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In this innovative audio theatre adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, the tragedy unfolds inside the final moments of the king’s life. Memory, regret, and hallucination collide.

Format: Audio Theatre with SIGN LANGUAGE ONSCREEN
LEAR voice: Michael Rawley
Narrator: Joseph Brohm
Deaf Artistic Sign Language Performer: Boluwatife Makanjuola
Adaptor: Jeanmarie Simpson from William Shakespeare
Producer: Arizona Theatre Matters
WORLD Premiere: March 13, 2026
Platform: YouTube

Lear - a solo adaptation poster image
Lear – a solo adaptation poster image. Artwork by Kady Barnes.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE March 6, 2026

Contact: pr@arizonatheatrematters.org

A Dying King’s Final Moments: New Audio Theatre King Lear Premieres Online

GLENDALE, AZ — Arizona Theatre Matters will premiere Lear: A Solo Adaptation, an innovative audio theatre interpretation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, on its YouTube channel this month.

The production features celebrated actor Michael Rawley in the title role, supported by intricate narration and an on-screen Artistic Sign Language performance. Together these elements create an immersive and accessible dramatic experience designed for both listening and visual engagement.

Adapted by Founding Artistic Director Jeanmarie Simpson, Lear: A Solo Adaptation reframes Shakespeare’s tragedy as a psychological journey unfolding in the final moments of Lear’s life. As the dying king struggles with memory, regret, and loss, fragments of his past reappear—the division of the kingdom, the betrayal of his daughters, the storm on the heath, and the heartbreaking loss of Cordelia.

At the center of the production is a single theatrical object: Lear’s cloak. Throughout the play it transforms repeatedly—from royal mantle to storm-soaked refuge, from symbol of madness to the body of Cordelia—creating a powerful visual and emotional anchor for the tragedy.

Michael Rawley, Associate Artistic Director of Arizona Theatre Matters, brings decades of performance experience to the role. Rawley has appeared on national and international stages, including the role of Scar in Disney’s The Lion King (U.S. National Tour). His work with Arizona Theatre Matters includes directing The Ferryman’s Toll and Even Unto Death, as well as performing Theseus/Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Prospero in The Tempest.

Arizona Theatre Matters produces innovative digital theatre designed for global audiences. Productions premiere on the company’s YouTube channel, where viewers from nearly 200 countries can experience theatre with captioning available in more than 300 languages.

The organization recently joined the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, strengthening its connection to the local business and arts community while continuing to expand its global reach through accessible digital theatre. More information about Arizona Theatre Matters’ Chamber membership can be found here:
https://docu.team/mtiodew/index.php?v=lp&store=199788

Lear: A Solo Adaptation will premiere on the Arizona Theatre Matters YouTube channel later this month and will be available for free worldwide, in perpetuity.

Playwright’s Note

This adaptation takes place in the final flickering moments of Lear’s life. Time is no longer linear—his past, present, and hallucinations bleed together as he wrestles with his identity, his legacy, and his failures. The world he once ruled has dissolved; all that remains is himself and his tattered cloak—the last remnant of his kingdom, his power, his madness, and his grief. As he speaks, he relives events as they haunt him.

There are no scene or costume changes, no transition from one physical world to another. The movement is internal—Lear’s mind propels him forward, backward, through memory, through delusion, through grief.

At the center of this unraveling is the cloak. It is his kingdom, his burden, his madness, his ruin. It is warmth, armor, a banner of authority—until it is not. The way Lear interacts with it shifts as he himself deteriorates. He clutches it for comfort. He wears it as a mantle. He spreads it before him as a kingdom. He throws it away in rage. And, finally, he lets it fall.

The stage directions throughout the script are not blocking notes in the traditional sense. They do not dictate precise physical movement. They are a map of Lear’s internal shifts, a guide for the actor to explore how thought, memory, and emotion shape his physicality. They suggest the weight of a moment: when Lear grips the cloak as if testing its reality, it is a reflection of his doubt, his failing grasp on who and what he is. When he lifts it as though presenting the kingdom itself, it is Lear still believing, still trying to make something real that is already gone.

Everything the actor does should be in service of this core truth: Lear is living it, reliving it, failing to escape it.

At the end of the piece, there is no resolution. No revelation. No peace. The world does not grant him meaning or comfort. He only loses hold of everything. His voice, his strength, the weight in his arms. And then—nothing.

This is King Lear stripped to its bones. One man. One object. The last breath of a life that has already unraveled.

— Jeanmarie Simpson, March 4, 2025

Production Information

Title: Lear: A Solo Adaptation
Performers: Michael Rawley (Lear), Joseph Brohm (narrator) Boluwatife Makanjuola (Sign Language)
Adaptation: Jeanmarie Simpson
Format: Audio/Video

Sound Design: Sydney Wolfe

Production Manager: Kevin Tye
Platform: YouTube

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About Arizona Theatre Matters

Arizona Theatre Matters (ATM) shapes theatre from the substance of accessibility itself, ensuring storytelling reaches everyone—regardless of ability, income, or location. By making accessibility an artistic foundation, we create theatre that is deeply inclusive, boldly experimental, and undeniably for all.

Media Contact: Kadin Barnes
PR/Marketing Director, Arizona Theatre Matters
Email: pr@arizonatheatrematters.org

If you’d like to help us share the news, please consider forwarding this announcement or sharing the premiere when it launches.

A Solo Audio Theatre Adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear

Arizona Theatre Matters presents a powerful audio theatre adaptation of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.

Canadian actor Michael Rawley performs with intricate narration and an on-screen Artistic Sign Language performance. This production transforms King Lear into an immersive dramatic experience. It is designed for both listening and visual accessibility.

