The House of Atreus

KJ Sanchez directs The House of Atreus. The adaptation used is that written for Sir Tyrone Guthrie at the Minneapolis Shakespeare Theatre and first performed in the late 1960s.

In this production there is a considerable amount of cast input incorporated into the movement, sound, and music. This is physical theatre, and for those accustomed to the statuesque, disciplined production style of Greek drama it may come as a surprise.

Here is a young company with an innovative director exploring the ancient texts of classical Greece and their relevance to today's civilization. This is how the wise words of Aeschylus impact on the young men and women of 21st-century Canada, specifically in the University of British Columbia.

Most of the cast play multiple roles, including that of chorus, and all appear as jurors. Most noticeable of the major roles are that of Clytemnestra, played by Sheila Burns, and the outstanding performances of Ashley O'Connell as the leader of the chorus, Pylades and particularly Apollo. His clear speech and dignified demeanour assure the power and authority of his personae.

The themes of resentment and revenge, the warrior hero and the waiting, peace loving citizens, and civil justice and anarchy, are played out in the trilogy. This power struggle is resolved in court in the final scene where Athena gives the deciding vote to free the exhausted, hell-hounded Orestes (Tim Cadeny).

The stage is set with massive, mobile staircases which are constantly being deconstructed and reconstructed to indicate change of place. This clever building and rebuilding does nothing for the play. It slows down the action and interrupts the flow of thought from one scene to the next. After one of these Herculean cast efforts to transport the scene to a new venue, the reason for the move is lost in the intricate fitting together of the weighty, legalize pieces.

The costumes are an artistic blending of classical and modern styles, and the projections, used to good effect, are well chosen. The music, by a cooperative, is performed by onstage musicians. The somewhat monotonous beat is a reflection of the inevitability of fate.

© 2005 Jane Penistan