"American Medea" to be staged by Theater Department
Brittany Kent ’18 in a scene from American Medea.
The Skidmore Department of Theater will present American Medea, written and directed by artist-in-residence Holly L. Derr., as its fall main stage production.
This provocative re-imagining of the Medea myth plays out deep in the heart of Texas. When a media circus descends on the rural cow town of Corinth, Texas, to cover a gruesome filicide, a community must confront its own expectations and prejudices about motherhood, identity, and gender roles in a post-modern world. American Medea is an unflinching collage of story and culture, a new American myth based on our own contemporary Medeas.
Jonathan Lee-Rey '15 in a scene from American Medea.
(All photos by Julian Klein ’15)
Says Derr, “American Medea has so many different elements—original music, classical text, media frenzies ripped from the headlines. Yet it also tells a story with shocking clarity—that of a woman who, seeking support from her political leaders, her ex, her neighbors, and the media and finding none, commits the most desperate act imaginable. She kills her children.”
This presentation may not be suitable for all audiences due to profanity, violence and adult themes.
Scenic design is by Garett Wilson, costumes are by Patty Pawliczak, and lighting design is by Jared Klein.
Performances are Friday through Sunday, Nov. 14-16, and Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 20-23. All shows are in the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater on the Skidmore College campus at 8 p.m. except on Sundays, when there will be matinees at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $12 general admission, $8 students and senior citizens. For reservations or information, call the Skidmore Theater Box Office at (518) 580-5439 or email. For online ticketing, refer to Skidmore College Theater on Facebook or theater.skidmore.edu. For group sales, please contact Kathy Mendenhall at (518) 580-5431.