Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...To watch Falls' astonishingly nihilistic "Lear," a colossal, eye-popping operatic production that has defiantly shorn the play of its decency, is to peek out onto some kind of terrifying no-man's land laid out before you with the most brutal kind of precision."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Gargantuan in its scale and volcanic in its impact, Robert Falls' brilliantly conceived production of "King Lear" -- the keystone of his 20th anniversary season as artistic director of the Goodman Theatre -- is part grand opera and part Grand Guignol. Shot through with a mix of fierce poetry and volcanic vulgarity, it captures the essence of Shakespeare's world view, while at the same time homing in on a particularly horrific chapter in recent history."
Daily Herald
- Highly Recommended
"...One of the season's most anticipated shows, it received an extension even before last Monday's opening, and with good reason. This "Lear" triumphs. Like his celebrated "Hamlet" from 1985, Falls' bracing, fast-moving and unflinchingly bleak production remains with you long after you've left the theater."
SouthtownStar
- Recommended
"...this show rises and falls on the strength of Keach as Lear. And he never flags in this, the most demanding role in theater. His is a triumphant, revelatory performance of heartbreaking intensity as he goes from a gracious, outgoing man of easy charm, to a raging, embittered father and ruler, to an agonized and terrifying redemption."
Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...More human as he's humbled, Stacy Keach's Lear is transformed from a media-mad celebrity/king to a scavenging bum, finally seeing the poor he'd never seen from the palace. Falls pushes the wicked sisters into caricatures of greed and sexual predation, which makes it both more necessary and more difficult to convey the nobility of other characters--valiant Kent (Steve Pickering), the Fool (a dour Howard Witt), and sacrificial Cordelia (Laura Odeh). A Lear where the stage pictures are more pungent than the poetry--it's a Pyrrhic victory but a victory nonetheless."
Windy City Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Despite the occasional missteps in production design ( like Ana Kuzmanic’s final comic-book villainess costume for Kim Martin-Cotton’s Goneril ) or campy and histrionic bits that undercut the drama ( like the culinary end to one of Gloster’s eyes ) , the acting is consistently solid and frequently brilliant."
Gay Chicago Magazine
- Recommended
"...Stacey Keach is remarkable as Lear. He has a presence that transcends his TV and film celebrity. This is no small accomplishment, as too often, actors can’t shake off the screen when they step onto the stage. But he commands the stage with skills and charms that are truly captivating. The rest of the cast delivers exceptional work, each holding their own next to Keach and in the midst of Falls’s grand delusion of Lear."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"... this Lear seems crafted for a generation that learned classic literature at best through movies and at worst through glib, ironic references, to say nothing of an audience that refuses not to be entertained. It’s impossible not to recommend Falls’s rogue and smashing showmanship; I’d gladly watch it a a second time. But his Lear echoes ratings-driven cable news: war as packaged entertainment rather than hard facts."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...The rich poetic language and the scope of Falls’ vision with strong references to the Bosnian-Serbian wars works to underscore the nihilistic tone of the play. Kudos for the Goodman and Robert Falls for daring to take adventurous chances with this classic. It succeeds far beyond one’s expectations. This is a splendid theatrical experience."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...It's a gory tale to be sure, complete with murder, blood, sexual suggestion and nudity. The fact that Falls tells the story as clearly as he does is admirable, and his passionate updating feels as contemporary as anything David Mamet or Sam Shepard could turn out. Of course, Shakespeare's timeless and epic tale has a great deal to do with the production's success, and a more zealous or crafty interpretation would be hard to find. Keach's masterful work is the heart of the play, but he is hardly alone in attribute. Steve Pickering as Kent, Edward Gero as Gloucester, the superb Howard Witt as a sage Fool, Jonno Roberts as a disarmingly dashing and villainous Edmund are all top-notch."
