Special to the Journal
Lauren Casey of Lynn performs in the play “Iphigenia.” Presented by the College’s Department of Theatre and Dance, “Iphigenia” is the inaugural theatrical production of the newly-completed Prior Performing Arts Center, an 84,000-square-foot, $110-million facility designed to be an incubator for multidisciplinary learning and creativity at the College.
The in-person production, directed by Edward Isser, Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society, is set for November 3-5 and November 10-12 at 7:30 p.m., as well as November 6 and November 13 at 2 p.m. in the Boroughs Theatre.
“Iphigenia” combines two plays by Athenian playwright Euripides, “Iphigenia at Aulis” and “Iphigenia Among the Taurians,” with material from Homer’s “Iliad” to tell the story of King Agamemnon’s eldest daughter.
Iphigenia is a young girl who sacrifices herself for a hollow and meaningless endeavor, the Trojan War, and becomes an embittered, murderous avenger who is miraculously redeemed by her love for her brother. Translated by Professor Mary Ebbott of Holy Cross’s Department of Classics, this production transposes the action to the latter half of the twentieth century and explores how the idealism of the young is exploited in pursuit of the cynical ends of their elders.
“By mounting an experimental adaptation of a Greek tragedy, we hope to model the possibilities and potential of the new performing arts enter to become the physical and spiritual crossroads on campus where the aesthetic and the corporeal interact; praxis engages theory; the profane and the transcendent collide; and the ethical is illuminated in enactment,” said Isser. “In ‘Iphigenia,’ we have created a new version of an old story that seeks to honor the cultural and historical foundation of the art form while exploring the technical and theatrical potential of this new, world-class facility.”
For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit: hctheatreanddance.eventbrite.com.
About Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Mass., is among the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 3,100 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. Since its founding in 1843, Holy Cross has made a positive impact in society by graduating students who distinguish themselves as thoughtful leaders in business, professional and civic life.