Compagnia de’ Colombari’s KING LEAR, adapted and directed by Karin Coonrod, is a primal, physical and potent immersive “paper crown” Lear that strips the Shakespearian classic to its essence. Coonrod utilizes her signature “multiplicity” to shift and deepen audiences’ connection with the characters. Ten diverse actors ranging in age and gender all embody King Lear at the beginning and conduct a radical take-over of the text and the space. Their unity fragments as they tear off their paper crowns and transform into other roles, competing for influence and diminishing the legion of Lears by their existence. Through a vigorous exploration of the characters’ egos, motivations, and power dynamics, the actors dig deep into the internal and external voyage of a stubborn, fractured soul who must lose everything to find himself. Transformation takes place in the apocalypse. Coonrod’s production commands us to, as Kent says to King Lear, “See better.”

Colombari's KING LEAR debuts Off-Broadway in New York City for a limited run of four performances, July 12-14, 2024 at La MaMa ETC (66 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003). Tickets are available HERE for $45 ($25 student tickets available). Opening Night is Friday, July 12, at 7pm, with performances at 2pm & 7pm on Saturday, July 13 and 5pm on Sunday, July 14. 

The world premiere of Colombari's KING LEAR debuted June 14-16, 2024 at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, CT. 

PRESS & REVIEWS:

“The play is a buffet for the senses...If all the world’s a stage, then the play itself becomes reality.“

"Compagnia de’ Colombari show(s) the audience a deep look into their own psyches, and a few hard truths about how to trust people and why. Most important, though, they show them an all-around good time.” 

--Eleanor Pollack, The New Haven Independent

“Karin Coonrod’s Compagnia de’ Colombari is staging the most innovative version of Shakespeare’s great tragedy of monarchy that I’ve seen in a long time. See better, Lear, the play commands. But what if everywhere we look we see many things? ...the opening scene in King Lear is the best scene in all of English drama – and I don’t think I’ve seen a more exciting performance of that scene than this one.”

“The production’s brilliant and generative coup de theatre – ten Kings in ten paper crowns all playing the title role – mounted to a takeover of the entire space of the theater… we watched that royal “we,” the King as community, voicing itself into disorderly being. It made thrilling theater.” 

--Steve Mentz, Shakespeare scholar and Professor of English at St. John’s University

Broadway World Preview Feature: KING LEAR debuts at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas

Hartford Courant: There is Much Ado About Shakespeare This Summer

New Haven Independent: At A&I, Multitudes Contain Lear

Steve Mentz (Shakespeare Scholar & English Professor at St. John's University): Colombari’s King Lear at #artsideas2024

Development and Production History:

Compagnia de’ Colombari’s KING LEAR has been in development since 2020. Previous development includes a read-through in August 2020, followed by 2-day development workshops in September and November 2020, explorative workshops in July 2021 and April 2023, and two immersive salon-style presentations in 2023 at Torn Page in New York City on September 12th and December 1st in New Haven, Connecticut. Colombari hosted a KING LEAR "share-out" presentation and 20th Anniversary celebration in Brooklyn on May 23, 2024, at Saint Paul's Roman Catholic Church. The world premiere of Compagnia de’ Colombari’s KING LEAR was June 14-16, 2024 at the Yale University Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut for the 29th International Festival of Arts & Ideas. 

Compagnia de' Colombari's KING LEAR World Premiere June 2024 at the University Theatre in New Haven & New York City Off-Broadway debut at La MaMa ETC's Ellen Stewart Theatre July 2024

Company of Actors:

Brandon Burton (KING LEAR/Edgar)

Abigail Killeen (KING LEAR/Goneril)

Elijah Martinez (KING LEAR/Edmund)

Jo Mei (KING LEAR/Regan)

Tom Nelis (KING LEAR/France)

Lukas Papenfusscline (KING LEAR/Fool)

Michael Potts (KING LEAR/Gloucester)

Paul Pryce (KING LEAR/Kent)

Celeste Sena (KING LEAR/Cordelia)

Tony Torn (KING LEAR/Oswald)

Zuzanna Szadkowski (Standby)

Paul Wellington (Black Angel #1)

Peter Gomez (Black Angel #2)

Ariel Mayer (New Haven) & Luca Evans (NYC) (Black Angel #3)

Creative & Production Team:

Adaptor & Director: Karin Coonrod

Composer: Frank London

Costume Designer: Oana Botez

Paper Crowns: Tine Kindermann

Sound Design: Tye Hunt Fitzgerald

Scenic Designer: Charles Meier (New Haven)

Lighting Designer: Krista Smith and Stephen Strawbridge

Fight Director: Michael Rossmy

Dramaturg: Gabrielle Hoyt

Assistant Director: Jacob Basri

Director of Production: Kino Alvarez

Stage Manager: Rebecca Werner

Assistant Stage Manager: Kate Semmens (New Haven)

Lighting Programmer and Board Op: Gib Gibney

Assistant Costume Design: Caleb Krieg

Costume Construction: Talla Dia

Costume Painting: Jennifer Stanjeski

Fight Captain: Brandon Burton

Production Assistants: Luca Evans, Ariel Mayer

Rehearsal Space: St. Paul’s Church, Brooklyn, NY

Rehearsal Hosts: Fathers Paul Anel, Alex Morard

Compagnia de' Colombari Team:

Artistic Director: Karin Coonrod

General Manager: Jennifer Harrison Newman

Publicist & Marketing Manager: Cindy Sibilsky

Grants Manager: Sofia Crouch