Jeremiah Kissel enlivens the Lear-loyal Kent, a character who can be as boring as he is noble, with a sly, physical, even antic turn that settles into aching wisdom at the painful end.

Jeremiah Kissel, that ever-reliable force of nature, brings unstoppable forward drive to his portrayal of the Earl of Kent, a Lear loyalist who disguises himself (and adopts an amusing French accent) to surreptitiously serve the very king who has banished him. Director Maler showcases the actor’s athleticism in the opening scene, when Lyman’s Lear tosses his crown in front of him, and Kissel’s Kent races across the stage and makes a catch worthy of Rob Gronkowski.