Industrial Nature: The Unrealised King Lear of Norman Bel Geddes

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper examines the surviving production evidence from the long-prepared but never staged production of King Lear from industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes and explores the evidence through the lens of Bel Geddes as regisseur. Following a brief introduction to Bel Geddes’ artistic background, it considers the evidence in light of several forces influencing the world of American theatre at the time. This paper goes on to devote considerable focus not only to the evidence specifically related to the King Lear production, including the production script and scene renderings, but also to the ongoing connection between the production and Bel Geddes’ design for ‘Theatre Six’ and its integral role in manifesting the designer’s vision for his adaptation of Shakespeare: the paradoxical use of developing technology to aid in returning the staging of Shakespeare to its Early Modern form. The paper concludes with a consideration of the manner in which his approach to Shakespeare illustrates the need to answer Bel Geddes’ plea for supporting new voices in theatre.