Stacy Keach sure loves playing those controversial heads of state. Monday marked opening night for his run as King Lear at the Shakespeare Theatre Company.
Artistic Director Michael Kahn noted the legendary actor had to take a hiatus from playing Richard Nixon in the highly successful touring production of “Frost/Nixon” so he could come to Washington and play Lear.
It’s not the first favor he’s ever done for the theater, Kahn added. Back in 1990, Kahn asked Keach to play Richard III when its plays were still staged at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Keach agreed, and “it really put the Shakespeare Theatre on the map,” Kahn said.
Kahn remembers during the invited dress rehearsal, they had lines around the block at the Folger. And history repeated itself last week for the open rehearsals of “King Lear.” Kahn said it was the “same thing, and we had 1,000 people around this theater to see a free performance.” And why not? He called it “a great actor playing the greatest part ever written for a man.”
Among those who showed up to see Kahn’s performance: D.C. Councilmen David Catania and Tommy Wells, European Union Ambassador John Bruton, Norwegian Ambassador Wegger Strommen, Deputy Mayor Valerie Santos and Michael Shannon, who earned an Oscar nomination for “Revolutionary Road.”
(Photo: Carol Rosegg)
