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Medea

Director’s Notes

Murder.  Royal marriage.  Infidelity.  Divorce.  Filicide.  Revenge.  Religious fervor.  A rabidly curious public.  Is it Greek Tragedy?  Sure!  It is also the content of many tabloid headlines at the grocery store, and the fodder for evening investigative news programs such as 20/20 and Dateline.  The human condition and the things that hold our attention span the centuries.  The names and places change; the style of the storytelling varies, but at the core, artists of all generations are exploring what it means to be human.

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.

I scanned my bookshelves and MEDEA caught my imagination.  Rather than simply take a traditional approach I wanted to highlight how accessible the story is by nestling the traditional story within a fictional media broadcast.  My research led me to note that Jason’s death some years after Medea’s departure would provide that culture with an impulse to “look back” and retell the story.  This led pretty naturally to treating the chorus – a central feature in any Greek Tragedy – as newscasters, bloggers, and paparazzi.  I spent the summer writing a few drafts of the script in preparation for our production. 

We began rehearsal in January – Sometimes on ZOOM…. Sometimes masked and distanced. Cast members moved in and out of quarantine.   Understudies stepped in.  We explored a variety of outdoor locations thinking we might be able to perform unmasked if we kept safe distance, perhaps in one of the many tents on campus.  The set was designed for that reality.  We learned we would not be able to do that.  We were moved indoors with masks.  Our tent-sized set was finally erected in McCrary Theatre where we performed for two cameras.  Phew!  What a rollercoaster!

Through all the changes, this cast and production team maintained positive attitudes, worked hard, and reveled in their creativity.  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.

A final note about our work:  As you watch this recording, please know that our goal was to create a stage production that is documented with cameras; not to make a film version of Medea.  We employed limited camera movement and simple editing to ensure the clearest view.  I hope you enjoy our efforts to bring new life to a classic play, and to doggedly continue our work, even in this time of pandemic.

Fredrick J. Rubeck

Director

Special Thanks

Orlando Shakes, Rick Earl, J. McMerty

Cast

First CorrespondentJohn Luke Lindstrom
Second CorrespondentMari Blake
AttendantCallie Fabac
TutorDrew Ravitz
Child 1/Creon GuardAndrew Altmann
Child 2/Creon GuardNaiya Banks
MedeaKendra Chideya
Chorus 1Caity Ladda
Chorus 2Sivan Propper
Chorus 3Anika Waco
CreonGrayson Lichtenthaler
JasonJaxon Wilkerson
AegeusLiam Heery
MessengerJohn Lee Rudolph
First Correspondent/Tutor U/S Alexander Carnot
Second Correspondent U/SPayton Robinson
Attendant U/SCara Johnson
Child/Creon Guard U/SJordan Kulick
Medea U/SJasmine Smith
Chorus 1 U/SBrynn Lackey
Chorus 2 U/SMonique Fogg
Chorus 3 U/SAngelina Cerami
Creon/Messenger U/SMichael Collier Melendez 
Jason U/SJared Wise
Aegeus U/SBalazs David

Production Team

DirectorFred Rubeck
Assistant DirectorHaley Bronzino
Scenic DesignerEmily Kopchains
Asst. Scenic Designer/Advisor Natalie Taylor Hart 
Costume DesignerJack Smith
Sound DesignerMichael Smith
Lighting DesignerBill Webb
Technical DirectorJP Mullican
Stage ManagerPeyton Otis
Assistant Stage ManagerBrianna Boucher 
Production ManagerBill Webb
Costume Shop ManagerHeidi Jo Scheimer
Props MasterSydney Bell
Paint ChargeEmily George 
MakeupAlexandra Delgado 
Light Board OpAllyson Vogel
Videographer/EditorJordan Young
Front-of-House SupervisorDavid McGraw
House ManagerJack Morrill
Poster DesignSydney Dye

Bios

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