Student Talent Foremost in OCU Theatre Presentation of “The House of Atreus”
Esteemed Professor and Head of Performance at Oklahoma City University Theatre D. Lance Marsh has undertaken the significant adaptation of Greek tragedians, Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles. His adaptation is called “The House of Atreus” and is currently being performed at the Burg Theatre at Oklahoma City University. The adaptation draws heavily from ‘The Oresteia’ by Aeschylus, with significant augmentations from Euripides ‘Electra’ and also Sophocles version of ‘Electra’ and others.
There are four acts in the adaptation. The first two acts make up Part One of “The House of Atreus” and detail the story of Agamemnon and daughter Iphigenia. We discover the curse against the House of Atreus and learn of two brothers, both natural sons of Atreus and Aerope, Agamemnon and Menelaus. Agamemnon is King of Mycene and Menelaus is King of Sparta and they have coincidentally married sisters. The Queen of Mycene is Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon and the Queen of Sparta is Helen, wife of Menelaus. Helen has apparently been willingly abducted by Paris setting off the Trojan War. Agamemnon aids his royal brother in the 10 year battle against Troy by following the dictates of an Oracle and sacrificing his eldest daughter, the beautiful Iphigenia. Clytemnestra is appalled and clearly unable to forgive her husband.
Part Two of “The House of Atreus” concerns Electra, a younger daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and her brother Orestes, infant son of the royal couple. Ten years later, the Trojan War has ended and Agamemnon returns home, a hero. Clytemnestra greets him with rage rather than respect and vows his death. Electra is a ‘daddy’s girl and blames her mother for all the family problems while idolizing her father. She dreams of the return of her young brother, who will be King since he was sent away by the family for protection as a youngster. Orestes returns promising to avenge his father’s death by killing his mother thanks to incessant prodding by Electra and the advice from Apollo via his Oracle .
Although the entire story requires two nights, each part can stand alone. The curse that follows the House of Atreus with revenge killing after revenge killing must ultimately be solved by the gods and this is done by introducing justice into the solution. Twelve people must eventually determine the fates of each survivor. The adaptation ties these ancient Greek tragedies together with a modern perspective and modern language using costumes, language and attitudes from many eras in a rather hodge-podge fashion. By setting the events in a modern era while using the jury system Aeschylus presents, the audience is left with some discomfort in understanding the motivations and context. The Greek bicameral mind can only use the system because the gods decree it so. There is no understanding of moral justice as we would expect from the modern uniforms with Nazi flavoring and the raw punk attitudes of Electra.
Marsh directs Part Two and a guest director, Leslie Swackhamer directs Part One. The two directors do work in tandem and they ultimately mesh well. The casts for both parts consist of an extremely talented group of young people who demonstrate dedication to their craft, but in some cases their commitment is recognized in spite of the direction.
There are four Clytemnestra’s, one is a ghost. Each actress is elegant and skillful with regal bearing. Most notable is the Clytemnestra played by Olivia Cinquepalmi, whose seductive façade entices Agamemnon to his dismal fate. Dylan S. Mobley as Agamemnon and Harrison Langford as Menelaus are kings in a male-dominated society, yet they seem perplexed and ungainly against the canny machinations of their wives. Falling back upon ‘the devil made me do it’ attitude without remorse worked in the original tragedies if played nobly. In modern times, the ploy is still used, but it rarely succeeds and requires an insanity plea.
Tyra Bullock as Electra begins Part Two in a boiling rage which she maintains throughout the long two acts. The strident emotional pitch written into the script gives little to build upon and her performance displays her fortitude rather than her obvious acting skill. Preston Chapman is Orestes and he has more opportunity to vary his pitch and emotional intensity. Eliza Hare is an exotic prophetess in a costume more reminiscent of a Polynesian costume than the somewhat more suitable Peloponnesian attire expected. Isaiah Williams is the Watchman and servant to the Atreus household and his interpretation is refreshingly real for either Greek tragedy or modern soap opera. The entire student cast indicates great potential and solid talent to the credit of their teachers, also directing, Marsh and Swackhamer. It is the interpretation and unabated intensity that diminishes the performances.
The set is very good and scenic artist Claire Police deserves some accolades alongside Technical Director Tucker Irey. The costumes designed by Rachel Barnett in Part One and Becca Bailey in Part Two are variable in period but only somewhat appropriate. Some are exquisite and fitting for Greek or modern viewpoints, others seem disturbing or inappropriate for Argos. In some costumes different materials sewn together do not drape well in combination creating an awkward uncomfortable spectacle.
Both evenings are rather long, and viewing Parts One and Two back-to-back may take the neck and back directly to the chiropractor. “The House of Atreus” may not be the greatest success for Marsh and guest director Swackhamer, but it does showcase the skill and talent imparted to their students. These young people deserve high praise for their efforts and stamina.
“The House of Atreus” plays through April 9, 2017. Prospective patrons may wish to see both parts spaced by a day or two, if possible. Call the OCU ticket office at 405-208-5227 for tickets and information or visit www.ocu.edu for information, tickets and maps, a better option. Curtain is 8:00 PM or 2:00 PM for the final Sunday performance, April 9, 2017. Parking is available on campus and the best public option is behind the Ann Lacy Visitor Center or the Children’s Theatre Center on 25th Street. The campus address is 2501 N. Blackwelder.