On a college campus where the most prized tickets are usually for the football game against ‘SC, it is unusual for a play about a deranged, old king to sell out weeks before opening night. But then, most plays don’t feature Gandalf.
UCLA Live’s twin-production of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” headed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, stars Sir Ian McKellen, the White Wizard himself, and is directed by another British knight, Sir Trevor Nunn. McKellen stars as King Lear and also as Sorin in select performances of “The Seagull,” a role he shares with William Gaunt, who plays the Earl of Gloucester in “King Lear.”
Nunn, who helmed the company from 1968 to 1978, directs this double bill. He is renowned for decades of productions on London’s West End and Broadway, most notably such blockbusters as “Cats,” “Les Misérables” and “Porgy and Bess.”
The production will professionally reunite Nunn with McKellen for the first time in 17 years, capping almost five decades of professional collaboration that began when the two first performed together in 1960 in “Doctor Faustus” at The Dell, an open-air amphitheater in Stratford, England.
Nunn explains that he relishes the opportunity to highlight the contrasting styles and shared themes of Shakespeare’s and Chekhov’s classics. By performing the shows in repertory, the two plays can draw meaning from each other.
“Both plays explore the fear that one generation has of another,” Nunn said. “The characters in both plays are confused and frightened by their mortality.”
Other people simply view the shows as a chance to see two legendary plays back-to-back.
“It’s one of the most popular of Chekhov with one of the most popular plays of Shakespeare,” said Ellen Geer, visiting associate professor at the School of Theater, Film and Television, and artistic director for the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. “I see that they are two totally different stories … with two different cultures, two different ways of being and thinking about being a human. I don’t see why there has to be a connection.”
UCLA Live Director of Development John Spokes said he’s curious to see if any common themes reveal themselves through the production’s interpretations of the two plays, but has no preconceived ideas beyond their appeal strictly as great works of art.
“Chekhov and Shakespeare. You couldn’t ask for a better pairing of classical theater,” Spokes said.
Besides an appreciation of classic theater, the chance to see such a prestigious cast is a main source of audience interest. McKellen’s last appearance at Royce Hall was in the 1992 production of “Richard III.”
“I’m going to see “˜King Lear’ because the chance to see a truly great actor tackle this monumental role seems too important to miss,” said Robert Watson, professor of English and associate vice provost for educational innovation at UCLA.
Watson is not the only person who admits to being motivated by star power.
“Anytime there’s a world-known artist coming, I’m always interested in seeing them live. It’s different from on-screen,” said Monique Benjamin, a third-year Afro-American Studies student.
Not content to merely rest on their laurels as one of the most acclaimed classical theater companies in existence, the RSC also plans to give back to the student community of UCLA. The company will offer master classes in voice and acting to UCLA theater students, as well as hold informal discussions led by the directorial staff, Theresa Willis said.
Tickets to the plays, however, are in scarce supply. Student rush tickets won’t be offered for the show, but “optimistic walk-ups” might still get lucky, said UCLA Live Director David Sefton to the Los Angeles Times last Saturday.
“You never know. We might have a handful of releases, because there may be people who suddenly don’t show,” Sefton said.
Despite the slim ticket availability, Rachel Powell, a graduate student in the School of Theater, Film and Television specializing in screenwriting, still plans on trying her luck at getting a chance to see McKellen in the flesh.
“Wow, Ian? I’m ashamed to admit, but yes, I would definitely wait in line (for him),” she said. “I might even prepare the snacks and coffee for that.”