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

Bios