Q&A with Marcus Gardley

Q&A

Can you share a little about LEAR and the original Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s “Play On” commission and production?

I was commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s “Play On” series to create a modern translation of Shakespeare’s King Lear. During that process, I was inspired to write an adaptation as well. The California Shakespeare Festival, which is a now defunct theatre in Orinda, California, initially wanted to produce the modern translation, but the more I spoke with artistic director Eric Ting, we realized an adaptation would be more compelling.

I chose to set it during a pivotal moment when the Bay Area was undergoing major political and economic upheaval—specifically, when San Francisco’s African American community was being displaced through eminent domain. Just as Lear is forced from his own home and his daughters’ castles in Shakespeare’s play, the African American population in San Francisco was being forced from their homes so the city could construct a major highway. From there, the work evolved into a story that not only modernizes King Lear but also engages with this historical injustice.

How is LEAR continuing to evolve? What are your next dreams and plans for this play?

I’m excited about placing the adaptation in different cities and time periods. As I often do with my work, I like the piece to reflect the location where it’s produced. I’m eager to explore new settings that mirror the central displacement of Lear from his home and his daughters’ homes. I’m inspired by the notion that this play can be ever-evolving, much like Shakespeare’s work—constantly adapted in productions worldwide, shaped by various artistic visions. I want this piece to undergo that same generative process, which exemplifies how theatre itself is constantly changing.

What are you hoping that audiences will take away from LEAR?

I hope audiences gain a deeper understanding of the political climate and socioeconomic issues happening in the Bay Area during this period and recognize how it resonates with communities across the country. My goal is to illuminate how these patterns of displacement have persisted. By writing period pieces, I aim to show that while circumstances change, certain injustices remain constant. I also want audiences to develop a richer understanding of the family dynamics between Lear and his daughters, as well as his sons-in-law.

One question Shakespeare’s original text raises is: what triggered the animosity between Lear and his daughters beyond a simple quest for power? In this work, we introduce Lear’s wife—the daughters’ mother—to provide a more complete picture of these familial relations.

Is there anything else that you’d like readers and audience members to know about you and/or this play?

I’m drawn to theatre because I find it the most powerful medium for raising questions about our society and fostering meaningful dialogue, helping audiences gain deeper insight into themselves and our collective future. This play also illuminates a moment in African American history that many have forgotten, using music as an artifact to provide an aural sense of the period. My goal is to offer what most of my work strives toward: an experience that weaves together music, history, elements of African American culture, and poetry to create something layered and, I hope, deeply moving.