Please!
Life expectancy and life span are not the same thing. It is unlikely that most people died in their forties in Shakespeare’s time.
Life expectancy is an average that includes the high mortality in the first five years of life. Once children live past those early years, it is likely they will live far longer than the average life expectancy.
24
@Anthro Bill
Thank you; I am always surprised that even educated writers misunderstand this simple point.
5
@Anthro Bill
"Life expectancy and life span are not the same thing."
Thank you for pointing this out.
In the "newspaper of record," basic acquaintance with elementary statistical analysis should be assumed. One hopes.
Inadvertent errors in this basic skill cause fundamental misunderstandings that unpack to massive errors in reporting (trivial in this instance), personal financial planning, and national policy.
Totalitarian regimes rely on this sort of misrepresentation.
Intentional misrepresentations in this area support America's fake news industry.
To all wanting a lens through which to pierce the numerical fog, I heartily recommend Darrel Huff's "How to Lie With Statistics," a humorous stroll through the inanities and frightening outcomes of statistical error and misrepresentation.
It's been in print "forever."
6
Beautifully written. A delight. Thank you.
21
The current NYT Magazine online has headlines that are an excellent lead-in to this excellent article, which highlights Ms. Jackson as an actor, and not as a woman playing the role about a man (a king.) And, I concur with the praise lavished by the NYT commenters—on the article and on Ms. Jackson.
However, the cover of the NYT magazine delivered to my home, very early this morning, and the first page of the article, show the following question: Can a woman play Shakespeare’s Lear?
This question, obviously written by an editor and not the writer herself, is deliberately provocative and titillating and is an insult to the actor, and has essentially nothing to do with the article. Shame on the editor, who lazily tried to tie into the current gender-identity political polarization. The subhead question was certainly not reflected in the article. And kudos to that editor who did not allow that titillating question into the online edition.
This is not the first time I have noticed this kind of politically-driven disconnect between articles and headlines. These are disservice to the NYT readers. I wish the editors, and their supervisors, would exercise more self-control and less tendency to fan flames.
36
Dear Ms Sehgal, please write always and often.
18
Oh, my goodness! Glenda Jackson and Ian McKellen look and sound more like each other with each passing year. We are so blessed to have both of them still forcing us to think.
18
The only puff in this piece likely came and went with the cigarettes. Brilliant, brittle, absorbing, and moving ... just like its subject, the great Glenda Jackson.
33
What a beautifully written piece about an extraordinary, ordinary artist! Thank you.
22
After absorbing the sublimely illuminating, no-nonsense discourse and photography I rushed to the Cort Theatre. Luckily, good seats at a reasonable price were still available.
A master class on how to communicate a master artist - let her lead be your guide.
I’ll keep this very, very wise article for reading and sharing. Blessings on Ms. Jackson, Ms. Sehgal and Mr. Davison.
19
A great interview and well-written. Ms. Jackson is a tremendous actress and what a voice! This interview has some great touches; I found very moving and novelistic Jackson’s comment about walking by a shop window even now and casually thinking that that object would be nice to get for her mother - so long-deceased. Time, love, family! - so well-expressed.
And she’s right about Jeremy Corbyn.
19
I enjoyed reading this piece, mainly because I have always loved Glenda Jackson 's work--as actress and politician--but also because Lear has always been my favorite play. I've seen it many times and have liked most of the performances, particularly Olivier's and Plummer's, but I still vividly remember the first I ever saw: Morris Carovsky's performance in the Stratford, Connecticut, Shakespeare Theater some time in the late 1960s or early 1970s. I will never forget the sound of his voice during Lear's mad scene on the heath. "Blow winds and crack your cheeks" was the howl of a soul completely un-moored and adrift at sea. And when he carried Cordelia's body onto the stage at the end, I saw it as the very definition of a tragic ending and high art.
16
Anyone who hasn't seen the movie "Sunday Bloody Sunday" should do so. What a great movie. What a great actress.
23
Bravo!! Splendid piece on a worthy subject! ❤️ my Saturday mornings with NYT.
8
Bravo, Parul Sehgal. Brilliantly done.
16
Does your granddaughter need a role model?
6
She is a truly wonderful actor, but I'd rather see her in something not so much a gimmick, just as it would be a gimmick to have seen, for instance, Philip Seymour Hoffman play Lady Macbeth.
