King for a Day

For the most part, though, the production proves the point that trying to outsmart the audience with an outsized "concept" approach is as dumb as it would have been 400 years ago -- when Shakespeare, who had a financial interest in the company that performed his plays, knew better than to try to pull too much theatrical wool over the groundlings' eyes. The production also champions the use of the non-specific time period, where rank and social standing are suggested by each costume's line and color rather than period detail (Anne Thaxter Watson's costumes work like a charm). Finally, the show demonstrates that a director can stage a respectful, straightforward version of a Shakespeare play without getting stuck with the pejorative label of "purist." In fact, the show's few gimmicks seem hopelessly out of place: Nearly every time that Lear drifts into madness, a high-tech bolt of lightning flashes across the back wall. But it's clear throughout that Birk is able to harness the character's emotional fireworks through speech and bearing, as should all Shakespearean actors. Though the battles with special effects are distracting at first, the esteemed Birk wins them hands down -- an encouraging sign, as Hamlet might observe, that the play really is the thing that best captures the conscience of the king.