):
Shut up your doors, my lord. Tis a wild
night my Regan counts as well.
Come out of the storm.

Okay, hold on. Because it just turned into a horror film.

>> Tom Farber (01:14:57):
Yeah.

It's not quite right. Okay.
It's gonna get worse. So, uh, so let's. Let's get
there. All of a sudden, it was like.
So here you have. You have
Gloucester coming in, who's terribly
concerned. The king's angry. He says he's in a
rage. Right. Um, he's asking for his

(01:15:20):
horse. He doesn't know, uh, where he's going to
go. Uh, okay. Um,
you, Gonerill comes up with the idea. Don't go any
further with this. Right. And treat him by no means to
stay. We're not bringing him back in. Um,
and. And again, Gloucester pushes the
idea that it's a terrible night. Winds sorely
ruffle many a mile. There's no place to hide.

(01:15:43):
Um, make Gloucester
believe this is the best thing for
him. Let us decide
in the audience just
what kind of a daughter you are. This is
what ha. This is to me. Okay.
This is humanity. This is the
person who says it's a lesson. I tell you

(01:16:05):
about that child who was put in that. In that
garage. And he died.
And the stepmother said, he's got to learn.
If he's going to behave like that, he's got to learn. Put him in
that garage. And it's. What was it,
30 below or something?

Horribly.

Horribly frozen night. And he
died. He died
because he had to learn. And that's what
this is about. He's got to learn.
Again, you may not feel that. You may not believe that,
but the point is, you're dealing with
Gloucester. And you've got to let
Gloucester, who's very concerned about the king,

(01:16:45):
understand that this is the best course
he is. As opposed to. Here's how I feel. Go ahead. I'm
sorry.

I'm just making sure that I can fulfill
these last three lines.
He's attended with a desperate train.
Desperate meaning, um,
we'll do anything for him.
And what they may incense him to.

Yeah.

Being apt to have his ears abused.
Wisdom bids fear.

Yes.

That they could turn him against you.

Right.

Oh, I'm saying that to Gloucester. It's hard. It's
a secret.

Oh, no, no. Right.

It's like he is attending.
Oh, oh, oh.
He's attended with a desperate train. And what they may incense
him to. I got stuck on them, like, helping
him stay warm or like.

Yeah, no, no. Yeah. No.

He's attended with a desperate. And what they may incense him
to.
What is being apt.

He's already likely to. To be.

Uh, so there's kind of a slightly
misplaced comma. It's just one parenthetical
being apt to.
Have his ear abused.

Yes, that's right.

Wisdom bids fear.

And what that, uh, he's already. He's already
likely to have is you're abused with
something against us. Against Gloucester.
Yeah, got it.

And the wise person wisdom will.
Will, uh. Will notify you that
it's dangerous.

Yeah. Ah, yeah, yeah. And. And, uh,
Cornwall, I want you to be a
good leader to Gloucester. Put your arm around.
Shut up. Your doors. My wig and knows what you're talking
about. Because that's the thing that drives
us crazy. We know it in our own
politics, the smooth
talk. I'm doing this for you,

(01:18:42):
not for me. I'm doing it for
you. We all know it,
and that's here. It's only when we see it in a play
that we feel we have to somehow make the
audience see something else. I think
that, to me, is what is so awful about
human behavior sometimes is we do it

(01:19:02):
under the guise of kindness and of
generosity. And I'm doing it for you.
And then you. Then you find out three days later how much
money went into the bank on their part.
Because it was doing it for you. That's what.
That's what. And the audience knows it. You know,
I remember I asked students why

(01:19:23):
they act, and they wanted to show
the audience about being human.
And my response to them was,
they are human.
You better be good at showing.
Coming up to being a
mirror to them. Learn from

(01:19:44):
them. If you want to learn how to act, learn
from the human beings you're playing to. Don't think
you can teach them.
Theater is not about teaching
for me. I'm saying this for me because I know some minute I
open my mouth sometimes people think, oh, how dare
she? But for me, it's to make people
feel,

