Simpson College’s Blank Performing Arts Center hosted a revamped production of the play “Medea” this past weekend.
The original play, written by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides in 431 BC, follows the story of Medea, a woman who sought revenge on her cheating husband by killing her two children.
Kara Raphaeli, assistant professor of theatre arts and director of “Medea,” adapted the show for Simpson to offer a new, darker perspective on the famous Greek tragedy.
The show takes place 20 years after Medea’s final day in Corinth, the day she murdered King Creon and her children. In Raphaeli’s version, Medea relives this day, the worst day of her life, over and over.
“I want to know what does tomorrow look like? How does she live with herself after doing this? So, this is a memory play and kind of a psychological exploration of how can Medea continue,” Raphaeli said.
Raphaeli started brainstorming the idea in 2009, and in 2014, the play truly took shape. Raphaeli was in the middle of completing a doctorate program and didn’t have the opportunity to put on the show right away, but when Simpson needed a more traditional play, Raphaeli jumped at the chance.
“It’s been a few years since we’ve done a classic play,” Raphaeli said. “There is a need for young performers, for young designers, to work on a variety of different shows, and so when we thought it was time for a classic, I had this one ready and waiting.”
The cast and crew of “Medea” comprise students from all majors, coming together to support the department both on stage and off.
After being in five Simpson productions, Maddy Gunzenhauser, a sophomore theatre arts major, kept the streak going with her role as older Medea in the play.
“I wanted to be in a more tragic, serious type of show because I’ve had a lot of experience with comedy, but I want to expand,” Gunzenhauser said.
She hopes to continue participating in productions at Simpson because she loves getting to know the people involved, stating, “They’re all really fun to work with, and getting to make those memories and share those experiences is really fun for me.”
Piper Jackman, a junior computer information systems major with a minor in theatre, also wanted to expand her acting abilities, which she did through her role as an alternate version of Medea.
“Well, theater is literally my entire life. I’ve been acting and performing since I was in kindergarten. I just haven’t stopped,” Jackman said. “But you know, right when I saw that “Medea” was one of the shows we were doing, I love a good dramatic role. It’s probably the most fun thing to play, for me anyway. So, when I was like, ‘Oh, a tragedy,’ I auditioned.”
Raphaeli, Gunzenhauser and Jackman all noted their joy in seeing the play come together and being a part of building it from the ground up. They encourage all members of the Simpson community to support the arts and the theatre department. If you couldn’t make it to this production, consider seeing a show in the future.
“Well, coming from somebody who’s been performing my literally entire life, I think it’s really important to show support,” Jackman said. “We’ve spent so much time and worked so hard on the show that it’s nice to see that people appreciate that. It makes it all worth it when you get to see everybody out in that audience watching you.”