Station Eleven

Actor Arthur Leander has a heart attack while performing the titular role in William Shakespeare’s King Lear at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Canada. Jeevan Chaudhary, an audience member trained as a paramedic, rushes onto the stage to perform CPR; Arthur dies. Noticing her distress, Jeevan comforts Kirsten Raymonde, an eight-year-old girl who has a nonspeaking role in the play as one of Lear’s daughters.

Jeevan looks for his girlfriend in the lobby, but she is gone. As he walks, snow falls, reminding him of the fake snow that was falling on stage when Arthur died. He passes paparazzi outside the theater, who recognize him as a former colleague. Jeevan reflects on his decision to leave behind celebrity journalism to become a paramedic.

At the bar inside the Elgin Theatre, staff and cast members involved in the production of King Lear discuss Arthur’s death. Together, they recall details of his life, including three marriages, three divorces, a son, Tyler, and his current affair with Tanya, who is responsible for King Lear’s child actors.

Elsewhere, Tanya watches Kirsten while trying to contact her parents. She gives her a paperweight to distract her.