(01:20:07):
um. You know,
Jacob Adler once said, don't ever let an audience
come to the theater without being better after they
leave. But to
do that, to do that,
we have to love humanity.
We disappointed by it, but Again,

(01:20:28):
we have to go on that stage and say,
I hope I'm doing justice
to every human being out there.
Okay, Got it. Good.
Thank you. Okay. I think
you're splendid. Uh, I could go on with this
play. And, you know, we talked about it. Somebody said to
approach Lear is like being a flea on a behemoth's

(01:20:50):
back. Um, and it is. It's
layer after layer after layer.
But I hope. I do hope that you realize
what we accomplished in four sessions,
two hours each. You know,
Um, I wish now we could get up on our. You can't do it
on Zoom, but I'd love to see it now on Beat. You
know, at any rate, if

(01:21:12):
Nathan's around, we can open it up. Or if you guys want
to. Oh, there he is. Right on cue.

It's fun.
Um, thank you.

>> Tom Farber (01:21:21):
Um, yes, thank
you.

>> Nathan Agin (01:21:26):
Yeah, no, this is.

Hi to Elizabeth Swain. Hi, Elizabeth.

There.

>> Nathan Agin (01:21:33):
Um, yes. No, this is. This has been wonderful, and,
uh, I've been listening right along to everything. And, um,
so if, uh. If people who are, um,
live in the. In the session right now, if you have any questions, you
can, uh, drop those in the chat. Or
if, uh, if you want to raise your, uh, If. If you know how
to raise your. Your hand via Zoom, um, the little.

(01:21:53):
Little icon, you can do that.

And.

>> Nathan Agin (01:21:55):
And you can come on the mic if you'd like to ask your question that way.
Uh, no pressure either way. I'm happy to just relay
questions. Um, but, uh, this is an opportunity for you to
actually interact with, uh, any of the artists, um,
here. Um, but I can, uh. I can kind of kick it
off, uh, with a few, uh, questions. Um,
first, I'd love to know, um, from the

(01:22:16):
actors from. From Tom and Jeannie and
Lizzie. Um, you
know, Lizzie, I know you worked on this
a little bit in a previous session with us, but, um,
for all of you, what
either challenged or surprised you
about the characters you played, um,
you know, uh, even if you hadn't done the

(01:22:38):
role before, uh, you know, even just hearing
sometimes about these characters, it can. It can set
your imagination to work of, like, oh, I think they're like this,
or I assume they're like that, or I have to play them like
this. And, uh, so I'd love to hear from any of you what,
um. What your experience was, you know, diving into it
over the. Over these weeks and how that,
um, either supported your initial

(01:23:00):
thoughts or, uh, subverted them.

I think that the daughters are really often
cast as, um, a
type. Um, and
actresses always, uh, get
Told that they could play the daughters.
And I'm, I've learned that it
really doesn't have to be these.

Um.

These concepts. I think that, that
we've talked about this a bunch, that the
daughters, um.
Do evil things, but they don't have to.
I mean that's bad acting to signal from
the beginning that they are mean
spirited. Because
yes, like philosophically.

(01:23:50):
And a director could definitely say like, all these people are very
empty inside.
And there can be a lot of signals on
stage of that. But I was
amazed, um,
that how active all of this
language is. And that's why you saw me getting at the end so
confused of what am I trying to do?

(01:24:11):
What's a secret?
Who's on stage. That's why the next step is
getting it on its feet. Right. It's like, who
is this front stage or backstage
behavior? Um,
and so it's very active. It's not a
tone, it's not a mood. Um,
that's the director's responsibility.

