The performance will be available at www.elonperformingarts.com at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 9.
The Department of Performing Arts will present its performance of “Medea” by Euripedes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 7. The performance will be available at www.elonperformingarts.com.
Royal intrigue, murder, political upheaval, religion and revenge loom large in Euripides’ classic tale which remains as relevant as today’s sensationalized headlines. This new adaptation imagines the famous tragedy in a media-infused world where the main characters battle the public eye along with one another.
In his note about the production, Director Fred Rubeck notes that “when COVID turned our season upside down, we found ourselves scrambling to find scripts that we could present without navigating the uncertain terrain of copyright issues, knowing that we would likely be broadcasting or recording our productions rather than performing them live with a live audience. In doing this we leaned on public domain pieces and new works.”
That’s when “Medea” came to mind. Rubeck says that rather than taking a traditional approach to the work, he wanted to highlight the accessibility of the story by “nestling the traditional story within a fictional media broadcast,” with last summer spent writing drafts of the script in preparation for Elon’s production.
“Through all the changes, this cast and production team maintained positive attitudes, worked hard, and reveled in their creativity,” Rubeck says. “Together we shared this exercise in releasing control and rolling with the punches. I like to think the ancient Greeks would have recognized this lesson in dealing with fate. They might have also noted that we performed this version of the play in masks as they did- albeit a very different kind of mask.”
Find Rubeck’s complete director’s note as well as information about the cast and production team and a viewing link that will become active on Friday here.