'Bacchae' to be produced on campus

Isn't The Bacchae of Euripides Greek? Yes. But Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka has adapted this classic into a play that InterAct Theatre Company will produce from January 30 to February 9, in the Annenberg School Theatre. This production will enact The Bacchae from an African perspective, as the play by Soyinka is a fusion of African and African-American culture. A political piece, this production will tell of the revolutionary and religious issues that Africa is facing, but using the characters that were initially in the classic by Euripides. The Bacchae tells the story of the confrontation between Pentheus, the King of Thebes, and Dionysos, the god of nature, wine and sexuality. Recently, the play has become popular because of its political tinges and its relevance to changes the world is experiencing. Norman Adler, associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, said the performance of The Bacchae is a multimedia event because people can both see and read the play. Adler also said the event is multicultural, since it merges black studies and liberal arts, and he said he would like the performance to inaugurate the beginning of Black History month in February. The Bacchae Project, a year-long, campus-wide program is the catalytic event of which the production is an extension. It began with the University reading project that involved entering freshmen this year. Last summer, the College mailed the book to incoming freshmen in order enrich their summers and prepare them academically for the University. According to Kent Peterman, Adler's executive assistant, over 97 percent of incoming students read The Bacchae. He added that the College will probably repeat the reading project next summer, although not necessarily with Euripides' play. The Greek version of the play will be performed again in April, and the Philomathean Society will put on a play that is an extension of the work and the reading called Dionysos on Trial, an improvisational debate that is set up like a mock trial.

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