Fri 7/19-Sat 7/20 @ 7PM
Sun 7/21 @ 4PM
King Lear is one of Shakespeare’s best-known tragedies, familiar to every theater student and aficionado, with its lead roles coveted by actors. The story of the king brought down by pride, betrayed by two of his daughters and betraying a third who stayed loyal to him, is a study in human weaknesses.
That towering play is the next one tackled by the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, although you don’t have to worry that this production will be long and monumental: since all of their productions take place in public outdoor locations with no technical assets such as lights, they finish by dark so the scripts are edited and paced to end in a shorter time frame. Rachel Gold directs this production, the second of two this season, which opens Friday July 19 at the newly renovated Noble Road Branch of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Library. It’s at Wade Oval on Saturday July 20, and Shaker Heights’ Van Aken District on Sunday July 21.
Performances continue Friday through Sunday through August 4, at parks and landmarks in Euclid, Berea, Lorain, Lakewood and Mentor and ending up at Tremont’s Lincoln Park on Sunday August 4, for their annual Arts in August series.
All performances are free and open to the public, and being more compact, a great way to introduce your kids to Shakespeare in an casual setting — where you can bring a picnic! (There are restrooms at all locations.
Get full information here.
Cleveland Heights, OH 44121
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
Cleveland, OH 44106