For most people who know of Auberjonois, a prolific and talented actor who
has just died at age 79, he's probably mostly famous for his TV roles. But
for me, Auberjonois was the first person I ever saw play Edgar in KING
LEAR, and every time I saw him afterwards, I always thought back to his
performance in that role, in the Joseph Papp-produced version that aired on
PBS in Houston (and elsewhere) in 1974. He was excellent and held his own
against James Earl Jones (Lear) and Raul Julia (Edmund). Rosalind Cash,
whom I had known only from the schlocky Charlton Heston movie THE OMEGA
MAN, was a compelling Goneril. Auberjonois's Edgar and Paul Sorvino's
Gloucester in many ways stuck in my memory even more than Jones's Lear or
Julia's Edmund did. For one thing, it's easier to figure out things about
Lear and Edmund and Goneril just from reading the characters on the page,
but I didn't understand how someone could be Edgar or Gloucester until I
saw Auberjonois and Sorvino play those roles. For another, the play as a
whole turned a switch in my mind and made me think, abruptly, that I could
perform Shakespeare roles myself and make the language and the characters
come alive. I didn't have any plans in high school ever to perform
Shakespeare--I had performed in high-school theater of the musical-comedy
variety mostly, but it wasn't a career thing--but this TV performance of
LEAR seeded in me the desire to perform Shakespeare someday if I ever got a
chance.
Doc and Shakespeare at Winedale (which I hadn't yet heard of in 1974) gave
me that chance. And Auberjonois had showed me how it was possible to
perform a classic role and demonstrate things about about a character that
one couldn't necessarily see in just reading in the lines.
René Auberjonois, 'Star Trek' and 'Benson' Actor, Dies at 79
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ren-auberjonois-dead-star-trek-benso…
via @thr
Here's the IMDb listing for the "Great Performances" installment that aired
Papp's LEAR.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076269/
I've also attached a pic.
It occurred to me me that it might be useful to have an estimate of how many of you would participate in a week-long reunion next year in August IF we decide to do such a thing?
There is much virtue in this IF, for very soon I need to reserve accommodations and arrange meals for that stay, especially IF we are to address Festival Hill for all of that.
So please let me know immediately about your availability for that magical IF week. I’d like to be able to pass it on to others on Saturday.
Thanks,
Doc
Jim (Doc) Ayres
Professor Emeritus, The University of Texas
Founding Director, Shakespeare at Winedale and Camp Shakespeare
Director of Mission, Camp Shakespeare
In our efforts to include as many people as possible in the Shakespeare at
Winedale 50th Anniversary Celebration, we ask that you take a moment to
click on the link below and fill out this survey. I know that many of you
have already answered some of these questions, but Zoë Feygin, one of the
Jacobeans, helped us create this survey which will help us organize your
answers.
Sh@W 50th Survey
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1MAbqQMJUh_v2XgudQRWEXRlKTBlPZ1T5Lfya9lcOzc…>
Thank you!
Madge