The free program will pair a new work by teen playwrights with a one-act adaptation of Shakespeare.
Baker Theater Workshop will present a double bill this January featuring the world premiere of Walking on a Paper Moon, a new one-act play by Lorelai Kaplan and Eleanor Edlefsen, alongside Lear (alone), a reimagining of King Lear. The productions will be staged at ReAct Theatre in Pioneer Square, with all performances offered free to the public.
Commissioned as part of Baker Theater Workshop’s mission to support local artists, Walking on a Paper Moon marks the first longer play by Kaplan and Edlefsen, both under the age of 18. The one-act centers on a father and his daughters as they navigate grief while watching the first moon landing, using a contemporary family story to complement the evening’s engagement with Shakespeare. Both writers are active theatre artists in the Puget Sound region and serve as board members of The 14/48 Projects’ High School Festival.
The world premiere of Walking on a Paper Moon will be directed by Baker Theater Workshop artistic director Peter Temes, who also directs Lear (alone). Kaplan and Edlefsen will appear in their own play alongside company members Cassondra Parkerson and Ken Knight.
Lear (alone) focuses on the third act of Shakespeare’s tragedy, depicting Lear isolated in the wilderness as he descends into madness. While drawing largely from the original text, the adaptation incorporates contemporary elements, including a narrator, to guide modern audiences. Andrew Weiss serves as assistant director, with a cast that includes Eric Newman, Melissa Takai, Cassondra Parkerson, Jason Marr, Jane Cater, and Temes.
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