![KING LEAR Week 3: “The Unraveling of Lear” – Shakespeare – Act 2, Scene 4 – The Rehearsal Room [Video, Audio, and Transcript versions]](https://workingactorsjourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cropped-WAJfavicon-2-32x32.png "KING LEAR Week 3: “The Unraveling of Lear” – Shakespeare – Act 2, Scene 4 – The Rehearsal Room [Video, Audio, and Transcript versions]")
KING LEAR Week 3: “The Unraveling of Lear” – Shakespeare – Act 2, Scene 4 – The Rehearsal Room [Video, Audio, and Transcript versions]
Description
</figure>Welcome to our third session this month in The Rehearsal Room with Shakespeare’s King Lear!
Our session begins with a discussion about the setting of the play, emphasizing the stark contrasts between the characters’ environments and their emotional states. We explore the character arcs and the transformations throughout the play.
The group considers the implications of Lear’s decisions, particularly his choice to divide his kingdom based on flattery rather than genuine love. This pivotal moment sets the stage for the ensuing chaos and heartbreak. We also touch upon the role of the Fool, who serves as both a commentator and a tragic figure in Lear’s journey.
The themes of loyalty and betrayal are explored, particularly through the lens of Cordelia’s banishment. Her unwavering love for her father contrasts sharply with the deceitful nature of her sisters, highlighting the moral complexities within the family. We reflect on how these themes resonate in today’s world, drawing parallels between the characters’ struggles and contemporary issues of power and responsibility.
Join us to explore why “King Lear” remains a poignant exploration of the human condition!
What happened in the Week 3 Session?
🏁 In this session, highlights include:
- Discussing the importance of props in Shakespearean plays and their role in storytelling
- Examining the arcs of Lear, Goneril, and Regan as they navigate power struggles
- Tracing the characters from the beginning of the play, looking at how their relationships evolve and the consequences of their choices
Watch the Week 3 Session!
Full transcript included at the bottom of this post.
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</figure>And there’s the audio version too – you still get everything from listening!
Total Running Time: 2:14:04
- 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 75-second clip from this session with Jeanne, Lizzie and Annie discussing the competition of the sisters.
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And a great quote from this week’s session…
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</figure>References mentioned in the Week 3 Session:
- Morris Carnovsky
- The Actor’s Eye by Morris Carnovsky
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</figure>Support The Rehearsal Room on Patreon – get early access to sessions (before they go public on YouTube and the podcast), priority with asking questions, and more!
Thank you to our current patrons at the Co-Star level or higher: Ivar, Joan, Michele, Jim, Magdalen, Claudia, Clif and Jeff!
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.
KING LEAR Week 3: “The Unraveling of Lear” – The Rehearsal Room
Nathan Agin: Well, good. well, glad everybody, made it. and good to see everybody this week. for those keeping track at home, I’ve been wearing summer clothes, but we got this cold snap here in Northern, California. So it’s, lows of, like, 45 and highs of 60, when here we are supposed to be, you know, the longest summer equinox tomorrow. So who knows? Who knows? We’ll take all the precipitation in fire country. We will take all the precipitation we can get. So hopefully that keeps things at bay a little bit longer. But,
Annie Occhiogrosso: Where are you, Nathan?
Nathan Agin: I’m in Yreka, California, which is about 35 minutes south of Ashland, Oregon. So where the Shakespeare festival is.
Annie Occhiogrosso: Yeah.
Nathan Agin: So, we’re up in, what do they call this? The state of Jefferson. At one point, there was talk of seceding Southern Oregon and Northern California into their own little enclave, because it, really is. People say Northern California, but they’re like. They mean the Bay Area. No, this is really Northern California.
Jeanne
United States
