Brightest Young Things

I am no expert on ancient theatre but being the good Greek that I am, I have seen many a performance in its genuine setting. My first encounter was at the age of about 10 when my parents brought me to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheatre under the Acropolis to witness a comedy by Aristophanes. I think it was The Archanians (I was pretty young, I can't remember exactly!). Much to all of our surprise (and amusement) the play was rife with satire, obscenities, curse words and lewdness. And yes, I mean really lewd, with a life size penis. A few years later, I witnessed an equally obscene yet wonderful Lysistrata by Aristophanes at ancient Epidavros. I ventured into drama and followed this up by Aeschylus Persians, Euripides Medea, Sophocles Electra and several more. Lacking any advanced stage set up or technological innovations (these amphitheatres are thousands of years old); the plays were brought to life through simple props, excellent acting and ingenious imaginative effects. Suffice it to say, I was more than ecstatic to hear of Argonautika coming to the District. The reviews were not just good, they were beaming. I had high expectations, which were not only met but surpassed.

From the simple stage set up, the subtle details on the costumes, the flicker of light or the surprising use of props; Argonautika is a subdued yet sensational success. This performance excels in its minimalistic and effortless portrayal of the Argonauts journey. It really reminded me of the plays I saw in Greece, with a bit of modern flair. I was enchanted and engulfed by the mythical world Mary Zimmerman, Director and Writer, presented at the Shakespeare theatre. Beautiful, melancholy and humorous, I didn’t even realise two hours past as I stood on the edge of my seat wondering "What can they think up next??"/

Based on the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, Argonautika is an epic poem by Apollonius Rhodius, later redone by Latin Valerius.

The basic storyline is such: Jason is on his way to bid his Uncle, King Pelias, Happy Birthday. Along the way, he assists an old lady across a river but accidentally loses his sandal in the river. Unbeknownst to him, she is Hera is disguise who later reveals herself and vows to protect and help him. Now King Pelias has been having some foreboding dreams: a man with one sandal will usurp his throne. Of course, when he sees Jason's bare foot he promptly devises a scheme to get him as far away as possible. He commands him to assemble a group and go on a quest to find the Golden Fleece, a treasure long gone. If he can succeed, Pelias will abdicate the throne to him. But the King is no fool, Pelias hopes that in the process Jason will find his death and never threaten him again. So Jason goes and gathers up a bevy of heroes including Hercules. Off they set on a journey to capture the Fleece from the far away land of Colchis. They have a special ship built for them, the Argos. Along the way they encounter Sea Nymphs, treacherous rulers, murderous women and other magical creatures. Hera and Athena watch over them and intervene several times. When they finally reach Colchis, they must deal with King Aetes who has ownership of the Golden Fleece. King Aetes will give Jason the Fleece if he accomplishes a few impossible tasks. Hera and Athena are keen on helping out the lads, so they decide to convince Aphrodite and Eros to put a spell on King Aetes daughter, Medea, and have her fall in love with Jason. Once she is completely out of her mind in love, she will do anything to help Jason in his quest including betraying her father and kinsmen. Medea is a gifted witch and helps Jason overcome all the obstacles placed before him by her father. Jason secures the Golden Fleece and brings Medea on board with him. They consummate their marriage but the happiness only lasts so long. After a few years travelling (and having kids), Jason returns to his homeland where he has a promised bride waiting for him. Medea is left in the cold. Enraged and hopeless, she kills her children and herself.

In essence, the story of the Argonauts is a tragedy. They bring destruction to many locales and several of them die along the way. However, humorous moments prevail as the actors take a cheeky stance at their misfortune. From the snarky remarks the Gods whisper from the sidelines to the hilariously brutish behaviour of Hercules, who could well have been a spokesman for WWE with all of his yelling, the tone of the play is elevated to at least brief stints of levity. Zimmerman does an excellent job in making one of the most boring parts of the poem – the description of all the heroes and their origins (it's like reading the bible of who begat who) - into the most animated. A musical roll call ensues with each actors/hero giving a short rap about themselves and their triumphs, all to the beat of the drums and song and then high fiving each other. Speaking of which, there are several beautiful songs as well. Not so much that it becomes a musical but just the right amount to make it authentic and add another interesting element of storytelling. Oh and lets not forget all the crassness! Curse words are flung here and there, references to sex are plenty and of course, after the men are lured by the women of Lemnos, they leave the island with their pants down, basically holding their junk from the pains of too much " merry- making". It was hilarious but not over the top. A hint of Greece and a hint of America.