2
To admirers of Glenda Jackson who have not seen it, look at her impromptu speech in Parliament on YouTube about Margaret Thatcher soon after Thatcher's death. It is riveting and shows her passion about her political beliefs. You get an idea of what drives her besides the pull of acting. As much as I enjoyed her movies and stage work, I admired her tremendously for turning away from that world and devoting herself to helping others through government service.
29
@Joe Langford I sought it out at your advice and yes! it was well worth the time....
10
I am actually tearing up as I read this gorgeous piece. The author has not captured or encapsulated Ms. Jackson — rather, she is illuminated, and casts lights on all that surrounds her. On “Mr. William,” on Lear, on acting. I could rush out to get New York air tickets, and King Lear tickets (and I might). But I doubt I could be more deeply moved now by seeing the play, as much as I do love it too.
40
What an excellent and well-written article about one of my favorite actors and human beings. Ms Jackson won my heart in “Women in Love” and was mesmerizing in “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” among others. To add to that, she gained my admiration for her liberal politics, which she put on the line when she became a Member of Parliament.
“King Lear” is one of my favorites of Shakespeare’s plays, but I have only been able to see it when it was put on screen, as I hope this version will be, perhaps by PBS Masterpiece.
By playing Lear, Ms Jackson is not only proving that age is no barrier to creativity but she is putting the lie to the concept of misappropriation as she proves that actors need not be confined by gender or any other societal limitation to the roles they take on.
22
Wonderful article about Glenda Jackson. Seeing her face - she lives her years in it - made me curious about why women actors would ever alter their looks with plastic surgery. Why take one's character away, especially in this profession (let alone in general)?
40
Wonderful writing. She comes alive.
20
Fantastic woman and someone to emulate.
7
My apologies, but why must this turgid article insist that this is the "greatest" play? I look forward to purchasing my ticket, even after reading about the disappointing and incongruous set designs.
2
@I. Zephyr
The designation of "greatest" anything is almost always subjective. Perhaps the author thinks it so, yet the right to disagree with him is yours to keep.
3
@I. Zephyr That’s the spirit!
1
Thanks Parul - I have had the opportunity to meet Ms. Jackson and your article is a masterpiece. Really. Wonderful to read and reflect on. A model piece for a journalism class. In a world searching for authenticity, the author and the actor have met the standard.
Thanks you.
48
Thank you for this excellent and moving piece. Ms. Jackson is monumental and the play is very good. After reading this piece, I may have to go see the play a second time. Thank you.
6
Can we in the hinterlands hope for a taped version? Many of us cannot trek to New York for this momentous production.
42
Brava, Parul Sehgal. Yes, Ms. Jackson is magnificent. The fact that I once interviewed her during the run of Three Tall Women is one of the great experiences of my life. And I've waited two years to see this production. But Ms. Sehgal has also written one of the very best, most sensitive interviews I can remember reading on any subject. She's miraculously risen to the occasion with a subject who is hardly easy to interview and produced something of great beauty. Brava again and thank you.
72
Would give my right arm to see this. Who am I kidding? I'd give all four limbs gladly.
So few people have access to live theatre; most cannot afford it. If you can and want to see legendary performers treading the boards, you still must travel to London or New York.
I hope one of these performances will be recorded and made available via Cineplex Stage Live or at a later date on PBS. Knowing theatre and seeing a performance like this one should be within the realm of possibility for everyone, in any part of the world, regardless of age or socioeconomic status. This is especially true in our current political climate, when so many people are struggling to see themselves and where they belong in the world and even their own country — because everyone belongs in the theatre, and no one is persecuted, reviled, or abandoned there.
60
The quotation from Edgar is one sentence, not two, at least in the two editions I have.
1
The author makes a common error in statistical interpretation when he states that Shakespeare, at 42, would consider himself old, since life expectancy ran to the mid-40s.
That life expectancy is skewed by extremely high rates of infant mortality. A man of 40 would have a high probability of surviving into his 50s or 60s.
9
Well done, Pahrul, well done
9
Could we not glamorize smoking or bring the reporter's life into the story?
9
Grow up. People are who they are. Supposedly no "Children" are reading this article
17
@Greater Metropolitan Area
I don't think the reporter brings her own life into the article. She is a presence in the article only insofar as she interacts with Jackson. And it is through that interaction that Jackson is revealed.
