'Bacchai' receives facelift, new spin

When most people think of a Greek tragedy, they conjure up images of formal white robes. Check those preconceptions at the door, though, as the IU Department of Theatre and Drama presents "Bacchai" at the Wells-Metz Theater, beginning today. \n"Bacchai," a Greek tragedy by Euripides, tells the story of the struggle between the Greek god of wine and theater Dionysus, played by Robert J.D. Spaulding, and his cousin Pentheus, the king of Thebes, played by Sam Wooten. After Pentheus refuses to acknowledge Dionysus as a god, Dionysus comes to Thebes from Asian lands with a group of 12 women to exact his revenge. \nThe cast and director gave "Bacchai" a facelift for this production, Wooten said.\nGenerally, Greek tragedies are translated into old, Shakespearean English. However, Irish playwright Colin Teevan retranslated the play and updated the dialogue to a more modern version of English. The IU performance is the U.S. premiere of Teevan's translation, and Teevan will be at IU after the Feb. 5 show.\n"Colin Teevan did a great job," Wooten said. "I think Teevan's version brings it up to date and makes it accessible to modern audience. He was faithful to the script, but he brought it up to date."\nAn aspect of Greek theater that Guest Director Randy White and the design team decided to use is the Greek tradition of wearing masks.\nIn ancient times, these masks were used to over-emphasize facial features when the Greeks would perform their plays for large audiences on hillsides. The masks were a cooperative effort between costume designer and Theatre and Drama professor Linda Pisano and IU senior Ian Martin for this production. Pisano said she came up with ideas for the masks and Martin sculpted each one. \nAnother aspect of Greek theater used in IU's production of "Bacchai" is the Greek chorus. In "Bacchai" it serves as the "Cult of Dionysus." These are women who travel from Asian lands with Dionysus to wreak havoc on Pentheus and his family. The chorus of 12 women will be dressed as Japanese anime schoolgirls, complete with electric-blue-and-pink-dyed hair.\n"Basically, (the chorus) is expressing the influence of one culture on another," Stage Manager Nicole Brickley said. \nPlaywright and translator Teevan will appear at the Curtain Talk after the performance Thursday, Feb. 10. Teevan will also appear on a panel at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St., and will deliver a public lecture at 4 p.m. that day at the Wells-Metz Theater. Tickets are not required for any of the events featuring Teevan. For more information, visit the Web site www.indiana.edu/~thtr.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Jenny \nKobiela at jkobiela@indiana.edu.