The Trinity University Theatre Department is producing a new take on the Aeschylus’ Greek tragedy Agamemnon that will run for the next two weekends. This production not only aims to highlight the drama of the plot and tragic arc of the characters, but also boasts a new translation by Thomas Jenkins, a classics professor at Trinity.
This classic tragedy is the first part of the Oresteia, a trilogy that follows the fall of House Atreus as tragedy befalls each family member. “Agamemnon” is the first part and narrates the undoing of Agamemnon, son of Atreus and King of Mycenae, a kingdom in Ancient Greece. His fall then causes the ruin of the rest of his family in the remainder of the trilogy.
“Agamemnon” opens with the titular character as he returns home after commanding the Greek armies in the 10-year-long Trojan War. The play devolves into his murder by his wife, Clytemnestra, as revenge for him sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia to the gods to receive their favor during the war.
Anna Kate Vaughan, sophomore marketing major, plays Clytemnestra. She described the connection she feels with the character and her experience portraying her.
“She’s been through a lot. Her husband has been gone for the past 10 years, this same husband that killed their daughter as a sacrifice to get better winds for their journey in this war. I have a lot of empathy for her,” Vaughan said. “The way she goes about exacting justice is very, I don’t know, ancient, but it’s been a lot of fun exploring that and kind of getting into her psyche.”
The behind-the-scenes crew adds to these performances by physically constructing the environment around these characters. Kellie Grengs, costume designer for Trinity Theatre, has spun up an eclectic mix of modern and period-specific ancient Greek clothing. She describes how she is designing a colorful, extravagant Greece that accurately portrays the aesthetic of that period.
“It was a very beautiful culture, but all that remains is this beautiful plain white marble,” Grengs said. “So my perspective was to bring back all that colorful world back in with very bright jewel-toned colors.”
To tie Agememnon’s world and characters into one complete experience, the director coordinates the different parties working on the production and ensures that they are all on the same page. Kyle Gillette, professor of human communication and theatre, is directing this new production of “Agamemnon.” He hopes that his direction will allow the audience to fully immerse themselves in the moral complexities of the play.
“I hope the audience feels drawn into its contradictions,” Gillette said. “I also hope that the questions about what is right or wrong in this situation, or you know, this is a play where forces collide. And I hope that sense of being involved and being a witness who takes responsibility for trying to figure out what is right.”
“Agamemnon” opens Friday, Feb. 16 and runs through Saturday, Feb. 24, in the Stieren Theater of the Ruth Taylor Theater building. A full list of dates and times is available through the Trinity Theatre website.