Bacchae adds reality to classic myth

"Is that glue I'm stepping in?" said John Wellmann. When he stepped in a glob of glue on the Annenberg School Theatre stage, Wellman, who plays Tiresius in InterAct Theatre Company's production of The Bacchae, broke the traditional barrier between actor and audience. While he broke character accidentally, the ease with which Wellmann crossed the boundary between character and self is typical of this production of Wole Soyinka's adaptation of the Greek classic. Throughout their rehearsal Monday, actors purposefully brought this feeling of reality to the stage. For several hours, in the Annenberg School Theater, actors practiced, each with their own experience, making this adaptation different from the classic. According to InterAct Theater Company Director Seth Rozin, one of the main purposes of the play is to give the audience a feeling of humanness. "The characters are all human, instead of austere types," Rozin said. In the classic, Dionysus, a demi-god, is portrayed as nearly perfect. But in Soyinka's adaptation, Dionysus' character is developed to the extent that both the his generous and cruel natures receive exploration, making him more like a normal man. The story centers around Dionysus, the god of nature and wine, and Pentheus, the atheistic king of Thebes. Throughout the play, Dionysus and Pentheus have conflict simply because Dionysus is a very sensual person, while Pentheus embodies the idea of a strong male type, one who does not allow his emotions to surface. InterAct Theatre Company member Bruce Robinson plays Dionysos, and Frank X plays Pentheus. "This role requires that you draw on humane attributes," Robinson said. "Dionysos is very lyrical and poetic, and rather ambiguous." In the play, nature is running wild because of the influence of Dionysus, and people slowly let go of their inhibitions. An undercurrent in the play relates to this naturistic aspect. "If you suppress nature so much," said Rozin, "it comes out violently." The set even reflects the importance of nature. Vines come up from the pillars on both sides of the stage to symbolize the "rearing of nature's head," Rozin said. Similarly, costumes, designed by Chryss Hionis, draw on different cultures in order to create a believable culture that most can identify with, Rozin said. "The tendency has been to market this as an African play," Rozin said. "This is not a tribal, breast-beating spectacle." But the play itself espouses deep and profound experiences in human life, experiences that cross ethnic lines, according to Rozin. University alumnus Colin Campbell and former University student George Spencer play flogger slaves. Spencer saidd that because of the mix of people acting, this play also speaks on the idea of artistic unity. "[It's] something we all can touch on," said Spencer. This play will debut on January 30 and continue through February 9 in the Annenberg School Theatre. Performances this weekend will be Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The performance is part of the Bacchae Project, spearheaded by the College of Arts and Sciences, that assigned The Bacchae of Euripides to incoming freshmen to prepare them for their first year at the University. After each performance, University faculty members will lead discussions about the play.

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