REVELATION READING
MEDEA
by EURIPIDES
adapted by BEN POWER
SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2024 | 7:30 PM
Sheen Center Shiner Theatre | 18 Bleecker Street
Directed by DANIEL FISH
Featuring Tina Benko, Dahlak Brathwaite, Bill Camp, Joan MacIntosh, Elizabeth Marvel, Michael Rudko, and Greig Sargeant
Ben Power's adaptation of Euripides' Medea breathes new life into this ancient tragedy, infusing it with contemporary relevance while retaining the raw emotional power of the original. Set against a backdrop of betrayal and vengeance, the play delves into the psyche of its titular character, Medea, a woman scorned and driven to unspeakable acts in the name of justice and retribution. Power's adaptation skillfully explores themes of betrayal, exile, and the clash between personal desire and societal expectations, all while maintaining the haunting intensity that has made Medea a timeless classic. With its sharp dialogue, nuanced characterizations, and gripping narrative, Power's adaptation of Medea captivates audiences, inviting them to contemplate the complexities of human nature and the consequences of unchecked passion.
THE CAST
ABOUT THE PLAY
I choose to take back my life. My life. Medea is a wife and a mother. For the sake of her husband, Jason, she's left her home and borne two sons in exile. But when he abandons his family for a new life, Medea faces banishment and separation from her children. Cornered, she begs for one day's grace. It's time enough. She exacts an appalling revenge and destroys everything she holds dear. Ben Power's version of Euripides' tragedy Medea premiered at the National Theatre, London, in July 2014.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Ben Power is a Tony Award winning and BAFTA and Olivier Award nominated writer for theatre and film. He is an Associate of the National Theatre. His adaptation of The Lehman Trilogy transferred from the National Theatre to the West End and opened on Broadway in 2021. It was nominated for Olivier, Evening Standard and Drama League awards for Best Play, and in 2022 won the Tony Award for Best New Play. From 2014-2019, he was Deputy Artistic Director of the National Theatre and, prior to that, an Associate of the theatre for four years. He commissioned and produced over seventy world premieres and in 2013 was responsible for the temporary theatre space, The Shed. His adaptations for the National include DH Lawrence’s Husbands & Sons, Euripides’ Medea, and Ibsen’s Emperor & Galilean. Prior to joining the National, Ben was the first Associate Director of Headlong. Adaptations for the company include Six Characters in Search of an Author, Faustus (both with Rupert Goold) and Paradise Lost. Other work for the theatre includes the dramaturgy on Complicite’s A Disappearing Number, which won the Olivier, Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Play.Screenplays include five films in the BBC Shakespeare series The Hollow Crown, which won RTS and Broadcasting Press Guild awards and were nominated for BAFTAs for Best Single Drama and Best Mini-Series. He is currently writing feature screenplays for Netflix and MGM and a play for the National Theatre. Recently he has written a feature for Netflix, MUNICH: THE EDGE OF WAR, and has an original series in development with Working Title, "Raw and Netflix."