THE STORY: In this modern take on the classic tale, King Agamemnon prepares to lead the greatest coalition of armies in the history of the world to retrieve Helen of Troy. But the seas have suddenly calmed in the Bay of Aulis, and Agamemnon becomes determined to fulfill a terrible prophesy—in order for the winds to blow, he must sacrifice his eldest daughter, Iphigenia. Queen Clytemnestra and Iphigenia arrive at the soldiers’ camp, lured by the lie that she will be married to the great warrior, Achilles. Unfortunately, this is the first that Achilles has heard of it. He and his comical army of sock puppets, “The Mighty Myrmidons,” are getting antsy sitting around waiting for the wind to rise. As the soldiers become more and more restless, it’s clear that some action has to be taken or the entire coalition will turn upon itself. To hold on to his power, Agamemnon must make a decision that will echo through the ages, as his daughter’s death becomes the catalyst for generations of bloodshed. But then Iphigenia surprises them all with a decision that no one could have guessed. Alternating between bawdy comedy and high drama, this play raises questions about what makes a hero in the modern world and what price must be paid to satisfy a country’s lust for revenge.
“It is the cunningly agile pen of twenty-first-century playwright P. Seth Bauer that is responsible for the adapted production entitled IPHIGENIA…There is more that’s divine about Bauer’s triumphant adaptation; chiefly, that he not only preserves the Euripidean sense of timelessness within modernity but in some respects even amplifies it.” —NY Theatre.
“This simple adaptation, highlighted with quiet flashes of humor, touches upon those deeper issues of war and faith, of patriotism and loyalty, managing to be both contemporary and authentically ancient at the same time. It is a masterful adaptation.” —Off-Off-Broadway Review.
“Fine intellectual fodder for America…it becomes enjoyable, ultimately tragic theater. The ninety-minute production moves with clarity and great humor.” —American Theater Web.