As a group, the actors and actresses combined efforts produced a dynamic and uniform performance. Not to knock the role of Jason or Medea but there were so many wonderful and strong actors; you almost forgot who was in the lead! Athena, played by Sofia Jean Gomez, creates the superb voice of reason. Androgynous and even tempered, she is not lured into earthly desires as some of the other Gods. She was there to give hope and help to the troubled men. She was the only Goddess that seemed to care. Her strong yet carefree spirit was evident in her constant presence, steady voice and drole comments. Hera on the other hand, played by Lisa Tejero, was an aloof and egotistical Goddess. At times she meant well and at others she was downright mean. Cunning and selfish, she gave a cheeky edge to the jealous Hera. Jason, Jake Suffian, and Medea, Atley Loughridge, expertly portrayed the tormented lovers although at times seemed an odd paring. Atley almost made me physically ill witnessing her agony and torturous love. It felt that real. All in all, I have never seen a cast mesh so well into such a flawless finish.

Unlike previous plays I have seen at the Shakespeare theatre, Argonautika had a stationary stage. Daniel Ostling, the stage designer, used wooden planks with openings on the ceilings, floor and sides that were transformed into windows, the sky, rivers and Hades. A mast and a series of ropes created the illusion of a ship while simple touches such as a door or a star in the sky altered the stage to a palace or a mountain top. Every inch of the set was used as Gods dangles from above, Hercules bellowed from the second tier of the ship and sea nymphs emerged from underground. You would be surprised how you're imagination sizzles with the mere hint of a background, or sprinkle of glitter or a cloud of smoke.

And this rings true for the costumes as well. Carefully thought out pieces with intricate detail but that did not overwhelm. Ana Kuzmanic, costume designer, was really the icing on the cake for me. The Nautes or Sailors wore plain tunics, sandals and helmets. The delight however is in the minor details. Take a closer look and you see the peacock feather on Hera's head ( her iconic symbol), the meandros symbol shaved into Jason's hair- ubiquitous in ancient Greece and any jewellery I ever received from any Greek relative, or the embroidered broken hearts on the dresses of the women from Lemnos who killed their husbands thinking they had cheated them. A terrifying sea monster brought bursts of laughter when it emerged as a long green sheet with just two bugged out eyes stuck to it. This play is brought to life by these simple yet imaginative tricks.

Although obtaining the Golden Fleece is the purpose of the whole journey, it is the doomed love between Jason and Medea that leaves a lasting impression. Torn between honouring her Father and the intense love she feels due to Eros' arrow spell, she is a confused, weeping mess. You cannot help but feel sorry for her. It's a love she did not choose. It was forced upon her by fickle Goddesses in their quest to aide Jason. Medea is not purely in love, she is sick with love. Zimmerman poignantly expresses this through the arrow that pierces her. At first, it leaves a slight blood red stain that by the end has soaked her entire dress. She tries to pry it out but to no luck. Her heart and her love is a bleeding open wound overtaking everything in her life.

The moral of the story, ladies and gentlemen, is that there is a fine line between whom or what is in control, Men vs. Women. Gods vs. Mortals. Fate vs. Chaos. The myths of ancient Greece are not far removed from the present time. The same themes prevail: love, loss, betrayal, jealous, hope. Indeed, mythology has often been analysed as a unifying force throughout the world, part of the 'collective unconscious" that makes up human existence.

The Gods only intervene when they feel like it and at times don’t even care what happens. In the last scene, Hera – who was a mastermind in most of the schemes- asks Athena "So what became of the others?" She is not even aware nor cares to follow through with the tragedy that the rest of the crew endured. Men are left to their own desires and weaknesses. The tragic figure of the hero is left abandoned and alone. What I thought was also interesting is that although the crew of heroes is all men, it was women that helped them along the way. Without the help of the Patron Goddesses, Hera and Athena, the men would have had a difficult time getting by. And poor Medea. The mere teenage daughter of a king was the only reason the Argonauts succeeded in their quest. A crew full of so much testosterone and ambition would have gotten nowhere without the help of a girl.

Now please all go see this Play RIGHT NOW. It was FANTASTIC.

Then go read Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

all details and showtimes here:
http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/plays/details

Previously in Live DC:

• 5/24: LiveDC: The Adicts @ RNR Hotel
• 5/24: LiveDC: The Donkeys @ Black Cat
• 5/23: LiveDC: The Barr Brothers w/ Kishi Bashi @ The Hamilton
• 5/23: LiveDC: Damien Jurado @ Black Cat
• 5/23: Report: Soundbites 2012
• 5/22: LiveDC: Spirit Animal @ Red Palace
• 5/22: LiveDC: Astra Via @ Black Cat
• 5/22: LiveDC: Father John Misty @ Rock & Roll Hotel
• 5/22: LiveDC: Drive-By Truckers and Lucinda Williams @ Merriweather
• 5/22: Photos: Summer Camp takes the "Ladies of Town" Drag Show