Walkabout Theater: Poor, Poor, Lear
Nina Sallinen
Walkabout Theater Presents POOR, POOR LEAR Review - Finding Parallels to King Lear
TLDR: Welcomed into the home of 90-year-old Grande Dame Nina Sallinen for her final artistic endeavor, we sit in her living room for her performance of King Lear and hope her two daughters will arrive. Poor, Poor Lear takes us on a journey with this eccentric character that is both comedic and touching.
Nina Sallinen
Please, Help Yourself To Toast
Though a sign on the closed theatre door says in all caps, “GO AWAY!!,” we all gather in the downstairs lobby at the Chopin Theatre. We hear a voice yelling behind the door and when it suddenly bursts open, an older woman’s face pops into view, frustrated that we are not going away. But realization crosses her face as she sees we’re not whoever she was expecting and she quickly rips the sign off the door and slams it behind her. When she reappears again she smiles brightly and welcomes us all. She makes her way around the room smiling and greeting each person as if she knows them personally.
Nina Sallinen plays the Swedish Grande Dame, Nina Sallinen and makes us feel like we are lucky to be part of this intimate, final acting performance of hers. We enter the downstairs bar area and take our seats in her “living room” ranging from couches, to stools, to cushy armchairs all around the room. A folding table is decorated with a table cloth and an array of treats are laid out, including the option for toast and marmalade. Two chairs in the front row, however, are reserved. Sallinen welcomes us to her performance of King Lear and though the two guests of honor haven’t arrived, she begins the Shakespearean drama.
Nina Sallinen
Let’s Put The Cat on The Table
Nina Sallinen takes us on an emotional journey. We’re immediately sucked in by her charm and sold on whatever performance she is going to give us. A hair dryer becomes the fierce wind. A hat, a doll, and a rose become stand-ins for characters as she acts them all.
Though not quite 90 years old herself, the actress Sallinen has us doubled over in laughter with her antics hinting at her advanced age. She has audience members help her up onto a chair to deliver her welcome and admonishes a young man for wearing a hat indoors (which he promptly removed and kept off for the rest of the performance). She walks stiffly but determinedly upstage towards the dividers to change outfits. And when she puts her suitcase down by the couch and realizes it needs to be a few inches back to hit the mark, she slowly lifts her leg to give it a swift kick into place.
Putting emphasis on Lear’s two eldest daughters’ greed in her performance, we’re starting to get the sense there’s a very distinct reason Sallinen chose this play. And though she takes a light tone when telling us this play was a thinly veiled attempt at symbolism, we feel the energy in the room shift slightly. Sallinen still delivers her stream of consciousness monologue like she has been, but now as she’s talking, we see her thoughts churning as she comes to some realizations about herself, her life, and her relationships around her.
Nina Sallinen
The After Party Thoughts
Poor, Poor Lear is immersive without feeling forced. Never breaking character, but continually breaking the fourth wall and chatting with us, we feel like we truly are in the living room of this Swedish diva. Sallinen is a joy to watch in all her character’s quirkiness. This show is creative and different while still giving us a fully fleshed out story. It’s emotional as it reflects on aging and youth, family and career, and life changing around you.
For those that love unique pieces of theatre that are finely acted and have emotional saliency, Poor, Poor Lear would be a good fit for you!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Nina Sallinen
When
Now through March 15, 2026
Where
Chopin Theatre
1543 W Division St.
Chicago, IL 60642
Runtime: 1hr 45min, including an intermission
Tickets
$15+
Tickets can be purchased through the Walkabout Theater website
Photos
Griffin Sand
CAST
Nina Sallinen
CREATIVE
Katja Krohn (Playwright)
Nina Sallinen (Playwright)
Kristan Schmidt (Director)