Sunday, January 22, 2017

Euripidean Winter

Company of Ivanov and director Inés Braun (back row, second from left)
Last fall, I had the good fortune to be recommended to a Master's Thesis Director at Columbia.  I went in and read for Argentinian director Inés Braun for her project of Chekhov's Ivanov.  Not only did Inés and I recognize kindred spirits in each other, but we have become good friends.  That's why it's such a gift for me to be free as the new year begins to work on her final project at Columbia.




"Hercules Fighting Death to Save Alcestis," Frederick Leighton


Euripides' Alkestis was controversial and innovative in its time, neither a tragedy nor a comedy, a story of myth and moral conflict.  Admetos, King of Pherae, after a scuffle with the Gods, is doomed to die unless someone else dies for him.  Denied by his father Pheres, whom I play, and his mother, Admetos' wife, Alkestis, makes the supreme sacrifice. Enter Herakles, who, out of friendship to Admetos, enters the Underworld, defeating Death and bringing back Alkestis from the other side.
In a powerful translation by poet Ann Carson, our production will incorporate live music and

the vision of an international design and producing team.  We run at the Connelly Theatre from February 15-18.  For more information and tickets click here



My training is in classical theatre and its my first love.  Fortunate as I am in a thriving musical theatre career, I still hanker after chances to do Shakespeare and other classic texts.  I am honored to work with Inés again and to be part of her artistic vision. For more on the lady and her work at Columbia, give this profile a read.