Theater department performs Greek tragedy with modern resonance

The Suppliant Women by Aeschylus is one of the world’s oldest plays, but as noted in the program for this weekend’s production by the Webb theater department: “… it tells a story that has striking and poignant resonance today. 

“Eleven Egyptian women are escaping forced marriage to their brutal cousins and seeking asylum in Greece. Like all ancient Greek tragedies, there is a debate at the heart of the play; are we morally obliged to take in those who are suffering when we know it will inevitably bring hardship to ourselves? The Suppliant Women explores some fundamental questions of humanity: who are we, where do we belong and if all goes wrong, who will take us in?”

The audience will experience David Greig’s version of Aeschylus’s tragedy in a similar seating arrangement to the ancient Greeks. With the play’s action occurring in the orchestra seats and half the audience seated on the stage, the theater department transformed Liu/Cheung Theater into a Greek amphitheater-in-the-round.

Reserve your tickets now for performances at 7pm, November 2, 3, and 4, in Liu/Cheung Theater.