Open to Public

The Long-Term Care Trilogy: King Lear

Caregiving & Death

King Lear Project

Adapted and Directed by Bryan Doerries

Fri, Oct 28.2022 7:00 PM

On the Radio!

A series of free, interconnected, hybrid events, The Long-Term Care Trilogy will bring together actors, activists, authors, public figures, and caregivers to perform readings of plays by Sophocles and Shakespeare as a catalyst for engaging diverse audiences—both in-person and on Zoom—in crucial conversations about the challenges of caring for those our society has marginalized and left behind, especially elders. The Long-Term Care Trilogy will be broadcast live out of Tranzac, a community-oriented performance space in Toronto, in front of a small in-person audience. Using Zoom to join audiences—both physical and digital—in global dialogue, the project will also engage participants on their personal devices and gathering at “ground sites” linked to long-term care homes throughout Ontario.

Featuring performances by Margaret Atwood, David Strathairn, Adrienne Clarkson, Vanessa Sears, Jani Lauzon, Deena Aziz, Evan Buliung, R.H. Thomson, and a Chorus of Caregivers: Dee Hope, Michael Booth, and Carol Lemen.

Presented by Theater of War Productions, the Toronto International Festival of Authors, Family Councils Of Ontario, and Writers Collective of Canada with support from Canada Council for the Arts and TD Bank Ready Commitment.

Support for Theater of War Productions' digital programming is provided, in part, by the Mellon Foundation.

Translated, directed, and facilitated by Bryan Doerries. Produced by Marjolaine Goldsmith.

The Long-Term Care Trilogy will include:

October 26, 2022, 7:00pm - 9:30pm EDT

Theater of War: Philoctetes presents readings of Sophocles’ Philoctetes—an ancient Greek play about a warrior who abandoned by his friends on a desolate island on account of a chronic illness—as a catalyst for facilitated discussions about the challenges of witnessing suffering and healing wounds, both visible and invisible.

October 27, 2022, 7:00pm - 9:30pm EDT

The Oedipus at Colonus Project presents readings of scenes from Sophocles’ final play, Oedipus at Colonus, as a catalyst for powerful, community-driven conversations about the challenges of eldercare during and after the pandemic.

October 28, 2022, 7:00pm - 9:30pm EDT

The King Lear Project presents streamlined readings of scenes from Shakespeare’s King Lear to engage diverse audiences—including older adults, caregivers, and family members—in open, healing, constructive discussions about the challenges of aging, dementia, and caring for friends and loved ones.

Each presentation will consist of three components:

The Performance: A dramatic reading of scenes from plays by Sophocles or Shakespeare, performed by professional actors and community members. (45-70 minutes).
The Panel: Comments from a panel of community members—caregivers, health care workers, family members, advocates, activists, patients, etc.—relating the ancient plays to their personal and professional experiences (15 minutes).
Audience Discussion: A facilitated discussion about each play, its core themes, and how they relate to the challenges of caregiving and long-term care (60 minutes).

About the play

King Lear by William Shakespeare

King Lear by William Shakespeare depicts an elderly king at the border of losing his faculties and independence, who makes a series of rash decisions regarding the future of his kingdom, fracturing his family and isolating himself from those who love him most.