Medea

Bump In The Night made a daring debut with the opening of its new theatre company, featuring the timeless Greek tragedy "Medea" by Euripides. Despite the play's ancient origins, dating back to 431 BC, the new theatre company delivered a captivating performance. Euripides's Medea, often considered a satyr play, consists of dialogue, poetic verses, and a chorus of satyrs dancing and singing, representing a unique form of Attic theater combining comedy and tragedy elements. It is written in three parts (trilogy) by tragedian authors and performed during the Dionysian festival. The story revolves around Medea, a powerful sorceress and former princess of the kingdom of Colchis. Their fateful meeting occurs when Medea saves Jason's life during Jason's ambitious quest to retrieve the mythical golden fleece aboard the ship, the Argo. They married, but her position in the Greek world is jeopardized when Jason decides to leave her for a Greek princess of Corinth. She is grief-stricken over the loss of her husband and considers killing herself. Still, in her rage, Medea seeks revenge by killing Jason's new wife, Creon, and even her own two children. In a tense confrontation, Creon, anticipating Medea's wrath, informs her of his intention to exile her from Corinth. Desperate, Medea pleads for just one day's delay to set her plans in motion. Despite granting her request, Creon sternly warns that if she and her children are still in Corinth after the allotted time, they will be put to death. Jason arrives to explain the reasons behind his seemingly traitorous actions. He justifies his decision by stating that he could not resist the opportunity to marry a royal princess. Medea remains resolute in her determination to carry out her plan of seeking vengeance against Jason by plotting to kill Creon and Jason's new bride, as well as her children.

For centuries, enormous playwrights have rewritten and reimagined Euripides' play using various themes. However, Director Garrett Michael McCann chooses the empowerment, feminist angle of this tragedy. McCann drew inspiration from contemporary horror films with strong female leads, such as Carrie, to skillfully adapt this Euripides tragedy for a small stage. The result was a production that was enthralling and captivating. The cast features Audrey Busbee, Amy Carter, Jason LaCombe, Jordan Levene, Edwina Luokkala-Burckhardt, Jerome Marzullo, Dina Perez, and an exceptional performance by Britt Nicholson as Medea. Like most startups, space is critical to what you can successfully accomplish, and although "Medea" may seem like a giant debut leap, I was captivated by the performance. I'm looking forward to the upcoming productions from Bump In The Night Theatre Company. I can't wait to see how they will captivate and thrill audiences with their innovative approach to the horror genre.

⭐⭐⭐

Bump In the Night

MEDEA

By Euripides

Directed and adapted by Garrett Michael McCann

June 27 - July 7, 2024

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