Carleton College’s premier dance and theater groups, the Players and the Semaphore Repertory Dance Company, come together in a new adaptation of Oresteia, Aeschylus’ trilogy of Ancient Greek tragedies, premiering Friday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weitz Center for Creativity Theater. Additional performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. nightly on May 12 and 18, along with 2 p.m. matinees on May 13 and 20. Admission is free and open to the public; reservations are strongly encouraged by visiting online at www.carleton.tixato.com/buy.
The Oresteia trilogy—comprising the plays Agamemnon, The Libations Bearers, and The Eumenides—is a series of Greek tragedies concerning the end of the curse on the House of Atreus. Through a series of dramatic and violent misfortunes and reprisals, Oresteia tracks the progression from vendetta and revenge to a system of controlled justice and mercy. In ancient times, these tragedies would have been accompanied by the satyr play, Proteus; however, this final play has been lost to history.
This new adaptation was written by Rob Hardy, classical languages research associate, and is directed by Ruth Weiner, professor of English and the Class of 1944 Professor of Theater and the Liberal Arts.
The Carleton Players are a theater group that works closely with the Department of Theater and Dance to organize a range of performances throughout the year. Although largely student-run, the group works with both Carleton and visiting directors and writers that enable students to interact with a variety of advanced theater techniques and visions to produce exciting and elaborate productions.
The Semaphore Repertory Dance Company is Carleton’s advanced modern dance performance troupe, providing students with an intensive opportunity to develop as performers and choreographers in professional level dances, as well as to collaborate with a variety of visiting artists from the Twin Cities and beyond. Semaphore was recently honored at the American College Dance Festival Association’s 2012 National College Dance Festival by being selected by a national panel of adjudicators to perform a student-choreographed dance in the Gala Concert at the Central Regional American College Dance Festival in Washington, D.C.
This event is sponsored by the Carleton College Department of Theater and Dance. For more information or disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4341. The Weitz Center for Creativity is located at 320 E. Third Street in Northfield.
