King O’Leary

The Actors’ Gang continues its tradition of offering family-friendly adaptations of Shakespearean tragedies with this buoyant and outrageous take on King Lear set during the California Gold Rush. Reminiscent of the music hall shows of the Old West with songs, slapstick and a surprising love story, this iconoclastic tale can be enjoyed by all ages. The character of “King O’Leary” is loosely based on the historical figure of San Francisco’s “Emperor Norton,” an eccentric who, in 1859, declared himself “Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.”