The classical
theater of the Getty Villa and the English translation of Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides
is for many of us the closest we can get to sitting in a real Greek theater and
watching a true Greek tragedy.
Euripides was well-known to Alexander
who could quote parts of his many plays. He was a prolific writer and about
ninety of his plays are known to us, although only nineteen of them have
survived.
It was only one
year after Euripides’
death that his Iphigenia in Aulis was performed for the first time in Athens
during the Great Dionysus Festival. Aristotle
kindly referred to Euripides
as “the most tragic of poets” which I find not surprising remembering how I couldn’t
help weeping the first time I saw the film version of Iphigenia
directed by Michael Cacoyannis with
music by Mikis Theodorakis.
The scene is set
on the shores of Aulis where Agamemnon,
king of Sparta,
is ready to sail his fleet to Troy
in order to assist his brother Menelaus
in recovering his wife, the beautiful Helena.
Agamemnon’s
ships are, however, waiting in vain for favorable winds to blow them east to Troy.
The goddess Artemis is consulted and in order for the winds to return, she
demands the ultimate a sacrifice from Agamemnon:
he is to sacrifice his eldest daughter Iphigenia.
It is a family tragedy played to the extreme that moved people then and still
moves us now so many centuries onwards.
From September 7 till September 30, 2017, this tragedy will be performed every Thursday and every Saturday at the Getty Villa. For more information, please click on the Getty Villa site.
[Poster is from Getty Villa]
From September 7 till September 30, 2017, this tragedy will be performed every Thursday and every Saturday at the Getty Villa. For more information, please click on the Getty Villa site.
[Poster is from Getty Villa]
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