EPIC AGAMEMNON-A Dan Stone Production

Entering the theater that has always been a tidy, well-organized place, the stage is littered with all sorts of odds and ends.  A orange junker muscle 1965 Chevy Impala SuperSport, instruments (drums, guitar, etc.), carved hills, chairs,  hand- drawn and carved banners with Grecian heads and writing, a 3-man band, and a throne.  Then Dan Stone, director, comes out with some of the actors, showing them how he wants them to hit the gong to announce the beginning and action in the play.

“The story will be set 60 years in the post-apocalyptic future, in a society that needs rebuilding, per Stone. Stone says in this “retelling of the Trojan War and the tragedies of war, reverting to old ways and religion,  he is trying to produce Greek theater like it was in ancient times but with relevance to today’s audience” from npalmtag.blogspot.com.

The 33 actors are dressed in exceptional Grecian clothing from black armor on the men and women, beautiful sarong-type dresses and matching headdresses of different colors.  The women of Troy are in a muted stylish brown and looking very fierce.

As shown in the photo below, Laura Blackwell, playing Clytaemnestra, wife of Agamemnon, is a warrior to behold.  Blackwell said she cannot wait to see the audience’s reaction to her fierceness in the second half of the play.  Hoping the audience will hate her as the evil queen, Blackwell put on her mean face and worked it well.

Laura Blackwell plays a convincing Clytaemnestra

Kassandra Morris, playing Hecuba, wife of Priam, King of Troy, was amazing with her rendition of a grieving mother and wife, who has been cursed with the loss of her children and husband. Her revenge for these deaths is one of the highlights of the play.

Morris is seriously believable in her vengeance against Polymestor, the killer of her children.  When there was a break in the performance, Morris was asking everyone if they cried during her stint on the stage.  It was hard not to cry, listening to her anguish and seeing the tears on her face.  Morris is determined to have the audience share her loss.

The men of the play are formidable and very Grecian in their performances, especially Lucia Rookwood, playing Odysseus, King of Ithaca, was believable as a power hungry cruel ruler.  Rookwood explained that Dan asked for a creepy old man and Rookwood certainly succeeded in that.

Wolf Krebs, Taylor Hagey, Kelsea Vierra, & Kim  Willaman  depart the stage

Drums are used to dramatize the action, while original songs blend smoothly with the dialogue.  Three dancers, Sophi Dykast, Caitlin Rose, and Kristin Miller, glide, tumble and entrance the audience with their amazing abilities.
 
Dan Stone has done it again and this time is better than before, according to this writer, but come out and judge for yourself.

Again, there will be a drawing for 2 sets of tickets for the performance. FREE TICKETS TO SPRING PLAY-read below to find out how to win!!!!

Please go to the Student Union(Student Life and Leadership), right next to the clock in the courtyard, and fill out an entry to win 2 FREE sets of 2 tickets to the play for the weekend of May 17 - 19, 2012.

The winners of the first sets of tickets are Kiera Eller and Gregg Burgess.

At A Glance:

The Play  Epic Agamemnon - 5 Greek Tragedies-combined by Dan Stone

Performances and prices:

(Russell Tripp Theater in Takena Hall)

May 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 & 19, 2012

7:30 pm

Thursday, May 13 2 p.m.

$9 Adults, $7 Seniors (60 and over) and Students (with student ID), $5 under 18 (with adult)

Box office information:

Online, in connection with Box Office Avenue No fee! By phone: 541-917-4531

At the door: beginning 2 hours prior to performance at the Russell Tripp Performance CenterBox Office Hours: Tues-Thur, 8:00 - 10:00am, 2:00 - 4:00pm & 2 hours prior to curtain.

We accept cash, check, Mastercard, Visa or Discover.