13
Very illuminating, but it doesn't cover the question that most Britons want to know:
Was she ever paid by Morecambe and Wise?! After all, this is not Ms Jackson's first Hamlet
https://youtu.be/TE0DIzwx7wM?t=250
1
My first arrival, as a child all of twelve - into New York City via La Guardia and yellow-cabbed into the white, snow-painted city, those magical swirling flakes escorting me into Radio City Music Hall - to see The Rockettes, but more the main feature on that colossal screen...Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Mary Queen of Scots.
I fell in love. Madly. Her talent seized me whole and I have ardently followed her throughout her brilliant career.
Oh what I wouldn’t give...a right arm?
Ah...to be among the anointed few who are to be granted the gift of bearing witness to this performance. Fairy God mother where are you?
14
Articles like this:
Heck of a good reason to read the New York Times!
38
I had the great fortune to see this brilliant thespian in her Tony Award-winning role in “Three Tall Women.” I will see her in “King Lear” in April and I CAN’T WAIT!!!! Thanks for this article. Thanks for wetting my appetite for this glory. Tony Awards, heads up!
6
Thanks, New York Times. Now none of us will have a chance in hell to see her on stage - one more time. Unless we buy the theatre... ;)
9
I can't wait to see Ms. Jackson.
But oh, what I would have given to see Philip Seymour Hoffman tackle this role, at the right time. Sad.
8
Having seen a preview last week, I’m afraid I agree with the naysayers here: this is a glittery, gimmicky production, badly staged and overlit. Ms. Jackson is natty and her manner and diction are precise, but it was, for me, a bloodless, passionless exercise in technique. She remains fascinating to watch of course, and I could feel the younger actors on stage observing her every moment and movement and drinking her in with avidity, as did the audience. Ms. Jackson is a marvel, a world monument, but you will get more bluff wisdom and feel more emotion reading about her in thus article than you will by seeing her as Lear. She did not get the simple, plain production she deserved. But you know what? See her anyway. She is worth our time and respect and yes, affection.
14
@Thomas Phillips
The whole thing is a bit of a gimmick..
1
Wow. And thanks. I love the fotos of Ms Jackson. What a glorious face.
6
After a nano second, the gender issue disappears: it's just the tyrannical Lear and the towering Miss Glenda. Some performances are talked about for years after they end--Brando's Stanley, Gieguld's Hamlet. Jackson's Lear will be one of those performances. She is extraordinary: that voice, that commitment. Lucky are the actors who share the stage with her. Don't miss this--and P.S. the performance starts exactly on time.
22
Great Glenda Jackson.....i remeber seeing her in Venice when i was a teenage girl.....always the best.....as an actress and utterly human...
I will be seeing her on Broadway next month and needless to say. Cant wait....she was and is always superb....
Her movies are great, her work at the Parliament congratulatory and as an actress on stage without compare...
One of a kind.....
Bravo Glenda....
King Lear at this moment in our lives is one true example, of how human race is in a free fall.....bad times are coming....
But we have the work of art to make the fall just a bit softer....sad....
8
Saw this show last night. Loved Glenda's performance. It is worth it to see this Lear for her performance alone. The cast is mostly great too. I disliked the staging and it almost ruined the show for me. I spent a great deal of my energy trying not to focus on how awful it was. There was little to no attempt to create the different locations, and thus, the atmosphere, and the forward motion of the play was terribly static. Often there were actors onstage that were not needed, looking very awkward and misplaced and the mess in the second half screamed "we're trying to kill you with symbolism". It was so distracting and unnecessary. I felt sorry for the actors, having to work with that. The storm scene was quite good thou. The best thing about this production, is the acting, particularly Glenda, the storm scene, and the music by Phillip Glass, which is terrific. I would recommend seeing this production. Just ignore the staging as much as possible and you'll enjoy it.
12
I saw Glenda Jackson as Lady Macbeth years ago at the Palace Theatre in Stamford, CT. Her co-star was Christopher the Plummer. I’d love to see Jackson in King Lear. I hope it has a long run. I’m sure she’s incredible in it - she’s a great actress but after reading this article, she seems like an annoying and contrary person. As a grandmother she must be a piece of work.
