E.C. Glass Theatre brings two classics into the 21st century with their original production It’s All Greek To Me. This production of two one-acts revisits stories that have stood the test of time with Lysistrata and Eurydice, inspired by classical mythology and literature but with a contemporary twist.
It’s All Greek To Me will be performed on November 12-16, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will take place in the Alumni Studio Theatre at E. C. Glass High School. The November 14 performance will be signed for the hearing impaired.
The first of the one-acts is Lysistrata, written by Aristophanes and originally presented in 411 BCE. It is a comic account of one woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War by persuading the women of Greece to withhold certain privileges from their husbands as a means of forcing the men to negotiate peace. Director Tom Harris notes, "The E. C. Glass theatre students have had a lot more fun analyzing and editing this ancient piece than they ever thought possible."
The second production of the evening is Eurydice and is a re-imagining of the Orpheus myth, focusing on the experience of his bride, Eurydice. The story moves from the beach to a high rise apartment, to the depths of the underworld as the two young lovers try to circumvent fate and find each other across the greatest distance imaginable. The performance will include live percussion and a modern take on the ancient Greek chorus. J. D. Stallings, director of this one-act and Glass Theatre technical director comments, "Although both of these shows have ties to ancient Greece, they couldn't be more different thematically or technically. Our technical theatre students are simultaneously creating large stone columns and an elevator that rains, so things are very exciting right now."
E. C. Glass Theatre is taking each of these one-acts to different high school theatre festivals this fall. Students are performing at both the Virginia Theatre Association and the Virginia High School League competitions. While editing the original plays for time and content but also working to hold true to the playwrights’ intent, the students also have benefitted by receiving guidance from Amy Cohen, Randolph College professor and Director of the Center for Ancient Drama, and Megan Barrett, E. C. Glass Latin teacher and ancient drama specialist.
Tickets for It’s All Greek To Me are $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Tickets will be on sale at the E. C. Glass Auditorium Lobby Box Office weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. through November 15 and one hour prior to each performance.