>> Nathan Agin (01:24:34):
Well, I love what you're saying there, Lizzie. And I think, you
know, for me it also opened up
that dynamic of even with the sisters at the
end, even if they might be on the same page of
like, what do we do with dad? There may still
be things that they don't want to reveal to each other
and which is so human. It's just like, you
know, as. As much as you might be like, well, this is my sister

(01:24:57):
and she knows me very well. It's like, but I don't want to show her this
card and I don't want to say this because then she's
going to jump on that and, and which makes
it so much more, ah, alive, like you said, and
active and so much more like a family. And then when
you bring up mean spirited, you know, we've all been in these
situations where you can have uh, a

(01:25:17):
reaction to something that somebody's done and it can feel
very mean. But if you either have a conversation
or take the time to think of it, it's like, well, from their perspective with
the information they had, it wasn't mean at all.
They totally thought they were in the right to do that
or based on their beliefs. And I think
to Lizzie, to your point, it's like if you can

(01:25:37):
approach the daughters, the sisters like that,
that they're. They always believe they're in the right.
Um, then, then it doesn't m. Make them evil. It makes
them much m More interesting. Uh, fascinating.
A uh, story as it evolves. Um,
I think. Yeah, Randy, go ahead.

Once a character, if we say, okay, in this
moment, the character is being mean spirited,
you know, it's just in that moment.

Yeah.

It doesn't necessarily follow the rest of.
The moments that follow that character. Of course,
because we, as human beings, we do
that.
We're one thing one moment, and in the next thing we
could be just the opposite.
Or, you know.

>> Nathan Agin (01:26:20):
Absolutely, absolutely.

Kind of unpredictable creature. We
are.

>> Nathan Agin (01:26:25):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But, uh, just watch these characters take.
Those moments, make decisions, take actions.
And where it all leads them
is what's tragic,
because they all create a huge whirlpool in
which they all get sucked under. You know,
every. Almost every decision and choice
that's made. And they don't mean it. They don't

(01:26:50):
mean for that to happen. You
know, where, uh, they.
I don't think. I don't think they mean it.

>> Nathan Agin (01:26:58):
Right, right, right, right.

I think Shakespeare leaves just enough out. I
think this is why his plays last forever. Because
I think, Randy, that question
becomes something that after the show is over, we
all go and have, you know, a drink, and you
say, uh, they didn't mean. And somebody else says, I
don't know. I think she did me. And we. And the
play lives. You see, I

(01:27:23):
think that when it. When you try to, um,
put a cap on it somehow and say it's this and
only this, that's when it's.
It's not the. The rich Shakespearean
experience that I. That I think is in those
plays. Look, I've been working on these plays for over
50 years. Every time we have this class, I

(01:27:44):
go back to researching. I don't. I
don't pull out. Out of my pocket. Here's what I've learned.
And here is Lear. Or I listen to you guys
and I come to the understanding that, oh, wait, what is that?
What's happening there? Or what? So you're always.
You're always working on it. I think it's when
you try to say it's this and

(01:28:04):
nothing else. The other thing that. That
comes to my mind is, you know,
when, um, a
child, um, abductor
wants to grab a child, have the child come
into his or her car. Car.
They offer candy. They don't say, hey,

(01:28:24):
I'm evil. Come here, little boy.
So, of course, if you want something, you offer
candy. And then you. Because it's all about,
what do you want and what must I do to
get it? Um,
and sometimes evil takes a
very smooth turn, you know, so

(01:28:46):
that. That's where I think, um. I
think we tend to think the audience isn't going to get
it. If I'm not evil from the start, the
audience isn't going to get that I'm evil. But it's not
that anyone is evil. What someone may
do becomes evil
when we take a look at how far they go

(01:29:06):
in what it is they want.

Uh, right.

>> Nathan Agin (01:29:09):
I mean, I think even looking ahead, um,
and I forget which sister poisons which or
how that all plays out. But you know, I think if
that becomes an inevitability rather
than a pre planned decision, it's a much more. I mean,
it's a much more tragic circumstance that here are these
sisters, you know, trying to figure it out and

(01:29:29):
make it work. And they're on the same page. And then they have
to. One of them has to kill the other one. You know, that's. That's where it's gotten
to. Um, which if you're. If you're playing
that in the first scene, it's just not going to be as interesting of a
journey for the. For the audience and certainly not for the actor either. I
don't. I wouldn't think. Um. But, uh.
Jeannie, I wanted to hear what your thoughts on playing

(01:29:50):
Goneril.

