Euripides
Medea
Μήδεια
Director: Oliver Frljić
Medea of the classical tragedian Euripides is undoubtedly a protagonist, who has had a rare, almost unique position among female literary characters in the history of literature, comprising many contradictions, paradoxes and controversies. The Colchis princess is setting up her much disputed personality at the crossroads between nature and society, at which she establishes herself as a woman, wife and mother, still dwelling under the mythical cloak as a witch and half-goddess. As a violator
of the constitution of her own homeland, she is looking for a refuge in exile, which has given her the perpetual political stigma of a refugee, stray and a foreigner. In Corinth, she finally settles down with the Greek hero Jason – after having stolen for him the Golden Fleece from her own native country, dismembered her own brother, and conspired against king Pelias, eventually having him killed by his own daughters. However, her own husband’s betrayal has brought her to kill the Corinthian
king Creon, his daughter Glauce, and finally, her own two children.
Euripides’ Medea discloses the very essence of the ancient Greek society, the cradle of European culture, its seeds still being significant constitutional elements of contemporary society, its primary attributes and indicators of body segregation within societal structure. Medea’s story relies on empirical observation of the world, which the protagonist will not accept; therefore, she actively engages herself in order to change it.
The new production of Euripides’ Medea, staged by Oliver Frljić at the Maribor Drama in 2017, investigates the protagonist’s position through a rather complex spectrum of relationships with other characters in the play, heavily focusing on the most obscure and marginal interpersonal constellations. Medea therefore is not just a tragedy of a woman, an emancipatory experiment; she is not just a heroine, witch or a lover, driven by irrational passion – but also a member of a specific social class and a tragic consequence of the actual conflicting policies. Medea’s revenge is thus founded on the possibility of establishing a different societal universe, as well on the realization of Medea’s radical intimidation, uttered at the very beginning of the play.
Cast
Medea - Nataša Matjašec RoškerJason - Branko Jordan
Creon - Peter Boštjančič
Miloš Battelino
Aegeus - Davor Herga
Nurse - Maša Žilavec
Tutor - Ivica Knez
Messenger - Matija Stipanič
Medea's children - Mojca Simonič, Viktor Meglič
Photo gallery
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
Photo: Damjan Švarc
