by Blythe Ford, Messenger Staff Writer

The University of the South Theatre Department presents a production of “The Oresteia” this week, with performances through Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday, Oct. 12 matinee at 2 p.m., in the Proctor Hill Theater inside the Tennessee Williams Center—and it is certainly worth seeing. Directed by Professor Sarah Lacy Hamilton, the play stars both faculty and student actors and features music composed by Sammy Rat Rios, an actor, playwright, musician, and composer from Portland, Oregon.

“The Oresteia” as you can see it today is an adaptation by Ellen McLaughlin of a trilogy directly from Ancient Greece, which tells of the aftermath of the Trojan War for one of its most infamous participants: Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, who led the Greeks to Troy in response to the abduction of his sister-in-law Helen, and returns in the beginning of the play to face the wrath of his wife Clytemnestra that had been brewing for the ten years since the sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia at the start of the war. Clytemnestra’s retaliatory murder of Agamemnon sparks a decade of trouble for their surviving children, which culminates in Clytemnestra’s death at the hands of their son Orestes—but that is not the end of the story. The trial that ensues debates the definition of justice, the cyclical nature of violence, and the value of democracy.

Although McLaughlin has adapted the original trilogy into a single play, the heart of the dilemmas the characters face remains—perhaps even more poignant due to the addition of a scene featuring Iphigenia at the beginning of the play, giving life to context that historical audiences would have simply assumed automatically. Agamemnon sacrificed Iphigenia to appease the goddess Artemis, an act that was required by his duty as a king and warrior but was a severe betrayal of his roles as father and husband. Dr. Durell Cooper, a Visiting Professor who plays Agamemnon, remarked that “He is both a celebrated warrior and a flawed husband and father, both a leader and a victim of fate.” Cooper is enjoying the opportunity to explore the complexities of a character that understands and fears his flaws but cannot escape the consequences of the decisions he has made. “Living in that paradox is demanding, but it’s also what makes the role so compelling. I am grateful to stretch as an artist in this way, and even more grateful to do so alongside such a dedicated ensemble and creative team.”

Similarly, Clytemnestra is a character that would be easy to both celebrate and villainize, depending on your point of view, but her dialogue and choices reveal that it is not so simple. In this production, she is played by Ella Mitchell, C’27, who finds the role interesting and challenging because of Clytemnestra’s mindset. “She uses the word justice a lot in the text so I’ve really been trying to understand what exactly enacting justice means for Clytemnestra,” Mitchell explained. “[F]rom Clytemnestra’s point of view she is committing the actions in the play in order to avenge her young daughter.”

Clytemnestra’s other daughter Electra, played by Victoria Ryan, C’26, reveals a different dimension to the actions of the characters. Electra shines a light on the aftermath of Clytemnestra’s violence due to the fact that she is neglected and endangered in the years that follow Agamemnon’s death, enough so that she is motivated to become complicit in Orestes’ retaliation against their mother and her lover. Ryan remarked that “For 10 years, she's been doomed only to dream about what life could have been like if she still had her father, all while enduring the cold and uncaring treatment of her mother. She demands that Clytemnestra is punished, because in her eyes, it is only fair after all that has happened in their house.” Ryan explained that Electra’s bitterness is a result of loneliness and a desire to be loved, and the intensity of her feelings is one of the most challenging parts of portraying her character.

The complexity of the characters and themes is what makes this story so compelling to both historical and modern audiences. Mitchell expressed an appreciation for how “the play is so ancient yet the messages and themes can still be understood by a modern audience today.” Ryan enthused about the beauty of the dialogue and the use of “incredibly vivid imagery and metaphor” to express the emotions of the characters. She explained it is one of her favorite things about playing Electra; “It’s such a joy to experience and savor the pictures she creates in order to process her grief and anger.” Cooper, meanwhile, has spent his career focused on art and performance to create cultural change, and he remarked on the importance of the questions posed by “The Oresteia”. “I want audiences to walk away holding the tension between justice and retaliation—recognizing how cycles of violence can consume generations if left unchecked. The aftermath of Agamemnon’s death forces us to confront questions of accountability: who bears the cost of leadership decisions, and how do we reconcile personal sacrifice with public responsibility?” He continued by saying: “My hope is that viewers leave considering not just the fate of one man, but the legacy of how communities respond to harm and whether true justice is ever attainable without mercy.” Hamilton agrees that what makes McLaughlin’s adaptation of the original trilogy by Aeschylus special is how those themes are portrayed, especially in the third act, during the trial of Orestes. “[T]his is where Aeschylus dramatizes the idea of democracy - that humans should decide together as a community how to govern and see justice done. In her introduction to the play, McLaughlin addresses this idea, ‘It's born of the belief that only by bringing us all into the same place, and hearing the truth if we can speak it, can we heal. Which is of course the basic principle at work in theater.’ This conclusion moved me deeply, and I believe it will resonate with audiences even more today than when the play was commissioned in 2016.”

These are powerful themes and questions that everyone must consider at some point in their lives, and community members of all ages are encouraged to attend; however, some viewer discretion is advised, since the play depicts off-stage and on-stage deaths and uses stylized stage blood to show the aftermath—if you or a loved one is especially sensitive to that content, you may wish to sit this one out. Otherwise, “The Oresteia” promises to be a powerful piece of theatre and an enjoyable experience. The play runs approximately 2 hours 20 minutes, which includes a 15 minute intermission. Take advantage of Eventbrite to book your free tickets for the remaining performances on Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.