Oh, well, that. Yeah, that's interesting, following
what you just said, because they think the thing that surprised me
about Goneril, and it's so funny because
I've read the play, um, I've seen it
several times perform, but I
was surprised by how. What's the word?
Reasonable. Found her
up until a certain point, you know,

(01:30:13):
and then what you said, Nathan, about
then circumstances change and, you know, the worst
comes out. But I think up to this point, is
there really anything that I
can't relate to in her? You know, if
I'm put in a position where I have
to participate, uh, in a
contest, you know, at the very beginning of the

(01:30:35):
play. How much do I love you? You know,
and. And receiving
this third of the kingdom. And then feeling like
I. I better do what I can to hang on
to it. And then the. The hundred nights come and
make a mess of my place. And here I am, you
know, like, uh, you know, the first lady of the White House

(01:30:56):
or something. Everything's just been very
elegant and, you know, beautiful. I mean, you
know, like. Right. They're just ruining
everything. And, um.
And then the whole thing about he
might take it away. He has 100 nights that could wage war
on. So then I have to worry about

(01:31:17):
holding on to what I have. And
then I. So I didn't find any.
And I was surprised by how,
um. Relatable.

>> Nathan Agin (01:31:29):
Yeah, yeah.

Um, I was very surprised by that because I thought, you
know, I'm not making any arguments that, that don't
make sense to me. You know, I mean, I do have
that underlying motive of protecting my power. But
I mean of course we, you know,
the Lear is thinking about. He says
reason, not the need. These are my badges, my

(01:31:51):
knife.

>> Nathan Agin (01:31:51):
Right.

Badges for my lifetime of being king.
But it is a reasonable argument to say you
don't need them. You really.

>> Nathan Agin (01:32:00):
Right. Yeah, yeah.

I mean, so that's what surprised me. And I think
that ties in adding to what you said about
it and Nathan, about if the
sisters start out as evil.
You know, I guess I always saw them like, you know,
the wicked stepsisters and Cinderella. We just know they're
bad.

Right, right, right.

But if you don't play that, if you just play
daughters dealing with this very
difficult father and having
to, you know, quote unquote prove their
love and then, you know, all the sibling
rivalry and um,
hanging on to power, I mean it's just such a,
a, ah. Potent mix but all taking place with

(01:32:42):
a real flesh and blood family.

>> Nathan Agin (01:32:44):
Yeah.

Because I just so many times. Another thing I was
surprised by just seeing my own family dynamics in
this so many times. You know, we're uh,
obviously not from a royal family, but just this is the genius
of this play to me is just how he captures
these relationship within a family. And they're
so much like our families.

Yeah, right, right.

It's so wrong. It true. If
anyone says this is unrealistic. I don't believe
anyone who like, ah.
If that you're saying that the most hurtful things you've
ever said, the worst things you've ever
said have not been to your family.
Like that's, that's
false.

>> Nathan Agin (01:33:27):
Yeah. The people you say you love the most. Yes. Yeah,
exactly. Yeah, I know. It's, it's, it's that,
that's that fascinating dichotomy of,
yeah. Of how we, how we treat our, our
closest relatives and things like that. Um,
and, and Jeanne, I love the point you made about um,
you know, just these being such relatable

(01:33:48):
characters. I mean it made me think of Claudius and
Hamlet that, that he's, he's immediately, you
know, when we first. He's trying to, you know, he, he thinks
he's, he should be the ruler. And his whole first speech is,
I'm going to tell you why I think I should be. I should be in
power instead of Hamlet. And, and, and he believes he's totally
in the.

Right.

>> Nathan Agin (01:34:06):
And. And. And we could. You know, there's a number of other characters we could
cite. Uh, I mean, even though Iago and Richard III
tell the audience, here's what I'm gonna do, they. I think they
have a totally morally m. Justifiable place
in their own head of, um, why this is
a good thing to do, of why we need to do this. And so,
you know, I think looking at these characters from that lens,

(01:34:27):
um, is such a. Such a richer place. Um,
and, you know, you mentioned something about that contest in the
first scene, and it's almost easy to
gloss over it, that, you know, whatever age you play Goner
or whatever age you cast it, this is still an adult
woman being asked to perform in this contest.
And it's just like, what do we. I mean, this is. These aren't

