King Lear is the puppeteer of his own puppet show, obsessively playing out his loss of family, power, friendship, shelter, sanity, and hope. In his mind, he is the only real human in his motherless kingdom of power and commodity, where love is merchandise for barter. The Fool, an acid clown who goads Lear in his desperation, stage-manages his story until they both succumb to Lear’s madness. This stunning two-person take on King Lear puts an ingenious spin on The Bard’s tragic tale of power and distorted love. “Lear” opened in 2016 in San Francisco and has subsequently toured nationally. The play features actor/puppet masters Conrad Bishop and Elizabeth Fuller.
“Utterly convincing, often heartbreakingly so . . . Dazzlingly inventive . . . A startlingly effective and haunting Lear — more so than most that have a full cast of living actors.” — Sam Hurwitt, KQED Arts
“A work of passion and artistry … nothing short of genius.” — David Templeton, North Bay Bohemian