The production premieres on the Arizona Theatre Matters YouTube channel. Global audiences can experience theatre there. Captions are available in more than 300 languages.

Production Overview

In Shakespeare’s King Lear, an aging king divides his kingdom among his daughters. He rewards those daughters who declare their love most extravagantly. His youngest daughter refuses to flatter him. Lear banishes her. This sets into motion a devastating chain of betrayal. Madness and loss follow.

This adaptation reframes the tragedy as a final reckoning inside Lear’s mind.

As the king approaches death, fragments of memory and hallucination collide. Moments from his life flash before him. He recalls his fatal decision to divide the kingdom. The storm on the heath also haunts him. The betrayal of his daughters and the heartbreaking loss of Cordelia weigh heavily on his mind. The king struggles to understand the consequences of his choices.

The play unfolds through virtuosic vocal performance. Narration and Artistic Sign Language performance guide the audience. The story becomes a psychological journey through the final moments of a shattered life.

The Concept

This production is built on a three-layer theatrical structure. Together these three elements create a unique form of accessible audio theatre.

The Actor

Michael Rawley Headshot
Michael Rawley plays King Lear in ATM’s solo adaptation.

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Michael Rawley performs the role of Lear. He embodies the king’s emotional collapse. Lear relives the defining moments of his life.

The Narrator

Joseph Brohm Headshot
Joseph Brohm is the Narrator in ATM’s Lear – a solo adaptation.

Joseph Brohm provides detailed narration. His storytelling shapes the dramatic world. He guides the audience through the shifting landscape of Lear’s memories and hallucinations.

Artistic Sign Language

Boluwatife Makanjuola Publicity Image
Deaf Artistic Director, Boluwatife Makanjuola.

Boluwatife Makanjuola, Deaf Artistic Sign Language performer, appears on screen.

About the Performers

Michael Rawley

Associate Artistic Director, Arizona Theatre Matters

Michael Rawley is a Canadian actor, director, producer, and playwright. He has performed on national and international stages. His roles include the iconic Scar in Disney’s The Lion King (US National Tour).

As Managing Artistic Director of SaveTheLaSalle, he is dedicated to restoring the historic LaSalle Theatre in Ontario. He produces annual productions including Scrooge: A Christmas Carol and Shakespeare in the Park.

Rawley is passionate about preserving theatre history while pushing the boundaries of contemporary performance.

For Arizona Theatre Matters he has:

• directed The Ferryman’s Toll
• directed Even Unto Death
• performed Theseus/Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• performed Prospero in The Tempest

Narration

The narration in Lear serves as a crucial structural element, guiding listeners through the shifting psychological landscape of the play.

The narrator uses vivid description. Carefully crafted transitions help audiences navigate the fragments of memory. They also guide through hallucination and dramatic action unfolding in Lear’s final moments.

Artistic Sign Language

Arizona Theatre Matters productions integrate Artistic Sign Language. This ensures accessibility for Deaf audiences that use sign language. It also adds a powerful visual dimension to the storytelling.

In Lear, the ASL performer interprets the emotional and narrative content of the play.

This approach allows the production to function simultaneously as:

• audio theatre
• visual performance
• accessible dramatic storytelling

About the Adaptor

Jeanmarie Simpson Headshot
Jeanmarie Simpson Headshot

Jeanmarie Simpson

Jeanmarie Simpson is an internationally produced playwright. She is also an actor and director. Her work explores the human consequences of history, war, and social upheaval.

Her adaptation of King Lear distills Shakespeare’s monumental tragedy to its psychological core. It reveals the story as the final reckoning of a man confronting the consequences of his life.

About Arizona Theatre Matters

The Arizona Theatre Matters logo features a circular design with a deep blue background. Encircling the top of the logo in white uppercase letters are the words "Arizona Theatre Matters." At the bottom, the words "universally accessible theatre" appear in the same white, uppercase font. Inside the circle, a stylized, vibrant illustration shows five silhouetted figures with raised arms standing among desert cacti, facing a radiant sunburst in shades of orange, pink, and purple. The central figure, larger than the others, appears to be leading or celebrating. The imagery conveys a sense of unity, empowerment, and inclusivity, aligning with the company’s mission.
The Arizona Theatre Matters logo features a circular design with a deep blue background. Encircling the top of the logo in white uppercase letters are the words “Arizona Theatre Matters.” At the bottom, the words “universally accessible theatre” appear in the same white, uppercase font. Inside the circle, a stylized, vibrant illustration shows five silhouetted figures with raised arms standing among desert cacti, facing a radiant sunburst in shades of orange, pink, and purple. The central figure, larger than the others, appears to be leading or celebrating. The imagery conveys a sense of unity, empowerment, and inclusivity, aligning with the company’s mission.

Arizona Theatre Matters is an online theatre company dedicated to making dramatic storytelling accessible to audiences worldwide.

Productions premiere on the company’s YouTube channel. Viewers from nearly 200 countries can experience theatre. Captions are available in over 300 languages.

The company collaborates with artists across North America and beyond to create innovative productions of classic works and new plays.

Production Credits

Performer (Lear)
Michael Rawley

Narrator
Joseph Brohm

Artistic Sign Language Performer
Boluwatife Makanjuola

Adaptation
Jeanmarie Simpson

Production Manager
Kevin Tye

Sound Designer
Sydney Wolfe

Videographer
Ololade Adekanmi

Premiere

World Premiere

Lear premieres on the
Arizona Theatre Matters YouTube Channel

Release date: March, 2026

Free worldwide streaming.

Press Inquiries

Kadin Barnes, PR/Marketing Director
pr@arizonatheatrematters.org