CUESHEET PERFORMANCE GUIDE
Nearly Lear
Adapted from William Shakespeare’s King Lear by Susanna Hamnett and Edith Tankus Starring Susanna Hamnett Directed by Edith Tankus Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences
Reimagining Lear’s Story “Which of you shall we say doth love us most?”—King Lear
Through the Eyes of Shakespeare William Shakespeare’s play King Lear takes place in Britain thousands of years ago. There, an aging King Lear decides to retire and divide the kingdom among his three daughters. Hoping to give his favorite daughter Cordelia the biggest portion, he asks his children to declare who loves him most—a contest he expects Cordelia to easily win. While Lear’s other daughters, Goneril and Regan, flatter him, Cordelia, distressed by their insincerity, refuses and says, “I cannot heave my heart into my mouth.” Enraged, Lear sends her away forever with the King of France. Greedy and ungrateful, Goneril and Regan eventually throw their father and his trusty Fool out into a monstrous storm. Like the wind, thunder, and lightning raging around him, Lear rages against his wicked daughters and his own foolishness and begins to go mad. Thanks to Lear’s loyal friends Gloucester, Kent, and the Fool, he reunites with Cordelia. But Goneril and Regan are conspiring with Gloucester’s illegitimate and evil son Edmund, and their treachery leads to great tragedy.
Through the Eyes of a Clown So, that’s how Shakespeare told the story. But the King’s closest companion, his Fool, might have seen it differently—especially if the Fool were a woman named Noreen disguised as a man (Norris). That’s the idea behind Nearly Lear. In this one-person show performed by Susanna Hamnett, Noreen introduces herself and retells the story, acting out all the parts. The shortened tale focuses on the story of Lear and Cordelia and leaves out many characters, including Kent as well as Gloucester’s sons Edmund and Edgar. It adds a new one though, the evil Osmond, who seeks power by wooing both Goneril and Regan. Along with some of Shakespeare’s words, Noreen adds some mischief and humor to her heartfelt retelling of Lear’s tragic tale.
The Characters in Nearly Lear Noreen/Norris, the King’s Fool King Lear, an aging King of Britain Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia, Lear’s daughters The Duke of Burgundy and The King of France, Cordelia’s suitors Osmond, a servant The Earl of Gloucester, Lear’s friend
London-born actor, educator, and clown Susanna Hamnett introduces young audiences to the story and themes of one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays.
Timeless Will William Shakespeare (also known as the Bard, or poet) would probably be surprised to learn that his plays are still being performed today—more than 400 years after he wrote them. His works have withstood the test of time because they explore ideas that everyone understands—the joy and sorrow of love, the struggles for power, the destructiveness of jealousy and hate, and the ways people make mistakes and deal with them. His plays have been adapted into many other works, including ballets, operas, musicals, novels, and films.
Ideas for Then and Now Some of the themes or ideas in Nearly Lear include loyalty and betrayal, power, forgiveness, aging, sibling rivalry, and the relationships of fathers and daughters. During the performance, watch for these and consider how they relate to your own life or events around you.
Fooling Around Borrowing from the traditions of court jesters entertaining kings, Shakespeare made jesters, clowns, and fools important characters in many of his dramas. But he also made their role more important than just comic relief. Through their intellect and humor, these characters convey themes and speak the truth to other characters as well as the audience.
A Woman’s Place In 16th-century England, women had few rights and limited job opportunities. So, in Shakespeare’s plays, when female characters needed to work or solve problems, for example, they disguised themselves as men. Even though Shakespeare did not plan for King Lear’s Fool to be a woman in disguise, the idea follows his pattern from other stories. One more thing: Back in Shakespeare’s day, women were not allowed to act on stage. Female roles were performed by young boys.
Notice how Susanna quickly becomes many characters by changing her posture, voice, and gestures.
A Few More Things Knock, Knock? Who’s There? Shakespeare! Did you know that we have Shakespeare to thank for many words and phrases that are part of the English language today, including “knock, knock” (from Macbeth)? He is credited with creating more than 2000 words and phrases, such as “love letter,” “dead as a doornail,” “a sorry sight,” “for goodness’ sake,” and “in my mind’s eye.”
Think about… n how
the story changed by having Noreen/the Fool tell the story.
n
n
Noreen’s relationship with her own father and how it affects the story. whether the play made you think about your own family.
Listen for… n music
that helps set the mood or describe a character.
n sound
effects like wind, thunder, and galloping.
n Noreen’s
slightly different accent from the other characters, signaling a peasant background somewhat common among royal fools.
Watch for… n how
comedy can both ease and magnify tragic moments.
n
n
how three screens on wheels serve as set pieces, props, and in one case, even another character. simple props like a tattered umbrella and a microphone—these are anachronisms, or things that didn’t exist at the historic time of the play.
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town in England. He wrote 38 plays and 156 poems during his lifetime. He is generally considered the world’s greatest writer—of all time!
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The “Fourth Wall” refers to an imaginary wall between the audience and the performers on stage. In Nearly Lear, Noreen regularly breaks the wall to confide her feelings and prepare you for what happens next.
Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education. Funding for Access and Accommodation Programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education. David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education
Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program. International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts. Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts. The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
© 2017 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts