The show is actually three separate stories taken from the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. The trio are winningly translated by Anne Carson, all dealing with the aftermath of the Trojan War and the fall of the house of Atreus in ancient Greece. The play is performed in repertory in two separate evenings.
Part 1 consists of Aeschylus' Agamemnon and Sophocles' Electra. As the story opens, word arrives in the city of Argos that, after 10 long and bloody years, the war in Troy has ended, with the victorious Greeks soon to be coming home. Among those returning is Agamemnon (Steve Mellor), ruler of Argos and commander and chief of the army.
However, his waiting wife, Klytaimestra (Stephanie Roth Haberle), still carries the pain of Agamemnon sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia to the gods a decade earlier in order that the army would be granted a fair wind to sail off to war. Indeed, as she talks about her returning spouse, she laces her words with a mixture of bitterness and sarcasm. (Having her appear in a blood-red gown and asking her husband to enter their home by walking on a carpet of crimson may give the audience an idea of her plans.)
In short order, her need for retribution turns a celebration of victory into one of mourning, while the air of sated vengeance soon permeates the house, sowing the seeds for a new generation to seek justice at the point of a sword.
But though Orestes does indeed arrive to deal with his mother, the cycle of violence does not end there, and what has been set in motion may come to destroy both the victor and the vanquished (as shall be revealed in Orestes).
Both works point out how the actions of the past continually mark those who are affected by it, and where one death, no matter the reason for it, eventually requires another. Also interesting are the various explanations brought out in an attempt to justify the crime of murder.
Aeschylus and Sophocles also make heavy use of description, which telegraphs the plot points long before they occur. Indeed, at one point in Electra, a character cries out "no more speeches," to the general laughter of the audience. Fortunately, the works crackle with strong imagery and passion, which directors Brian Kulick and Gisela Cardenas bring to the fore for maximum effect.
The acting is excellent. Haberle makes a wonderfully malevolent Klytaimestra, proclaiming to the world how she was a faithful wife, (something Agamemnon apparently was not), while barely able to disguise the intense hatred and betrayal she feels. Haberle also moves with a grace and sense of purpose that literally commands one's attention.
Another highlight is Craig Baldwin's portrayal of Aigisthos, a paramour of Klytaimestra, who literally jumps for joy at the fate of Agamemnon. Solis is nicely heroic as Orestes, while Boras gets to exhibit screaming fits of rage, bouts of despair, and moments of giddy happiness as Electra when she see her hopes for vengeance alternately ignored, destroyed, and about to be delivered.
Both plays also make extensive use of a Greek Chorus, with Yusef Bulos a standout as one of the commentators in Agamemnon, an aging servant who, like the rest of the house staff, doesn't want to get involved in the politics of murder. Bulos is also quite good as the Old Man in Electra.
Also of note is Doan Ly, playing a captured Trojan Princess with the gift of prophecy. Mellor makes an interesting Agamemnon, his quiet attitude a marked contrast from those around him proclaiming victory.
The costumes by Oana Botez-Ban and lighting by Maruti Evans worked well. As did the original music and sound design by Christian Frederickson. However, there were some on-the-spot re-blocking by the actors to compensate.
Also in the cast are Christopher McCann, Dan Hurlin, Ching Valdes-Aran, Eric Dyer, and Jesse Barbagallo.
An Oresteia (Part 2) will appear at http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/s/arts-entertainment.
An Oresteia (Part 1)
Classic Stage Company
136 East 13th Street
Tickets: 212-352-3101 or www.classicstage.org
Running Time: Approximately two hours 40 minutes (including intermission)
Closes: April 19
