By William Shakespeare

Yale Repertory Theatre – Winter 2004

Directed by Harold Scott
Scenic design by Blythe R. D. Quinlan
Costume Design by Jessica Ford
Lighting Design by S. Ryan Schmidt
Sound Design by Philip Scott Peglow
Music composed by Anthony Davis

With Avery Brooks as King Lear

All pics copyright Joan Marcus

Avery Brooks, who played Lear, was involved in the process from the beginning. He and the director, Hal Scott, were both interested in using the hypothesis put forth by Ivan Van Sertima in his book, “They Came Before Columbus,” that Africans made it to the new world before Columbus’s expedition in 1492.
The massive African looking Olmec heads in Central Mexico were the key to Van Sertima’s theory, and also Hal’s key to our entrance into the play.


Unfortunately, aside from the large stone heads, most of the Olmec research consisted of small jade figurines not carved with any attention to clothing. They were probably dressed in small cloth garments for ritual occasions.
We set about creating a visual language that was a fusion of ancient Central American research and African tribal cultures like the Massai, Samburu, and Dinka.

The cast: Avery Brooks, Marie Thomas, Petronia Paley, Roslyn Ruff, Ray Ford, Johnny Lee Davenport, Charles Turner, Justin Emeka, John Douglas Thompson, John Livingston Rolle, David Toney, Wiley Moore, Jovan Rameau, Che Ayende, Mark Sage Hamilton, Lakai Worrell, Giovanni Adams, Baub R.J. Bidon, Larry W. Floyd, Albert Lawrence, Kobi Libii