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Welcome to our final session this month in The Rehearsal Room with Shakespeare’s King Lear!

One of the highlights of our conversation centers around Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, as the guests share their experiences working with the play. The connection between Miller’s work and ancient Greek tragedy is explored, revealing how themes of family, loyalty, and moral dilemmas transcend time and culture. The emotional weight carried by characters in both Miller’s and Shakespeare’s works is a focal point, as actors reflect on the complexity of portraying flawed human beings.

As the discussion shifts to Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” we dive into the intricacies of character dynamics and family relationships. The conversation highlights how actors can approach these characters without preconceived notions of good or evil, allowing for a more nuanced portrayal that resonates with audiences.

You’ll appreciate the emphasis on the First Folio and the unique challenges it presents to actors. The guests share their experiences of working with the original text, emphasizing the importance of punctuation and rhythm in bringing Shakespeare’s words to life. As they navigate the complexities of the characters, the actors reveal how the text becomes a living entity, inviting interpretation and spontaneity.

This episode serves as a reminder of the power of theater to reflect the human experience. It encourages artists and enthusiasts alike to embrace the challenges of classic works, finding relevance and connection in stories that have stood the test of time.

What happened in the Final Session?

🏁 In this session, highlights include:

• Delving into the dynamics of power and how it shapes the characters’ choices throughout the play





• Exploring the nuances of familial loyalty





• Q&A with the artists!

Watch the Final Session!

Full transcript included at the bottom of this post.

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Subscribe to get notified of our next rehearsal session!

And there’s the audio version too – you still get everything from listening!

Total Running Time: 1:50:54

• Stream by clicking here.





• Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as/save link as”.

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Short on time?

Check out this 90-second clip from this session with Annie and Randall discussing how Lear is responsible!

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And a great quote from this week’s session…

References mentioned in the Final Session:

• All My Sons





• American Players Theatre

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Thank you to our current patrons at the Co-Star level or higher: Ivar, Joan, Michele, Jim, Magdalen, Claudia, Clif and Jeff!

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THE SCENE

Our group will be working on the following scene:

• ​Act 2, Scene 4 – Lear quarrels bitterly with her and with Regan

Follow along with the play here.

King Lear Team – with artists in NJ, NY and CA!

• DIRECTOR: Annie Occhiogrosso (listen to our podcast conversation with Annie and Randall)





• LEAR: Randall Duk Kim





• GONERIL: Jeanne Sakata (podcast episode)





• REGAN: Lizzie King-Hall





• CORNWALL: Thomas Farber

Read more about the artists here.

And there’s more!

Catch up on our other workshops featuring lots of Shakespeare scenes, from Hamlet, King Lear, Troilus and Cressida, Midsummer, As You Like It, and our Twelfth Night repertory extravaganza – all on the podcast and YouTube.  If you’ve missed any presentations thus far, click here to find them all.