Confronting the role of the monarch in the balance between authority and chaos, “King Lear” reveals the beauty of selfless love, the heartache of betrayal, and the descent of civilization into brutishness when selfish greed has run amuck. Shakespeare’s powerful examination of madness, politics, and filial love is as resonant and important as ever.

Actors From The London Stage (AFTLS) was founded in 1975 at the University of California, Santa Barbara, by Professor Homer “Murph” Swander and the renowned stage and screen actor Sir Patrick Stewart, best known as Captain Picard on TV’s “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” and Professor Xavier in the “X-Men” film franchise.

The AFTLS company ethos and mission is simplicity at its finest. Five actors take the stage, with minimal props and costumes, and direct themselves in a performance of a complete Shakespeare play, with each actor portraying multiple roles.