ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ University’s Center for Irish Studies Hosts the North American Premiere of Lost Lear
ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥, PA — The Center for Irish Studies at ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ University presents the North American premiere of Lost Lear, a contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear, on Feb. 13 and 15, 2025, in the Topper Theater of the John and Joan Mullen Center for Performing Arts on ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥â€™s campus.
The play tells the story of Joy, a retired actor with dementia, who is reliving her memories of rehearsing the Shakespearean tragedy. A nursing home resident, Joy is cared for by staff who recreate her happy memories to maintain a delicate sense of reality. However, her world is upended by the arrival of her estranged son. With Joy’s memory casting him as the character of Cordelia from the play, he must find a way to speak his piece within the limited role he is given.
Written by Dublin-based Dan Colley and Company and developed in collaboration with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Lost Lear aims to enhance accessibility and engagement for people living with dementia. It combines puppetry, projection and live video effects to create an immersive theatrical experience, inviting the audience to step into Joy’s world as layers of her past and present, fiction and reality, overlap and distort. Lost Lear has captivated audiences across Ireland and New Zealand, offering a thought-provoking exploration of memory, dementia and the unconventional possibilities of human communication.
This production is co-sponsored by . For more information about the production, please visit ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥â€™s website.
Discounted tickets for seniors, students, faculty and staff are available through the box office. Special discounts are available for groups, Continuing Care Retirement Communities and other community partners. For more information, please contact Danielle Redden.
About ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ University’s Center for Irish Studies: The Center for Irish Studies at ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ University has been a leader for four decades in interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship on Ireland in a global framework. The Center connects students to local community organizations while also preparing them to become citizens equipped to take on the world’s most pressing challenges. Through liberal arts-focused academics, multi-disciplinary scholarship and key partnerships, the Center provides students with research, study abroad and employment opportunities.
About ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:Since its founding in 1842, ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been the heart of the ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ learning experience, offering foundational courses for undergraduate students in every college of the University. Serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is committed to fortifying them with intellectual rigor, multidisciplinary knowledge, moral courage and a global perspective. The College has more than 40 academic departments and programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences.