April
4 , 2003
Iphigenia
and Other Daughters Opens April 10
| 
Erin
Beckwith ’06
Chained
in the garden, Electra (Alison Coates ’05, in combat
boots) protests the murder of her father, Agamemnon, by
her mother, Clytemnestra (Jeanne Wienert ’04, in heels). |
A feminist reimagining
of the Greek legend of King Agamemnon, who sends his daughter
Iphigenia to be sacrificed to the goddess Artemis, will be performed
in the Rooke Theatre, April 10–12 and 15 at 8 pm and April
13 at 2 pm. Iphigenia and Other Daughters, a play by
Ellen McLaughlin, focuses on the women who are left behind during
the Trojan War and examines the conflict between familial duty
and personal will.
Iphigenia and
Other Daughters begins during Iphigenia’s final days,
as she gradually becomes aware of her inevitable fate, then follows
Iphigenia’s powerful mother, Clytemnestra, and sisters,
the rebellious Electra and the good Chrysothemis, as they await
the return of their brother, Orestes.
Although its characters are familiar, the play is “not a
dusty presentation of ancient myth,” says director Alycia
Smith-Howard, visiting assistant professor of theatre arts. “McLaughlin’s
voice is ancient, modern, and futuristic. My actors and I are
enticed and seduced by McLaughlin’s ethereal writing and
retelling of this ancient, yet very relevant tale.”
The play is staged
in a world that has overtones of ancient Greece, World War I England,
and Asia, says Smith-Howard. “We have accommodated these
seemingly disparate elements by weaving in contemporary elements,
such as popular music by Enigma and Björk, designed by Laura
Zingle ’03; a remarkable set by guest designer Sarah Conly;
and an incredible, interactive art installation by Erin Beckwith
’06. The result is a production like no other that I have
directed.”
Opening night performances
are free to MHC students with ID. Tickets for other performances
are $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens.
The
counter is
2,184
|
