A new twist on a Greek classic crash lands at the Herberger MainStage Theatre today.
"Iphigenia Crash Land Falls on the Neon Shell that Was Once Her Heart" is the reinterpretation of the classic Greek tragedy, "Iphigenia at Aulis."
Lance Gharavi, assistant professor in the ASU Herberger College School of Theater and Film, said the production is a new kind of hybrid - a cross between a theatre event and a rave.
It is a tragedy you can dance to, unlike anything ever seen before on the ASU MainStage, Gharavi said.
"Iphigenia at Aulis," originally written by playwright Euripides, is about a young woman's sacrifice for man and country in 405 B.C.
Latina playwright Caridad Svich altered the play into the rave fable that will be performed in the ASU Galvin Playhouse today through Sunday and March 1 to 3.
Unlike the original play, the classic heroine is reinvented as a spoiled, rich daughter of a political celebrity lost in a netherworld of club girls, virtual DJs and asexual pop idols consumed by an environment oversaturated with media.
Kaley McGill, an undeclared sophomore, hasn't seen the play yet, but said she thinks it sounds interesting because of the way the audience might relate to the show's characters.
"The transformation from the Greek tragedy to rave fable will make the literature more appealing to a younger audience," McGill said. "And the audience may be able to familiarize themselves with particular roles like that of the media."
During each performance, the audience will hear trance music and electronic imagery provided by a live disc jockey and video jockey.
The performance will be conducted differently as music and media respond to the changing nuances in the performers and the audience.
"With courage, honesty and integrity, we have looked into the heart of darkness and found a disco ball," Gharavi said.
Tickets range from $7 to $22 and may be purchased online at herbergercollege.asu.edu/mainstage or through the Herberger College Box Office.
Reach the reporter at: brittnee.penson@asu.edu.
