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CSU PRESENTS THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF
TREE OF OEDIPUS
FINAL WEEKEND – APRIL 11-14!!!
American sign Language Performance on THURS., April 11!
The
Cleveland State University Department of Theatre and Dance will present
the
final weekend of the North American and English language premiere of Tree of Oedipus from April
11 to 14 in The Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre at Playhouse Square.
This new play, developed by the Alpha Idea Theatre in Athens, Greece, follows the lineage of Oedipus, from Cadmus, the first man and founder of Thebes, through the story
of Oedipus' fall and redemption, to the deadly civil war between his sons, and the final battle between Creon and Antigone. Compiled from several ancient Greek tragedies, including The Phoenicians, Oedipus
Tyrannus, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone, and Seven Against Thebes, this sweeping story is told by an ensemble of actors, and features classical acting, song, dance, vaudeville,
clowning, acrobatics, and combat which combine into an exciting theatrical explosion.
“I saw the production in Athens several years ago and was blown away by the passion and power of the performances, set design and costumes,” says
Michael Mauldin, professor of theatre at CSU and director of the production. “When it came time for the faculty to select productions for this season, Tree of Oedipus seemed
perfectly suited for our department, which has been known historically for its daring, enterprise, and fearlessness in producing nontraditional theatrical fare.”
The all CSU cast includes:
Anthony Brown (Oedipus/Guard 2), Jordan Ficyk (Cadmus/Tireseas/Voskos),
Alyssa Jacobs (Jocasta/Guard 1), Christina Katsaras (Messenger/Chorus),
Sullivan Ratcliff (Eteocles/Haemon/Agelos), Madelyn Voltz (Antigone/Messenger),
Kamry Williams (Ismene/Messenger), and Eric Wloszek (Creon/Polynices/Theseus).
The overall look of the production transports Oedipus from ancient Greece to a 2000’s “steam punk” environment, further accentuating the play’s Avant Gard, modern vibe.
In addition, the set will be configured to mirror a traditional Greek amphitheater which presents productions in the theater-in-the-round style.
General show times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $5-$15 and are available for purchase by calling 216.241.6000,
visiting playhousesquare.org or at
the State Theatre Ticket Office. Tickets are also available 60-minutes prior to performances at the Allen Theatre Complex.
There will be an
American Sign Language (ASL) presentation of the performance on
Thursday, Apr. 11. This date is presented in conjunction with CSU Disability Services, and patrons can get $5 off a general admissions ticket with the code “ASL” when ordering.
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