(01:34:47):
like, you know, three kids, like 10, 7 and 5,
like, tell dad how much you love him. It's like, she's an
adult woman. This is just such a weird
thing that he's suddenly. And it's
public, too. It's not just like, write me a letter. Um,
and this is what will decide how you get the king. So
it just. I mean, like, it's almost one of those
Stanislavski things where you don't really have to, like,

(01:35:10):
think too much of what. How would this. It's like, no, this is
really awkward. Just put yourself in
that position. It's like, this is weird. And, uh, that's
exactly what France says later. Um.

Oh, my God. Yeah. I mean, just, you know, I know this
is a fable, not history,
but I just thought to myself, if my
father had. I had two sisters
with their three. Three sisters in my family.
And I thought if my father had ever
said, you know, all right, Jeannie, Cindy,
Janice, um, I'm calling you before

(01:35:44):
me, and I want you to tell me how much you
love me. And, Jeanne, you go first. And you
can. You know, and we had an
inheritance at stake or whatever. I mean, I can
just imagine the electric.
Electricity, you know, of each of us kind of
scoping each other out, you.

>> Nathan Agin (01:36:02):
Know, in a moment of like. Yeah. A moment of like, is this.
Is this actually happening? Like, is this. Yeah. Ah.
Is there a candid camera that I don't know about?

Like. Yeah. Such a rich scene, you know, that
it kicks off the play like that it's absolutely.

>> Nathan Agin (01:36:16):
No, I know. I know. And then I think, too often, it's kind of
played as all very. Almost
rehearsed to some degree where. Where.
Where it's just like, no. This is a bombshell
that the king has dropped that no one is really
prepared for and certainly not the daughters.
Um, uh, Thomas, I did want to ask you
because I know Cornwall doesn't have as much to say, but you guys

(01:36:39):
did talk a little bit about Cornwall and his role
in the scenes and certainly reading the other scenes, uh,
and how he factors in with Regan and what she's
deciding or doing. So I'd love to hear, Tom,
just your thoughts on looking at what Cornwall
does, you know, up to this point in the play and uh,
your, your, your take on the character.

>> Tom Farber (01:36:59):
So I, so some of
the things that like I had on this play
before, uh, this, um,
before they were like, hey, we want you to be part of it. Before
Randy and Annie had approached me and be like, hey, we want you to be a part of this
and read Cornwall. And you know, we
had talked a little bit about like each of the characters. I

(01:37:20):
had focused mainly on the fool
in our readings because that's the character that I
really find myself drawn towards and you know,
his honesty and all that. And
something that has really even occurred to me even
today was like, Cornwall
really is someone
who I feel they need to prove

(01:37:43):
themselves constantly as a rule, as
a ruler of this kingdom. And you
know, balancing that with, you
know, his attitudes
with Regan and towards Reagan, as well as his own hot
headed personality and trying to find,
you know, some sort of, you
know, common ground between

(01:38:05):
those three and possibly even more
personality, more aspects of his personality
that I'm not even touching upon right now.
That that's just kind of what I'm feeling at this
point.

>> Nathan Agin (01:38:19):
That's great. And, and, and uh, you know, I know you guys
have talked a little bit about, you know, in that, in that vein of
Cornwall trying to prove of how that might
play out with, with just, uh, you certainly blocking or
stage business of, you know, talking to Lear
and how Lear acknowledges or doesn't acknowledge you.
And, and obviously that. That may not become the

(01:38:39):
focal point of the scene, but there's. It makes it very
active for you as uh, a character of
attempting to reach out to him or attempting to say something and
he might not even acknowledge your existence in that moment. He just
goes right back to Goneril or Regan. And um, yeah,
I mean, as we've talked about it, I think that just makes it
much more active and alive for you

(01:39:00):
rather than, here's your line, the king nods or
whatever. And then you just go back to
observer, um, that you have this,
this inner life going on of feeling like I Want
to show you that I can be a good ruler and I can do
this. So, um. No, that's really. That's really cool to hear. And
so it's fascinating, um, to
hear the journey, even with a character

(01:39:21):
that may not have many lines, that there's still a lot going on
for them in the context of the scene. Um,
I would love to hear, uh. Uh, Annie and. Or
Randall, both of you. I know you guys have been.
Well, um. You know, you did this play, uh, at your
theater, uh, uh, a number of years ago, and you continue
to revisit it. Um, why

(01:39:43):
do you keep coming back to it, this
play in particular, versus
any other play? So much?