5
@Daniel.
Agree. I would tire of the ridiculous affectations and eccentricities mentioned in the article.
3
Oh, Please, please, please! Some production company (the people who film National Theatre Live?) has to film this production. It just HAS to happen! How do we make sure it happens?!
9
I just want to say THANK YOU for that lede especially. Wish they could record this performance for those that cannot get to Broadway.
5
Superb story. Fascinating person.
Thank you Parul Sehgal, Jacob Krupnick, Jack Davison, Brigitte Lacombe and NYT.
Thank you Glenda Jackson!
8
I saw Ms. Jackson play King Lear at the Old Vic in 2016, directed by Deborah Warner. She (and the production) were great. However, I hear the New York production is totally different and sadly perhaps not so great.
7
Why, upon hearing that after a woman singled out a line that had been particularly moving to her, Jackson had henceforth been unable to find the right way to say the line - would you call attention to any gesture of hers, fasten on "spittle" ffs. beautifully written article. let us hope she doesn't read it.
Brilliant video. OMG, I would LOVE to see this. To any New Yorker debating: GO.
She looks far older than her stated age.
@Bob,
Perhaps because she 'lives' and continues to live and is not made out of glass. In France, she might be recognized as a 'Jolie Laide' with passion.
5
@Miss Ley - more likely because she smokes. It's not kind to the skin.
1
An absolutely beautiful piece!!! Well done! God, I needed that. Thank you!
9
Before even reading this article (for which I am too exhilarated to wait through before leaving this comment) I must say how serendipitous it is that it comes on the day after having just finished "Elizabeth R," the 1971 series Ms. Jackson starred in.
I can imagine a journalist interviewing Meryl Streep asking her what is it like being the greatest actor of all time, and her response: 'I don't know, you'd have to ask Glenda Jackson about that.'
5
Will Meryl Streep tackle the great stage roles? Will she return to the stage for some sustained work as Glenda Jackson has done?
1
Such a brilliant actress, and a first glance at her performance in "The Music Lovers" on a train in Russia was memorable and haunting to this viewer.
Ms. Jackson is rarely into the fluff (one amusing moment in time with Walter Matthau), and she appears to have a good understanding of D.H. Lawrence, outstanding in some of his novels brought to the screen, and then there is always 'Black Monday', worth revisiting.
Great photographs of this original talent, and with appreciation to Parul Sehgal for a splendid profile of the memorable Glenda Jackson.
2
* Correction - always enjoyed 'Sunday, Bloody Sunday' with Glenda Jackson. Whether she is an authoritarian, her children would have the answer. She did not take prisoners when young, and is a force to be reckoned with. Call it 'Irish', but before reading this profile on her powerful role in theater, an Austrian friend and I were discussing our knowledge of Shakespeare. "All is Well that Ends Well" has to be interpreted, causing my friend to reply 'It is What it is', leaving us dangling with 'Whatever', while the latter enjoyed Ms. Jackson's performance in Albee's Three Women.
People do change. Our nature remains the same but our thinking amends through the years. This was culled from D.H. Lawrence, a sensitive soul.
Off to Baltimore this goes to a volatile friend on her way to visit her family in England. Another admirer of Glenda Jackson who attempts to explain Brexit to this listener.
1
Ms. Sehgal is a worthy adversary to Ms. Jackson, it appears she suffered existential wounds to compose this article similar to what Jackson does every night on stage to bring Lear to life. Thank you for your service, Ms. Sehgal.
Earlier, I couldn't wait to comment on this article before reading it because I was excited Ms. Jackson was the subject of this introspection after having just finished watching her carry the show in "Elizabeth R" last night. Over a week's worth of time spent seeing that long 1971 series changed me, and liking that mutation, I looked forward to this production by Ms. Sehgal. I must say she did for the magazine what perhaps director Gold will have done for the theatre.
But as of this writing, the NYT editors won't publish the preemptive comment I wrote -- how long did I spend reading and re-reading this piece to get here? Long enough for them to decide to wait for me to have the patience to sit calmly and breathe and share a bit of the pain and anguish the two protagonists staged for us all: as an audience member to this work by Ms. Sehgal and Ms. Jackson, it is not just a vicarious experience I have had, I have internalized their struggle through a great fault of empathy that I have felt to be too great at times.
