This week Shakespeare at Notre Dame celebrates its 25th anniversary as it begins a 13-day run of King Lear. WVPE spoke with the artistic director, Scott Jackson, who says the story, a tragedy about political authority and family dynamics, is as relevant as ever.
More than 400 years after William Shakespeare’s death, Scott Jackson says the famed English poet and playwright still has plenty to say about the modern world. Jackson, executive artistic director at Shakespeare at Notre Dame, says King Lear is a story about a narcissistic king who decides which of his daughters will inherit his wealth based on who flatters him the most.
Jackson says this take on King Lear is set a few years into the future, with characters dressed in modern clothing but speaking Shakespeare’s original 17th Century dialogue.
“You’re going to find it’s set in a very contemporary moment," Jackson says, "and is actually speaking to almost the oligarchs of this time, the Elon Musks and Jeff Bezos’es, those that have accumulated such wealth and have their own empires.”
The show’s opening night Thursday is sold out but tickets remain for the rest of the nights. Jackson says a great night for newcomers to Shakespeare might be the preview and final dress rehearsals Tuesday or Wednesday, when tickets are as low as $10.
