The Rehearsal and Performance students at Valley Vista High School will perform King Lear one night only! Our version has been edited down to 90 min run time.  There will be a 15 min intermission.

About King Lear

King Lear is an old patriarch who is looking to retire and so the King divides the country into thirds -one for each daughter. Goneril, Reagan, and Cordelia must all profess their love for their mother  the King to receive the land. Though both Goneril and Reagan profess their love with sweet words and flattery for their mother, Cordelia does not. Cordelia tells her mother that she loves her mother and nothing more.  This angers King Lear, she sees Cordelia's lack of speech as an insult and disowns her favorite daughter. Meanwhile, Gloucester -Lear's friend- discovers a betrayal of trust and love from one of his own children. Edgar (a daughter, born in wedlock) and heir to Gloucester's fortune and title is betrayed by her younger sibling Edmund (a son, born out of wedlock). Edmund schemes to be heir to Gloucester's fortune by deceiving his father and sibling. 

Our production has changed the gender of pivotal roles, but the change in gender will not impact the meaning or overall story of the play. The themes of family, the meaning of genuine love, the folly of assumptions, and the desire to be respected and loved are all still present and heightened by our changes. We hope you enjoy our production of King Lear. 

All of our Theatre productions are student-driven. We take pride in performing a wide variety of shows all year long beginning in the Fall with: 

One Acts, a festival we host in September which is student-directed, student-performed, and student-designed

Dramatizing, a scare house we host in October which is designed, built, and run by students

Fall Musical, a November tradition where we partner up with local elementary schools to put on a major musical, build our own costumes, sets, programs, and props!

Winter Show, a December tradition where students directed, perform, design, and run the show.

Talent Show, a February event Drama Club run event where the whole school shows off their skills and our special guest 3 Day Weekend ends the night with a show stopping concert!

Shakespeare & Dinner, a March tradition!  An evening of dinner and Shakespeare performed by the advanced Acting (Rehearsal & Performance) class on campus.

Spring Musical, a April tradition where students  build our own costumes, sets, programs, and props!

Our troupe also participates in the following competitions:

Arizona State Thespian Festival

Northern Arizona Thespian Festival

International Thespian Festival

ASU Gammage High School Musical Awards

National Youth Arts Awards

Northern Arizona University Theatre Day Monologue Competition

English Speaking Union Shakespeare Competition

and

Various Speech & Debate Tournaments and Competitions