Dr. Edward R. Cohn

SET DESIGN:

Frank McCullough

Nathan Martin

Winston Limauge

Mark Ribau

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SHOW SYNOPSIS

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

PRODUCTION PHOTOS

A play about a woman stretched to the limits of her experience - barely surviving on the edge. Medea's aweful scheme unveils a world beyond our worst imaginings, yet we rocognize her humanity as we see the need for her terrible revenge. Euripides' classic tragedy forces us to examine our strongest, most primitive impulses - to open our eyes and look, however fearsome the sight.

Euripides (ca 484-406 B.C.) was one of the most controversial of the great Greek tragedeians. His plays were designed to challenge the thinking of the Greek society, rather than uphold the status quo. Often shocking, his plays were frequently criticized for their skeptical treatment of the gods. He is generally recognized as the most modern of the great Greek tragedians, and his plays provided sharp criticism and commentary of the Greek society on themes that are still relevant today, perhaps more so.

For Greek audiences, Medea (431 B.C.) provided commentary regarding issues of sexism, racism, culture clash and their consequences in an oppressive society. This presentation of the play sets Medea in a contemporary urban environment in order to explore and reveal these same issues for us today. We ask the question, "What if?" What Euripides were writing today? WHat if Medea were a contemporary character? What if a woman found herself in Medea's situation today? What we find is that we have not changed as much as we would like in the 2500 years that have passed since Euripides first offered his observations. While MEdea's context has been changed, her situation has not. Sadly, while Medea's final act of vengance is one of the most horrific acts of any tragic figure, even by the standards of ancient Greek theatre, it is one that resonates today, even in recent headlines.