BOLIVAR, Mo. – Southwest Baptist University’s theatre department will present the
ancient Greek tragedy “Medea” by Euripides at 7 p.m., March 8-10 in the Davis-Newport
Theater on the Bolivar campus.
First performed in 431 B.C., the play centers on Medea, granddaughter of Helios the sun god. The play begins in the ancient city of Corinth as Medea cries out in despair, her husband, Jason, has decided to leave her so that he can marry Princess Glauke, whose father rules Corinth. Jason claims that this marriage will ensure status and fortune for his and Medea’s children. Medea, who has given up everything for Jason, vows revenge against her husband, the princess and even her own blood. Through its violent ending, the story highlights the tragedy of a broken family and the darkness of revenge.
“The ancient Greeks used cultural myths – tales of gods, monsters, and ancient kings – to explore social issues,” said Dr. Bethany Wood, production director and assistant professor of theatre at SBU. “The story of ‘Medea’ is particularly timely because it uses the mythical circumstances of the failed marriage between a sorceress and a mortal hero to examine the personal and social tragedy of the broken home. Euripides’ play depicts revenge and violence on an epic scale, reminiscent of Old Testament stories, and highlights society’s complicity in the dissolution of family bonds.
“In SBU’s production, we are underscoring the religious aspects of this pre-Christian story and what it tells us about the pitfalls of following ‘gods’ we have shaped in our own image.”
Tickets can be purchased in person at the SBU box office, located inside the Jester Learning and Performance Center, online at www.sbuniv.edu/academics/programs/theatre.php or by phone at (417) 328-1691.
For more information about SBU theatre, visit our website at www.sbuniv.edu/academics/programs/theatre.php , our Facebook page or call (417) 328-1691.
*Published: 2-14-18