THE FOOL'S LEAR Comes To IRT Theater In January

IRT Theater is thrilled to present the Oldest Boys Productions in association with Accidental Repertory Theater (John Strasberg, Artistic Director) production of THE FOOL'S LEAR, with text from William Shakespeare's King Lear, adapted and directed by H. Clark Kee. THE FOOL'S LEAR begins performances on Wednesday, January 9 for a limited engagement through Saturday, January 26.

The performance schedule is Wednesday - Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 3 PM; with added matinee performances on Saturday 1/19 and 1/26 at 2 PM. Performances are at the IRT Theater (154 Christopher Street, between Washington and Greenwich Streets, near the 1 and 2 trains at Christopher Street Station, and the A, B, C, D, and E at West 4th). Tickets are $20. For tickets and more information, call Brown Paper Tickets on 800-838-3006 or visit http://accidentalrep.org/

A national leader with a cognitive impairment. A dysfunctional family with political power. Intrigue, war, and death.

THE FOOL'S LEAR follows the story of Shakespeare's King Lear, from dividing the kingdom between two of his three daughters and banishing the third, only to be rejected by the daughters he favored. Joined by the son of an ally, they plot against Lear as he finds himself wandering the countryside with his companion, the Fool. Lear's world falls apart as he loses friends, allies, family - in short everything dear to him - while the Fool can only watch.

Edited down to a taut 90-minutes, THE FOOL'S LEAR borrows from Brecht in examining the traditional master-servant power relationship. In King Lear the Fool is more than a servant. The Fool is a companion, confidant, foil, and sometime protector. Shakespeare's dialogue is full of comparisons between Lear and the Fool, which are hinted at in the double meaning of THE FOOL'S LEAR.


The cast features Virginia Armitage, Elizabeth Bell, Sean Demers, Antonio Disla, Judy Krause (Film: Brooklyn in July), Robert McKay (Thomas Chandler in the Amazon series Asunder), Mark Peters, Fariaz Rabbani, Mike Roche (Church, dir. Young Jean Lee, The Public), and Annie Winneg (the title role in Eurydice at Boston Center for the Arts, BroadwayWorld Best Actress nomination).

H. Clark Kee (director) began his professional career as an assistant director and actor with the Williamstown Theater Festival. A Yale graduate, he was Lynne Meadow's assistant at the Manhattan Theater Club, and then founded West-Park Theater in NYC. He is currently Administrative Director of Accidental Repertory Theater, John Strasberg, Artistic Director.

IRT Theater is a grassroots laboratory for independent theater and performance in New York City, providing space and support to a new generation of artists. Tucked away in the old Archive Building in Greenwich Village, IRT's mission is to build a community of emerging and established artists by creating a home for the development and presentation of new work. Some of the artists we have supported include Young Jean Lee, Reggie Watts, & Mike Daisey. For info visit www.irttheater.org.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Office of Councilmember Corey Johnson and The Nancy Quinn Fund, a project of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York).