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| Haring Lear: Souvenir Program |
I can say that the play has a very creative mind. As stated
earlier, the main three causes of King Lear’s tragedy-filled life are her
daughters. The director of the play chose men to act as the daughters. Aside
from the daughters being male actors, one thing distinct about the play is that
most of the actors are bald. Only King Lear, the old man, has the hair in the
entire play.
The music used in the whole play was very engaging. Intense music played
as intense scenes come to the viewers eyes. I really enjoyed the scene when the
main scene stops and a guy who’s almost naked passed through the stage and induce
blood to the scene. He’s like an angel of death, bringing judgment to Gloster.
The music seemed like cabaret music, a sexy one that balances the gore of the
blood.
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| Haring Lear: CD Cover |
In terms of production design, the set is very well-thought about.
The throne that the king sat seemed more than a normal king’s throne. The stage
was really designed for the rain, the funny one of all their props. I had a
funny feeling when seeing the black-guys using shower-like props to act as
rain. It is a creative and distinct way of showing rain. Knowing that it is a
closed theater, a thrust stage to be exact, they used really elements to make
the play “wet.” The mountain scene also is a creative scene for me. They used
boxes to signify that the blind man, Gloster, is climbing a mountain. Aside
from the boxes the said actor climbed, the electric fans in the scene were also
a funny one to see in the set. The fans symbolized the air in the mountains.
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| Haring Lear: Show Ticket |
In terms of costume, it was also creative. The play being themed
with black costumes really gave an emotion that it will be a sad ending. King
Lear, after retiring from his kingship became modern. He wore a polo, a Hawaiian
themed outfit to be exact and it is paired with a pair of modern slippers. The
led lights that embraced the necks of Regan and Goneril were also creative. It
symbolized the royalty of the two. For the Lakayo, the puppet also is a good
choice for the set. Lastly, I really love Cornelia’s costume. The white
overalls she wore at start symbolized that she is really the good one in the
story. Moreover, the last costume of Cornelia had left a different feeling for
me. She wore a white plastic bag to cover her body.
For the actors acting, they really acted well. I can say no
negative about how they acted. I really enjoyed when the Lakayo acted, how he
tells the King about the foolishness he had done. Also, I enjoyed Oswaldo being
on stage. He is the comedy in the tragedy. His lines that seemed foolish were
the balancing act for the play. Everyone acted well that everyone deserves a
standing ovation. Especially King Lear, who was a strong personality and ended
up losing his mind at the end.
Overall, it was a good play. It is a different approach on the
play knowing that it really has a brutal ending. Almost every important
starting character died in the end but their acting served well the play.
Haring Lear, a PETA’s production, is a must watch. A tragic story full of suffering and pain yet full of fun and smiles at the end.
