Time Traveling to 431 BCE: Greek theatre in motion

It was hot. Very hot. There were no clouds, just sun. It had recently rained, so the ground was beginning to gum up. It was peak sunlight time.

Not many people would be able to sit and appreciate an hour and a half of ancient Greek theater in these conditions, but with the familiarity of the content, the unified interest in it, and the time already devoted to it, this is just par for the course for the students in the audience.

After a week and a half of tearing the play to shreds, the Drama 3, 4, and AP English 12 classes went to Lynchburg on Wednesday to see Randolph College’s outdoor production of Medea. This production, unlike the comfortable and air-conditioned read throughs that occurred in class, was a faithful recreation of what we assume the original show may have looked like.

There were linen-mache masks. There were multi-colored himations. There was infanticide. These are all elements of classic Greek theater, but in tandem with the fun of the masks and Grecian decotage, there was also the challenge presented with less than modern facilities and techniques, and how the actors overcame it.

“Medea[‘s actress] was amazing. She had a mask on, which is one facet of acting taken away from you, and she made it work,” said Emily Wilkerson, who is both a Drama 4 and AP English 12 student.

In addition to the quality of the props and performances, the friendliness of the cast and crew during the after-show Q&A was also appreciated.

“I loved how cool they were. They made me so happy, I kinda wanted to be their friend,” said Tess Wilson, a Drama 3 student.

All in all, it was a faithful and historically informative adaptation of Medea, including song and dance numbers from the chorus and a five-piece group of musicians.