I’m ecstatic to share that I will soon be playing Edmund in “King Lear” for Oakland Theater Project. A joy to return for a third consecutive season at this wonderful company, where I’ve previously played Louis in “Angels in America” and Hamlet in “Hamlet”.
This production of “Lear”, under the brilliant direction of artistic director Michael Moran, features a cast of 30 (!) and starts performances on September 25th. Tickets and more info here.
Here’s what the reviews had to say about my take on Edmund:
“Edmund—the bad-boy bastard son of the loyal Duke of Gloucester … is played here, quite brilliantly, by gangly Dean Linnard, as a hilariously clownish figure rather than a truly evil one.” Jean Schiffman, Bay City News
“The genius of his performance is that Edmund is not simply the villain or the Clown. He is a charmer, a placater, a chess master, and a puppeteer. He is the conductor of machinations with great cunning, and we all buy his snake oil greedily as we bask in his smile and fake affection.” Kelly Rogers Flynt, BroadwayWorld
“The other big star here is Dean Linnard’s manic take on Edmund, the bastard who connives and cajoles at every moment in his quest to usurp his brother, or, barring that, to throw everything around him into a state of chaos. It’s hard to look away from Linnard … His eyes can burn with fury, but Linnard imbues the character with a sense of uncertainty, in that you can never tell what he’s going to do or say next.” Patrick Thomas, Talkin’ Broadway
“[Lear’s] counterpoint is Edmund the Clown, played with swaggering wickedness by Dean Linnard. Wearing his headphones and directing a rave, he’s a shit-stirrer of the highest order.” Steve Murray, BroadwayWorld
“As Gloucester’s bastard son Edmund, Dean Linnard dazzles as a hyper DJ who thrives on the chaos he creates … Edmund steals center stage, other men’s wives, and his noble brother’s birthright.” Jenyth Jo, Theatrius