There is a joke worth riffing on: I can imagine Ms. Sehgal interviewing Meryl Streep asking her what it's like to be the greatest actor of all time, and her response being: 'I don't know, you'd have to ask Glenda Jackson that.' [Apologies]
4
Thanks, I needed this.
4
Two whole generations of audience will hang on every word.
2
I saw a preview of the Broadway King Lear last night and, while I am generally a big fan of Glenda Jackson (as well as cast members John Douglas Thompson and Elizabeth Marvel), found this production to be disappointing in many respects. This is not the same production as the Deborah Warner-directed London version. I.e., different set; different director; different gimmicks/ innovations on stage; and, other than GJ, apparently a different cast. It will be interesting to see what the reviews are like.
3
Enjoyed this lengthy article. I have trip to NYC planned for June and have already purchased a ticket for Lear. A couple of friends, who saw an early preview were impressed by Ms Jackson but felt many of the actors in supporting roles were not up to par.
2
My favorite Shakespearean play. I loved teaching this play, so very powerful and touching. I hope it is a success.
4
Saw Lear two weeks ago. Carvajal and Marvel were extraordinary, riveting, but I’m sorry to say that Ms Jackson was simply a tiny lady in the middle of a shiny stage, difficult to understand, and not king-like at all. We sat in the second row and strained to decipher the dialogue.
All around us at the final curtain people were saying how transformative the production was, leaving me feeling like an alien, until the young man in front of us turned to his girlfriend and said: that didn’t work at all.
Maybe it’s an age thing....
11
@Michael c Agree with your take on the production. We sat in the 6th row and had trouble with deciphering the dialogue too. The staging was awful. That said, we're great Ruth Wilson fans and thought her portrayal of the Fool was marvelous.
2
A wonderful article. It makes me want to spend thousands of dollars to fly to NY to see Jackson in one of my favourite plays. Jackson has been a role model and source of inspiration for my entire adult life. Thank you.
11
I was a teenager when I saw Glenda Jackson as Charlotte Corday on Broadway's "Marat/Sade." Frankly, the play was way beyond my comprehension, but I have lived with a sense of Jackson on that stage, in some sort of palpable agony, since that moment. She is indelible.
15
Phenomenal performance!
Seeing Jackson perform Leer was one of the top theatre experiences of my life. She totally inhabited her character, delivered her lines with such naturalness and dynamic range that you'd think she spoke Shakespearean English all day every day including trips to the grocery store...all while moving about the stage like an elite athlete.
17
I am thrilled to learn that Glenda Jackson and are in the same very large club of those daily grieving the loss of excellence, and the expectation of it, to be reminded many times over, that mediocrity is often the very best one can hope for. ..in anything. Happily that is not the case in her performance This club is growing in numbers every day, as we march into the face of an intensely troubling future. It is comforting to know there is still excellence to be had. As Mel Brooks said..."It 's good to be the King!"
25
Article gave me goose bumps. I've never been to New York but this would be well-worth the trip. Perhaps in another life.
29
First, I watched the fantastic video of this woman who has crystallized what theater is, what acting is. A woman who’s let herself age. Naturally. And I thought: Wow! If only in 8 years, when I’m her age, I have such presence and wisdom.
Then, to my surprise came this long, wonderful article! And for some reason, the tears that had sprung into my eyes, while watching the video, continued. As they do now.
Rarely have I read and watched such amazing articulation, both in the video and the article.
I feel privileged to have seen and read this.
Thanks to the Times for giving your reporter such a wonderful, long series of interviews. And thanks for such a marvelous write-up! And thank you, Glenda Jackson - it’s rare to find such a character, someone you’d hope you could live along into. And how I can forget to thank Shakespeare? For Lear and so much more.
99
The night I saw a preview the play was encumbered by a such a cluttered, unconvincing set that I hoped Ms. Jackson would demand that the stage be cleared, so she didn't have to constantly step around, between, and over objects in her path.
And the scene on the heath, which would seem to demand a sense of vastness, the actors (not the characters) had to huddle against a metal wall, navigating a three-foot moat (or thereabouts) that allowed them to move only back and forth, back and forth.
A powerful performance indeed from Ms. Jackson constricted by a puzzling, unsatisfactory production.
