In May of 2010 ABC News reported that around 200 women per year kill their children. But filicide is not a modern phenomenon. Genesius Guild’s current production of Euripides’ play Medea tells the ancient tale of ultimate revenge perpetrated by a wife and mother who is rejected by her husband, Jason, to pursue marriage with another woman, the daughter of King Creon of Corinth. The depth and atrocity of her revenge is horrifying.
It’s always difficult for me to review Genesius Guild productions having performed there myself for several years; in fact, I have played Medea. I battle wanting to preserve the traditions of the Don Wooten Era with new innovations by current directors. In this case, director Michael Callahan has spawned some refreshing innovations; others…not so much…but I’m trying to be open.
On the plus side are changing the introduction from the processional entrance carrying masks to staggered entrances where characters pick up their pre-positioned masks, including live drums to accentuate certain moments, and extending performance space outside the concrete enclosure and through the audience.
Harder to accept were allowing a chorus member to wear glasses. It’s one thing to allow a teenager to wear glasses in Shakespeare, it’s quite another for an adult to wear them in ancient Greece. Most surprising was having characters remove their masks for extended periods and sometimes carrying them during dialog. I saw no motivation for this and because the masks were not consistently held facing out to the audience, seeing paint splatters and such challenged the verisimilitude of the action.
That aside, this production is powerful and passionate. Modern critics have lauded the script itself as “a nuanced and sympathetic portrayal of Medea’s struggle to take charge of her own life in a male dominated world.” The young Lena Slininger’s volcanic interpretation explodes on the stage and the contrast of her pretty youth accentuates the gruesome actions of the character. Brian Wellner as Jason also gave a powerful performance. Both characterizations elicit both sympathy and condemnation.
Big shout outs go to Miranda Callahan who beautifully and finally covered up the failed earlier attempts to mask prior graffiti to the stage building. The new paint creates a well-defined area and the panels with huge stylized bulls are impressive. The masks designed by Jacob Lund are the best I’ve seen at the Guild in their subtlety of expression and costumes designed by Shannon Ryan are sumptuous.
I do have one warning. When you go, be sure to take along insect repellent. Instead of mosquitoes, the gnats were out in force and caused one little corpse to twitch and swat…totally forgivable considering the circumstances.
This play runs just under 90 minutes, so you’ll have plenty of time for more fun afterward.
Medea continues on the Don Wooten stage at Lincoln Park located at 38th Street and 11th Avenue in Rock Island, Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15 at 7:00 p.m.
I’m Chris Hicks…break a leg.