Edward Bond's Lear

AUTHOR: Edward Bond
DIRECTED BY Kyung-Taek Oh
COSTUME DESIGNER Abra Brayman
COSTUME DESIGNER Suzanne Scott
LIGHTING DESIGN Roz Fulton

Edward Bond's Lear has been called the most violent drama ever staged, and has always been a controversial piece since it's inception. As the playwright himself suggests, it is important to note that [the play] Lear, "should be seen not simply as an adaptation of Shakespeare's play but as a comment on that drama itself." - Edward Bond
The director wanted a simple approach to the gesture & overall look of the show, this was to enable the actors with the freedom to move within the space at all times. Design elements that were inspired by surrealist painters are seen in multiple moments that include the Ghost of the Boy. This particular character also is the most physical, so there is a theme of shaping his stylized movements throughout the play
Lear's two Daughters conduct themselves in cruel and sadistic selfishness, bringing about the darker side of the play. They revel in tormenting everyone and rift with a power strucggle.
In the end, as with Shakespeare, the character of Lear has to travel as a blind man to see what real truth is.