March 14, 2007 -- A king promises to save his people from a plague; a prophecy is fulfilled; a man faces his past and confronts his destiny. This March the U.Va. Drama Department presents the father of all tragedies, Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus, in a new translation by Peter Meineck & Paul Woodruff. Watch the horrifying story unfold March 22-24 and 27-31 at 8 p.m. in the Helms Theatre.
Thebes is cursed with a devastating plague, and the only cure is to sacrifice the murderer of the old king. Oedipus, the new king revered for his cleverness, takes it upon himself to seek out the murderer, but the further he progresses in his investigation, the closer he comes to uncovering the horrors of his own past. Sophocles' play, perhaps the best-known of the Greek tragedies, still strikes a chord with audiences today, delving into the timeless conflict of a human being struggling against destiny.
Director Betsy Tucker notes that "Greek tragedies were not called tragedies; they were called choruses." Keeping that in mind, Tucker will center the play around the Chorus, using choral odes to layer and texture the story. Tucker, who most recently directed the U.Va. Drama Department's productions of Luminosity and Cloud 9, approaches this production as "a kind of ritual through which the Chorus leads the audience." She sees the Chorus as "performing in collective response to the action of the play."
Tickets for Oedipus Tyrannus are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and $8 for students; full-time U.Va. students can use their ART$ Dollars to purchase tickets. For more information visit the Drama Department Web site at http://www.virginia.edu/drama, or call the Drama Department Box Office at 434-924-3376. The box office is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
PARKING UPDATE
Due to construction projects which will improve parking in the future, there is currently no parking in the lots adjacent to the Drama Building. The closest available parking will be in the Peyton House lot (off Rugby Road, across from the University Art Museum); along University Way (above Lambeth Field); along Gordon, Grady & University Aves.; and in the Newcomb Hall Parking Garage (see the map on the Web site: http://www.virginia.edu/drama.) Please allow ample time to park and walk to the Drama Building.
Thebes is cursed with a devastating plague, and the only cure is to sacrifice the murderer of the old king. Oedipus, the new king revered for his cleverness, takes it upon himself to seek out the murderer, but the further he progresses in his investigation, the closer he comes to uncovering the horrors of his own past. Sophocles' play, perhaps the best-known of the Greek tragedies, still strikes a chord with audiences today, delving into the timeless conflict of a human being struggling against destiny.
Director Betsy Tucker notes that "Greek tragedies were not called tragedies; they were called choruses." Keeping that in mind, Tucker will center the play around the Chorus, using choral odes to layer and texture the story. Tucker, who most recently directed the U.Va. Drama Department's productions of Luminosity and Cloud 9, approaches this production as "a kind of ritual through which the Chorus leads the audience." She sees the Chorus as "performing in collective response to the action of the play."
Tickets for Oedipus Tyrannus are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and $8 for students; full-time U.Va. students can use their ART$ Dollars to purchase tickets. For more information visit the Drama Department Web site at http://www.virginia.edu/drama, or call the Drama Department Box Office at 434-924-3376. The box office is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
PARKING UPDATE
Due to construction projects which will improve parking in the future, there is currently no parking in the lots adjacent to the Drama Building. The closest available parking will be in the Peyton House lot (off Rugby Road, across from the University Art Museum); along University Way (above Lambeth Field); along Gordon, Grady & University Aves.; and in the Newcomb Hall Parking Garage (see the map on the Web site: http://www.virginia.edu/drama.) Please allow ample time to park and walk to the Drama Building.
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March 14, 2007
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