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CATASTROPHIC LOVE TRIANGLE DARKENS LSU
STAGE
January 20, 2004
LSU Theatre's Studio production of Euripides's Greek tragedy "Hippolytus"
brings passion, jealousy, and revenge to LSU January 23-February
1 in Theatre 106 of the Music & Dramatic Arts Building.
"One of the great strengths of the Greek plays is their incredible
excess," said director and Ph.D. candidate Elizabeth Cawns.
"Characters do and say outrageous things, go to unbelievable
lengths for love, hate and revenge. They do everything we'd secretly
love to do if we didn't have to live in society."
After Theseus is banished from Athens, he leaves his son Hippolytus
behind to care for Phaedra, Hippolytus' step-mother. All is well
until jealous love goddess Aphrodite steps in with a curse that
dooms Phaedra to fall hopelessly in love with her step-son, leading
to a catastrophe of Greek proportions.
"Seeing a Greek play should be like reading celebrity-watching
magazines. We don't want to live with such highs and lows, but we
love living vicariously through people who do," said Cawns.
The play features a Greek chorus that provides the much-needed
comic relief in this tragedy-stricken story, constantly probing
around for fresh gossip.
"The chorus is there to express thoughts that we are too scared
to say aloud. They gossip, they ask the obvious questions, and they
comment with horrified relish on each fresh scandalous move,"
said Cawns.
Performances run Tues.-Sat. at 7:30 p.m. and Sun. at 2 p.m. January
23 through February 1 in Theatre 106 of the Music and Dramatic Arts
Building on LSU's campus. Tickets are available at the door one
hour prior to performances, and a $6 donation is suggested per patron.
More information is available at (225) 578-4174
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