In Shakespeare’s towering tragedy, an aging king indulges in a bit of filial vanity that fucks up his entire world. Done right, the ruination of Lear’s kingdom is a thrilling thing to behold (evil sisters! Dementia! Dead everyone!), and it’s safe to assume that this high-definition broadcast of the National Theatre production—directed by Michael Grandage and starring the great Derek Jacobi—is done right and then some. (SIFF Cinema, 321 Mercer St, www.siff.net, 7:30 pm, $20)
David Schmader—former weed columnist and Stranger associate editor—is the author of the solo plays Straight and Letter to Axl, which he’s performed in Seattle and across the US. His latest... More by David Schmader
When I read King Lear I was struck by how existential it was, despite having predated the French existentialists by three centuries. Lear’s total loss of dignity, Gloucester’s ridiculously pathetic suicide attempt, and the lack of a good moral at the end remind me a lot of Camus. The play was so ahead of its time, there was a long period when most performances changed the ending so Cordelia didn’t die.