Rogue stages an impressive 'King Lear'

Life isn’t easy for King Lear.

The monarch, who currently rules on The Rogue Theatre’s stage, is powerful, completely in control of his kingdom and the people in it.

And then he loses it all, thanks to hubris, conniving daughters and subjects, and a slow descent into madness.

Shakespeare’s “King Lear” is a big challenge for any theater company to take on, but challenges are in The Rogue’s DNA.

The story begins as Lear prepares to divide his kingdom between his three daughters. He asks each to tell him how much they love him. The two older ones, Regan and Goneril, can’t gush enough. Cordelia, Lear’s favorite, can’t put words to her love, and that enrages her father, who disowns her.

Thus begins the king’s downfall. As his daughters and others in the court work to trivialize his role and his life, and as Lear comes to realize the great losses his actions have caused, he becomes more unhinged.

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Joseph McGrath is too young to take on the title role — Lear himself cites his advancing years: He says he is dividing his kingdom up so that he can “crawl unburdened toward death.” Others agree that he is aging out of relevance: “O, sir, you are old,” his daughter Regan says. “You should be ruled and led/ By some discretion that discerns your state/ Better than you yourself.” It was a little disconcerting to see a Lear without the physical frailties, the vulnerabilities, that come with age and help to underscore the tragedy of the character. Perhaps wisely, McGrath did not attempt to create the illusion of those qualities. What he did do was nail the regal power, the creeping madness, the great despair that comes to define the king.

The two older daughters were beautifully defined by Kathleen Cannon as Goneril and Bryn Booth as Regan. They are manipulative, greedy, despicable people who kill, lie and have total disregard for others. Cannon and Booth owned their evil natures. They were difficult to like and impossible to turn away from.

Patty Gallagher is a wonder as Lear’s Fool, the king’s voice of reason. While providing humor, the Fool also sees clearly what is happening in Lear’s court. Gallagher gives a tenderness to the character: We sense her loyalty to the king even while she is disappointed and terrified at what his actions have wrought. Our biggest complaint is that Shakespeare dispenses with the clown halfway through the play; we longed for more time with the Fool.

Matt Bowdren broke our hearts and fired us up with his mistreated and righteous Edgar, Matt Walley creeped us out with his manipulative, vicious Edmund, and Ryan Parker Knox moved us with his loyal-to-the-king Earl of Kent.

The play flowed with a rhythm and clarity thanks to director Cynthia Meier, who placed the action on a bare stage and added Jake Sorgen’s music and Deanna Fitzgerald’s lighting to successfully underscore the drama.

“King Lear” is riddled with bodies, packed with insights and loaded with gorgeous language. It’s a tough play to stage. The Rogue did not disappoint with its production.