Augie is the understudy for one of the most demanding roles in the theater, King Lear--and he may have to go on tonight. Anna, his wife, is ready to help him. But she has a secret (or two), and he has a problem...
The Standby Lear is a comedy about a tragedy: a glimpse behind the curtain at a theater in a moment of crisis, a glimpse behind the curtain at a good marriage under stress, a glimpse of a man facing down his demons, with a little help from his friends.
The principal cast of The Standby Lear features Larry Paulsen (The Choir Boy, ACT/5th Ave) as Augie, and Jeanne Paulsen (Mother Courage, Seattle Shakespeare). "Augie and Anna are a married pair of actors who have worked at professional theaters all over the country. We are very lucky to have for our cast a married pair of actors who have worked at professional theaters all over the country," said Thalia's Producing Artistic Director, Terry Edward Moore.
Alongside Moore on the Creative Team are Stage Manager Phillip Randall (Teatro ZinZanni), Scenic and Lighting Designer Roberta Russell (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Seattle Shakespeare), Properties Designer/Technical Director Richard Schug (The Revolutionists, Bainbridge Performing Arts), Sound Designer Johanna Melamed (The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd, Book-It), and Costume Designer Jae Hee Kim (Creation Of The World, Theatre 9/12).