I'm old.

>> Nathan Agin (01:39:59):
But you're not playing Fears in the Cherry Orchard, right? You know, you
don't come right back.

To that new fear. Sure. But
I. After all the
Shakespearean work, this. This character is the one
that I've gotta. I've gotta pay attention
to at this stage of my life.
This is the one I've gotta
contemplate.

>> Nathan Agin (01:40:21):
Uh.

Over great tracks of time, you know,
and to ponder what
becomes of this man, who is. He
was his, uh. How is
his soul revealed in what he
experiences?

>> Nathan Agin (01:40:41):
And Randy, do you. Are you saying
in some ways that it,
um. Like, have you needed
a lifetime of your own experience to try to start
a. Approaching those kinds of ideas? Yeah.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.
All of it.

>> Nathan Agin (01:41:00):
Yeah. And
Annie, what excites you
about the play? This play particularly?

Uh, for me,
I love the challenge of
understanding the, um. The
depth of a play. And I've seen a lot of
productions of it, you know, um,
and I've always felt something's not right,
something's not speaking to me, you know, and

(01:41:32):
so then I go back to it and see if I can
find out things about it.

Um.

It's hard for me to say, Nathan, because
I'm so devoted to Shakespeare's
plays that I'm a perpetual
student. So if I'm asked
to do Lear, then I jump in and
try to find out anything that I. I can find
out. Now, Randy's old, so it means

(01:41:59):
he'll probably. That's the role he would do. So I
would spend a lot of time helping him find, um,
out, you know, what he could about it. But I love
the challenge of Lear. I just think it's so
massive. And I think we try
to simplify it. We just try to kind of
bring it down and say it's this. And

(01:42:19):
I find that every time I look at it, I find some
new facet. That uh, I
want to see actors do it. I want to see
actors bring it to life. And the
way Jeanne and Lizzie and Thomas were talking
about it, that's the leer I'm
looking for. The leer that someone

(01:42:39):
from the, you know, the, Our century,
the 22nd century, looks
at something taking place in ancient
Britain and sees themselves.
And I just wonder if we can see
that, would that make us a little
more, um, conscious about something we

(01:43:00):
do today lasting 400
years? You know, that, that,
that somehow we're on a. We're
connected. We're all connected. I, I
also am always holding the flag
up for not
updating them. I think they're so exciting
the way they've been written. And I think in order to,

(01:43:23):
when you update them, you have to cut so
much out of the original and change it and
fit it into our time or whatever
time you put putting it in. And every single
time I sit with one of these plays, I
think, I wish an audience could see this
or hear this just the way it is.

(01:43:44):
M so you know, I'm sitting here next to, I
would say maybe 50 books that Randy and
I went through when we put together
Shakespeare's birthday celebration.
Fifty books, stuff written on shape that's not even a
three thumbprint of what's out there. And
I'm thinking to myself, you really

(01:44:04):
think you can improve on Shakespeare?
Wow, that's hubris.
Improve on him. Do you know how many books have been
written? Psychology, books,
medicine, every, I mean philosophy.
Everybody has had a hand in reading Shakespeare
and, and learning from him and growing from
him. You think you could do better?

Mhm.

Okay. Good luck. All I know is I hope
I can come close to bringing what he gave
us on stage. I know I'm outside of the
question, but it's all fascinating. You should see me when I
have Hamlet. Randy and I studied Hamlet 14 years
before we did our first production.

I think too a play
is dead when it's not
embodied. Yes, on the
page, it's in a book,
but it's, it's not alive. And we
need to see them alive. We need to see these
stories alive. Done by actors

(01:45:06):
who cared. Care about it.
And not just doing it for employment's sake, but
who care.

