Howard Miller Takes a look at Oedipus El Rey:
Bringing one of the classic Greek myths to life for a modern audience is a tricky venture. You can't just plunk Perseus, Icarus, Iphigenia, or Medea down into a 21st Century setting and let them find their own way. A successful retelling has to speak to contemporary theatergoers while retaining its ties to all of the elements that make these ancient tales what they are: mythical. This means paying due and respectful homage to the role of fate, mysticism, hubris, faith, defiance, free will, and inevitability. So bravo to Luis Alfaro, whose 2010 play Oedipus El Rey, which opened tonight in a galvanizing production at the Public Theater, brings the story of Oedipus to today's world while staying true to its roots. . . . |
