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Prometheus Bound!
Apr. 2nd, 2011 01:21 amIt's not where I'm headed in life, it's a rock opera at Club OBERON, the second venue of the American Repertory Theater. Turning a 2500 year old Greek tragedy into a modern dress rock musical might seem one of the more improbable theatrical ideas to come along, but the production by the A.R.T. makes this unlikely idea work. The production uses the space at OBERON well; at times people are seen on ladders that were erected for the production, on a rolling platform, on the bar and on tables on the mezzanine, and in the balcony. Oh yes, and once in a while on the stage. This will be a difficult production to bring to other venues, as a lot of the design was specifically done for OBERON. A tech crew moved the various platforms around, herded the floor audience out of the way as needed, and danced and cheered on the main characters when not otherwise occupied.
The focal character of the show is, of course, Prometheus. Tonight the role was played by the understudy, Michael Cunio, who normally plays Oceanos, the prime antagonist of Prometheus. Oceanos was, in turn, played by the understudy for that role, Steven Good. (It's fascinating that either way, the two major male roles are played by actor and understudy.) Cunio handled the physical demands of the role well (he is called on to struggle against his chains dramatically while showing off his glistening bare chest); his was not the strongest voice in the show but it was certainly sufficient to carry the story. Good's Oceanos was a sneering biker-gang member who mocked Prometheus in his insistence in resisting the will of Zeus (the über-god who is not seen in the play). The most memorable voice in the show belonged to Uzo Aduba, playing Io. The other important female was Force, portrayed by Lea Delaria who in the role looks like a butch dyke but appears to have some interest in the male gods. The three Daughters of the Aether (Celina Carvajal, Ashley Flanagan, and Jo Lampert) get the sweet harmonies. Hermes (Gabe Ebert), a supporting player for most of the way, emerges in the final act to chew the scenery and steal the show.
Aeschylus is not the most familiar material to most of us (certainly not to me); as a result I occasionally found the story difficult to follow. (It is presented in a new modern translation, so understanding the language is not a problem.) But the strength of the music and images carry the show through the sticking points and get the essential message across; the evils of tyranny.
There are two shows left tonight (Saturday). Some floor tickets are left and the code PROBO15 might still work to get you a discount on them. If you read this in time and can get to OBERON tonight, I recommend seeing Prometheus Bound.
The focal character of the show is, of course, Prometheus. Tonight the role was played by the understudy, Michael Cunio, who normally plays Oceanos, the prime antagonist of Prometheus. Oceanos was, in turn, played by the understudy for that role, Steven Good. (It's fascinating that either way, the two major male roles are played by actor and understudy.) Cunio handled the physical demands of the role well (he is called on to struggle against his chains dramatically while showing off his glistening bare chest); his was not the strongest voice in the show but it was certainly sufficient to carry the story. Good's Oceanos was a sneering biker-gang member who mocked Prometheus in his insistence in resisting the will of Zeus (the über-god who is not seen in the play). The most memorable voice in the show belonged to Uzo Aduba, playing Io. The other important female was Force, portrayed by Lea Delaria who in the role looks like a butch dyke but appears to have some interest in the male gods. The three Daughters of the Aether (Celina Carvajal, Ashley Flanagan, and Jo Lampert) get the sweet harmonies. Hermes (Gabe Ebert), a supporting player for most of the way, emerges in the final act to chew the scenery and steal the show.
Aeschylus is not the most familiar material to most of us (certainly not to me); as a result I occasionally found the story difficult to follow. (It is presented in a new modern translation, so understanding the language is not a problem.) But the strength of the music and images carry the show through the sticking points and get the essential message across; the evils of tyranny.
There are two shows left tonight (Saturday). Some floor tickets are left and the code PROBO15 might still work to get you a discount on them. If you read this in time and can get to OBERON tonight, I recommend seeing Prometheus Bound.
