In the spring of 2007, Gardner-Webb University Theater mounted a daring postmodern deconstruction of Shakespeare’s King Lear — written and directed by Scot Lahaie. The production received a showcase article in American Theatre Magazine and earned multiple nominations at the Metrolina Theatre Association’s annual awards.

The deconstruction targets two weak dualities in Shakespeare’s original: Cursing/Blessing and Spirit/Flesh. By adding a chorus of gods — “the people of the fog” — the production restores the medieval spiritual framework that modern productions typically strip away, transforming Lear’s curses from the rantings of a grumpy old man into genuine prophetic acts with spiritual consequence. The result is a retelling that is at once ironic, postmodern, and deeply Christian.