Shakespeare on the Common: King Lear

Directed by Founding Artistic Director Steven Maler and with celebrated Boston actor Will Lyman in the title role, King Lear follows the journey of the aging king, faced with his own mortality and mental decline as he tries to secure the legacy of his kingdom by dividing it amongst his three daughters. Only through loss—of status, of love, of loyalty—does King Lear learn what is truly resonant at the end of a life.

Performances will be July 22-August 9, 2015 on the Boston Common near the Parkman Bandstand, running Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 7pm; and one matinee on Saturday, August 8, 3pm. (Opening Night/Press Performance is Wednesday July 29 at 8pm). Performances are free and open to the public.

THE GREENSHOW (one-hour before each performance)

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Greenshow features actors from its Apprentice Program, CSC’s actor training program for emerging young theater artists. Traditionally, a Greenshow is the prelude to an evening’s performance, meant to prepare an audience for the main event. This performance runs approximately 30 minutes, is fun, lively, and appropriate for the whole family: a great way to learn more about King Lear.

COMMONWEALTH CONCERTS (90 minutes before performance)

These FREE jazz performances will feature New England Conservatory students and alumni. Each concert begins 90 minutes before curtain, so be sure to arrive early to hear this terrific music!

FRIENDS SECTION

Reserving a chair in the newly renamed “Friends Section” is now a benefit of supporting the CSC Fund, which with grants and sponsorships makes Free Shakespeare on the Common possible. For a minimum donation of $50, the donor will receive one reserved chair in the CSC Friends Section for a performance of King Lear this summer on the Boston Common and other benefits, including a discount on additional chairs.

Visit our ACCESSIBILITY PAGE for more information on our accessibility programming.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is dedicated to bringing the works of William Shakespeare in vital and contemporary productions to the people of Boston and to exploring Shakespeare’s plays with the Boston community in innovative and creative ways. Best known for its annual free performances on Boston Common, CSC also presents several free play-reading events during the year—Theatre in the Rough, Shakespeare & Law, and Shakespeare & Leadership. The Company fulfills its educational mission with training programs for both pre-professional actors through its Apprentice Program and early-career actors through CSC2. Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is the Theatre in Residence at Babson College.

For more information visit online at www.commshakes.org or call (617) 426-0863. Weather hotline is 781-239-5972.