Euripedes: Medea

Presented at the Kennedy Center fro Performing Arts, this is a lively modern adaptation of Euripides' classic tragedy Medea, with English text by Robinson Jeffers. Using a sparse but highly effective stage set, we are introduced to the female chorus at the outset of Act I, who bemoan Medea's fate. Medea, a foreigner married to Jason of Golden Fleece fame, has been dumped by Jason in favor of King Creon's young daughter. While the Nurse (played by erstwhile Medea actress Judith Anderson) preaches caution and level-headedness, the smoldering Medea (a tempestuous performance by Zoe Caldwell) plots her revenge. Having been a bit loud in her criticisms of Jason, and the Corinthian court in general, King Creon asks Medea and her two sons to please go quietly into exile. Fawning over the King, and crying on bended knees of supplication, Medea gains a 24-hr. respite from immediate banishment. When he leaves, she shudders with rage, and spits out invectives as if she's trying to rid the taste of the dog (i.e. King Creon) from her mouth. As Act II dawns, Medea sets into motion one of the most horrendous revenges ever devised in the history of the stage--she decides to not only take Jason's new bride away from him, but also destroy Jason's two sons; Medea's own children. Superb acting and Jeffer's additional modern zingers make Medea a powerful portrait of madness born of injustice; madness that eventually goes beyond the pale. Highly recommended for those libraries who can afford it. Two other titles in the Euripides series, The Trojan Women (starring Katharine Hepburn) and Iphigenia (with Irene Papas), are also available. (Available from: Films for the Humanities, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08540; 1-800-257-5126.)