smileforauntie

Gannon has been defying conventions at Peace College for nearly a decade, coaxing his students into performances beyond expectations in productions that far exceed the academic level. "Lear" is in many ways the most challenging. If this valiant attempt falls short in several key categories, there still are noteworthy elements.

Gannon envisions Lear's world as a cold, shadowy terrain in the near future where people clothe themselves with the detritus of many decades and arm themselves with tire irons and switchblades. It's a world of drunken gangs and drug-fueled passions, and physical violence is part of every encounter.

The male leads are cast with guest professionals and experienced area actors. Eddie Levi Lee has the physical presence and vocal power to express all of Lear's pride, sorrow and madness. He did not yet plumb the full emotional depths Wednesday night (the date was originally listed as a regular performance then recast as a dress rehearsal), but the seeds were all there.

Derrick Ivey plays Edgar, the son of the Earl of Gloucester, with fearless abandon, especially during his pretense as a lunatic, racing around in a dirty blanket and little else. As his half-brother Edmund, Lance Waycaster oozes evil and depravity. Michael Mattison's Kent, Lear's best friend, is sympathetic, although his noticeable Southern accent jars. Hampton Rowe (Duke of Cornwall) and Ryan Nazionale (Duke of Albany) contribute additional strengths.

Gannon employs gender-blind casting. Most controversial is Lynda Clark as the Earl of Gloucester. Her experience and stature ensure a strong, thoughtful portrayal, but there is little attempt to hide her femininity. Her reactions under duress and anger are decidedly female, unbalancing key scenes. Melissa Maxwell is more acceptable as Lear's Fool, although her delivery and comic timing need developing. Other women in smaller male roles work fine.

Gannon coaxes individualized characterizations from Kristal DeSantis as Lear's bored, haughty daughter Goneril and from Sarah Thomas as her sassy, bad-girl sister Regan. Melissa Folckemer's good-girl Cordelia is more one-noted but sincere.

Set designer Sonya Drum's graffiti-clad bridge and refuse-strewn infrastructure are appropriately coarse, but a narrow staircase and awkward levels make for clumsy movements. The set also makes every step resound, especially in Gannon's fast-paced staging, and key lines are often covered. In the long storm scene, Gannon pumps up the volume and little dialogue can be heard. Most damaging is the frequent yelling of lines, even by the most experienced actors, again obscuring key points.

Still, to see so much commitment and confidence in such a daunting project is well worth the trip.