10
@Asheville Resident
I quite agree. The acting was first rate but the production was too busy and as you say, too cluttered.
6
@Asheville Resident
We saw the production a few weeks ago. To say we were disappointed can't begin to describe our sense- we were appalled. The director made so many miscalculations and poor decisions it felt like Glenda Jackson's Lear was buried and couldn't be seen through all the static. We left at intermission.
6
I’m with you. I actually get furious every time I think about it. What a disservice to Glenda—-and Ruth M, who was also excellent. What a ridiculous idea to have a string quartet playing onstage during the entire performance. What an appalling and inappropriate set. What was someone thinking?
6
What I wouldn’t give to see this. How can it be my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays? I don’t know, but it is. I wish it could be filmed - a diminishment I’m sure of live theater, but would be embraced by those of us in the middle of the country who won’t be going to NY in the near future. Wait. Maybe I’ll check into tickets....
38
What a well-written article; elegant and illuminating. Glenda Jackson deserves no less, I hope she appreciates it.
44
acting is not a contest but glenda jackson is one of history's greatest, no american can come close. her depth and versatility unsurpassed. she brings clarity, intelligence and shear tremendous entertainment to each and every role.
16
I find myself feeling that I would gladly give up the rest of my life if I could see just one performance of this play. Despite the general depression, fear, and anger in the world today, our humanity has not been extinguished while artistry like this still exists. (Yes, I know, GJ would hate that sentence. And we can also cheer up and remember that the world survived beyond 1606.) What a brilliant article and stunning photographs--a definite classic of theater writing.
52
I saw it last night. Easily of of the greatest stage performances of any actor I've ever seen or am likely to ever see in my lifetime.
50
I’m totally jealous...she was one of my favorite actors...would love to see her in this...
1
I have seen a number of notable Lears in my time: John Lithgow in the Park, Frank Langella at BAM, Sam Waterston at the Public, as well as Olivier's television performance, among others.
Glenda Jackson is the best Lear I have seen. It was the first time that Lear became truly tragic to me. I had tears in my eyes during Lear's death scene, which has not happened before.
I do wonder how much both her age and her decades in Parliament informed her performance. In the opening scene Jackson played Lear with a kind of glee; there were moments where Lear appears to be talking to himself and laughing. It is the kind of behavior that I have seen in seniors and have never seen in Lear.
Ms. Jackson is also surrounded by a company of formidable talent. Plaudits to Elizabeth Marvel, John Douglas Thompson. Jayne Houdyshell and Ruth Wilson in particular.
67
@ClayB: About 50 years ago when I was in high school in New York, I saw Lee J. Cobb perform King Lear. He was terrific, but the young actor who played The Fool, René Auberjonois, stole the play. He was brilliant.
4
Thank you for this illuminating and refreshing portrait of Glenda Jackson, whose performance so many years ago as Elizabeth R, has never been equaled in my mind. And I loved her in "Women in Love" with the great, departed Alan Bates. Unlike so many actors today, who need personal pampering and are followed mercilessly by the press, for Jackson it was all about the role, not about her. Unlike some actresses of a certain age, she does not try to hide her age. Her lived-in face testifies to her emphasis upon work and not ego. And I had no idea she served in Parliament. More power to her.
31
@Barbara
Yes!....I so remember Glenda Jackson and the Elizabeth R televised series.....
When can we see her again in Elizabeth R?
2
@d. stonham
That indeed wonderful series is available on DVD and I hope you get to see it again.
3
Interesting how unisex aging faces become, sheerly human.
Wish I could see this, Ms. Jackson is a powerful actor!
28
@Connie Moffit: I think she looks quite feminine. And as a woman, she's and actress. not an actor.
@Maria da Luz Teixeira
Maria, the current usage in at least American English is to refer to both genders as "actor" rather than "actress" and "actor" ... something that has arisen over the last decade or more relative to political currents, the struggle for equality, etc. Using "actress" these days is often apt to be frowned upon. (I don't write this as criticism, by the way ...) An historical antecedent might be "aviator" and "aviatrix" from the early decades of the 20th Century ... "aviatrix" is now long gone, mostly antique usage.
14
Thank you. This is a wonderful interview. I saw the first preview, wish I could see it again after the weeks of work and thought. The photos are revelatory.
30