>> Nathan Agin (01:45:16):
Well, I mean, you know, it's uh,
it makes me think of a couple of things. There's that Magritte
painting. This is not a pipe kind of thing.
That there's that. And then if you look at the blueprints
of a house that's not the house
we now need to embody this. We need to create this so
that it's something that we can all experience.

(01:45:38):
Um, and, Annie, what I really enjoyed about
what you were saying is, you know, I
know we touched a little bit on the First Folio work today, but all
of the discussions that you guys have been having today, and
we continued a little bit about the dynamics, the family.
None of that has to go away in
the approach that you're talking about. It's not

(01:45:58):
conceptual. It's like, no, this is how you make these
real people. And you have people
see themselves in characters that were
written 400 years ago. It's. None of that work
disappears. It's all part of it. Um,
and yet it seems to allude so many
productions, uh, that it doesn't,

(01:46:19):
uh, incorporate that stuff. So, um. No, I think
it is very, uh, exciting, even if, uh,
only in a small way. We can do some of it here.
Um, but I think it just so illuminates,
um, the text and,
um, just create some really wonderful scenes
to watch. And so, um, I mean, I'm just so

(01:46:39):
appreciative of all the effort and work that all of you put into this,
because it's just been. It allows me to
come see the play kind of anew, even as many
times as I've seen it or read it, that it's just like, oh, wait a second.
There's all this other stuff going on that I might not have,
uh, seen before or thought of before.

You know, Nathan, we, um. Ah, as actors,
we give, uh, our bodies and our voices and
all of that to the performance of
characters. But I think the most
important thing is giving our
hearts and perhaps
something even deeper of ourselves to the
characters. We certainly give mind because you need

(01:47:18):
to, you know, have your intellect with you. But
there's, uh, something about maybe heart and
soul that's needed
for these particular characters to,
I don't know, breathe again.

>> Nathan Agin (01:47:34):
Yeah.

You know, to be alive. And they need
these characters. Need the actor's
heart, need the actor's soul,
really. Or else it's just. It's just
mouthing. Mouthing off. And
it's a bore when
we do it that way.

>> Nathan Agin (01:47:54):
Yeah, that's great.

Um, well, like, it's not like
it should be like tightrope walking.
It should have that danger almost.

Yeah.

That caught that dangerous quality. Like,
oh, at any moment, they. They could
fall into the abyss, you know.
Absolutely.
That.
That's.
I don't know. That's what makes the theater exciting, I
think. Yeah.

>> Nathan Agin (01:48:22):
Um, Well, I want to be just
conscious of the time until. Of the time. If there are any last,
uh, burning questions, people can drop those in now
and I'll just wait a few seconds for that.
But, uh, otherwise, I want to thank, uh, those who
attended live, uh, for observing. And,
uh, again, I want to thank all of the, uh, artists here
for all the work they've done over the month.

(01:48:45):
Um, and I will just say
again, uh, that in July we're going to be working
on Virginia Woolf's uh, To the Lighthouse, an adaptation
of that. I mean, it's a different kind of project
here, so I'm excited to see how it goes.

It sounds absolutely wild.
I'm so interested in that.

>> Nathan Agin (01:49:06):
I'll be sure to let all the artists know, uh, if they
want to find out more about that, how they can, uh, kind of check in
on that. Um, uh, Magdalene wrote. Thank
you all so much. So. Thank you, Magdalene, for being here. Appreciate. Appreciate
that. Um, and, uh, yeah,
I think. I think if there's nothing else, ah, we
can, uh, kind of wrap up the. The official public part of

(01:49:26):
this. And uh, again, thanks to all the participants
for showing up. Um, and the. The cast can stay
here and I will, um, um,
usher the audience out to the, uh, the lobby as I continue my
metaphors of actual theater. And uh. And
thank you all for. For coming.

Okay.

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King Lear - Final Session: "The Art of Character and Conflict" - The Rehearsal Room

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}King Lear - Final Session: "The Art of Character and Conflict" - The Rehearsal Room