Abstract
The 2013 Oregon Shakespeare Festival's King Lear presented a dual problem for any reviewer. With two actors sharing the principal role, which performance represented the director's vision and which should be considered first? Bill Rauch's intention, to explore Lear's multifaceted character through two distinctive performers, seems counter to demands for consistency inherent in any repertory production. An unforeseen outcome for this forced duality was its affect on the production's powerfully envisioned Cordelia, whose character shifted subtly in response to the different Lears. To interrogate and complement this schizophrenic theatrical moment, two academics collaborate on a combined review of two separate performances.
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