King Lear - Play On Shakespeare

The king is a Fillmore District real estate magnate in Cal Shakes’ twist on ‘Lear’

This world premiere is a poetic production that mirrors Shakespeare’s story, but reimagines it with a 21st-century, modern-verse vocabulary that the audience will more readily understand.

‘Lear’ comes to the Fillmore: A Bay take on Shakespeare’s great tragedy

Cal Shakes’ new production centers Blackness, and features live accompaniment by jazz favorite Marcus Shelby.

Curtain Calls: ‘Lear’ in Orinda sets Bard classic in S.F.’s 1969 Fillmore

East Bay Times’ review of Lear, by Marcus Gardley, produced by Cal Shakes.

Review: Cal Shakes’ dazzling new ‘Lear,’ set in the ’60s Fillmore District, takes the tragedy to another level

[S]eeing “Lear,” Marcus Gardley’s bold new adaptation of Shakespeare’s monumental tragedy, is enough to make you wonder whether you’ve ever really grasped the full impact of the original play.

Review: LEAR by Marcus Gardley at Cal Shakes

Cal Shakes and Obie award winner Marcus Gardley present a deconstructed, modern verse updating of King Lear and it’s a visually stunning, marvelously acted update that gives the Bard’s story of betrayal, power and family legacy urgency and import for today’s audience.

Interview with Marcus Gardley

In a conversation, Marcus Gardley spoke about his upcoming production, “Lear” at Cal Shakes, his work in TV and the movies, Oprah, growing up in Oakland, and how he grew into a life as a writer.

Oakland’s Marcus Gardley creates modern, S.F.-set version of ‘King Lear’

The Mercury News interview with Marcus Gardley regarding his Cal Shakes’ premiere of Lear.

With ‘Lear,’ theater leaders come together to celebrate Shakespeare and S.F.’s Fillmore district

There are plotlines aplenty in William Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” So it feels appropriate that the number of backstage subplots involved in California Shakespeare Theater’s new production are plentiful in their own right.