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King Lear

King Lear decides to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters—his only heirs—while still alive.

In his old age, King Lear makes the decision to abdicate and divide his kingdom among his three daughters, while still living. In a dialogue with her legendary 1989 production of Hamlet, Rina Yerushalmi returns to an arena stage, where the audience is seated on all four sides of the space. The ensemble, led by Doron Tavori as King Lear, performs at the center of the arena—around and within it—creating a diffuse, immersive connection with the audience in every direction.

“An incredibly intimate and moving production that gives great respect to Shakespeare’s text, managing to create a direct and powerful interaction with the audience in an empty, circular space. A strong, committed cast led by Doron Tavori, who delivers a masterful performance as Lear.”
— Ilan Ronen, Theatre Director

“In her adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, director Rina Yerushalmi has managed to distill and refine the play’s themes of evil, suffering, and death—thereby heightening its relevance to the difficult times we live in… Doron Tavori is magnificent as Lear, shaping a tragic and pathetic figure that grips the heart. The arena stage—where actors not performing sit among the audience—intensifies the sense of both immediacy and timelessness that the production brings to this Shakespearean masterpiece.”
— Prof. Hanna Scolnicov

 Adaptation: Rina Yerushalmi & Doron Tavori
Translation: Dori Parnes
Artistic Director: Zvi Sahar
Assistant Directors: Yinon Cohen, Chen David, Ruth Weil
Set & Costume Design: Yehudit Aharon
Props Design: Shiran Levi
Lighting Design: Bambi (Avi Yona Bueno)
Set Construction: Moti Amar, Theater Workshop Ltd.

Cast: (by alphabetical order)
Ben Yelin, Doron Tavori, Eyal Sharf, Guy Zeidman, Imanuel Demidov, Noam Ben Azar, Ofir Zweigenboim, Reut Agemi,  Yael Mesner, Yinon Cohen, Yishai Ben Moshe.