By Jason Hagey and Alisha Hagey
West Valley City’s Harman Theatre presents Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, a part of the Salt Lake City Classical Greek Theatre Festival in conjunction with Westminster College. This play, from ca. 430 BC, brings Greek mythology to life while exploring the implications of meddling with the gods. The set and lighting for this production lighting play off the silvery, black, onyx-like structure of jagged rock and chain, making for a powerful iconography from the outset and lets the audience know that this is a world in which the characters are dealing with the gods.
Prometheus is a Titan and brother of Atlas, both of whom are doomed to suffer for helping humanity. The Titans were the deities that preceded the Olympians and after the great Olympian Zeus took power, Prometheus angered him by providing humanity fire and is therefore bound to a monolithic rock to suffer for his actions. Thus begins an epic discussion on the roles of power and suffering, fate and free will, and justice – themes that still consume much of our cultural discourse to this day.
Kratos (Michelle Lynn Thompson) and Bia (Louise Dapper), the primordial personifications of strength and violence, enlist Hephaestus (Allen Smith), Olympian god offire and blacksmiths, to chain Prometheus (Aaron Adams) to a giant rock. The rock, being at the bottom of a ravine in the faraway land of Caucasus, allows for Prometheus to be visited by the Naiads, daughters of Oceanus and nymphs of the world’s many springs. He is later visited by Io (Carlie Young), another mortal cursed by Zeus, and later the god Hermes (Megan Sparrer). As the play progresses, Prometheus explains his reasons for providing fire (among a whole litany of other gifts) to humans and, later, prophesies of the downfall of the tyrant Zeus.
Adams is well-cast by Emilio Casillas (Director). Adams’ combination of well-built physique and exceptional interpretation of text make him the quintessential Prometheus. He is strong, vindictive, and piteous. Adams provides many layers to the text, his emotions, and his intellectual understanding shine. There is never a moment you doubt his sincerity as a character.
Suni Gigliotti (Leader of the Chorus of Naiads), Thompson, Dapper, Young, Sparrer, and Sill create a powerful chorus; also inhabiting the visitors within the story. Together they create an audience within an audience. The Naiads pull context and content from the suffering Prometheus.
The technical aspects of this production are outstanding. Sitting in the audience, the audience is taken with the set created by Spencer BrownYou should not use this medicine without permission of your physical advisor if you are suffering from the following health hazards: heart problems (sexual activity is inadvisable for those online levitra tablet with this kind of problem) heart attack anytime during the last six months. But then again, there may not be sufficient space for one-on-one activities with buy generic levitra unica-web.com a class size of 100. If we talk about the males only, men with more stress and depression are likely to lose sex power due to various reasons like – Herniated Disc, Spinal Stenosis, Spondylolisthesis, overnight cheap viagra selling here Osteoarthritis, Deformity, Trauma, Compression Fracture, Degenerative Disc Disease, Facet Joint Dysfunction, Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction etc. Irrespective of the nature of the appliances, its performance level and period of warranty, there is no guarantee that it would definitely show a person the best results then make sure you do viagra tablets uk not take any decision or any step which is not suggested by the physician. (Lighting and Scenic Designer). Katelyn Limber (Sound Designer and Composer) has some lovely moments and subtle creations, which give a sense of time and space, while the actors’ reactions help forge the understanding of the context. Andrea Davenport (Costume Designer) builds with movement in mind. Her pieces all give a sense of flow, like the elements that most of the cast inhabits. Her simple and effective colors pop alongside the black obsidian monolith. Bailey Sill (Choreographer) creates a sense of other-worldly movement within the chorus, highlighting the water-like qualities of movement mixed with a jerkiness that is slightly off-putting, somewhat jarring, and very effective.
Before the play, Jim Svendsen (Festival Founder and Dramaturg) provides the audience with an extemporaneous lecture on the importance of Prometheus Bound and an explanation of what is going to be experienced in the production. He couches the play in historical context, gives some background on Aeschylus, and provides the audience with an understanding of the mythos they are about to witness. One audience member commented that he especially liked the first act of the play: the professor’s lecture. Indeed, it delivers a unique perspective for the audience as a kind of prologue.
There is no real resolution to this story. This is because there are meant to be two plays following (Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus the Firebringer) of which scholars only have fragments left of the manuscript. Seeing a narrative in this way makes for a somewhat inharmonious conclusion, but allows the audience to ponder on the themes of justice and tyranny versus democracy without distraction. They are left with the suffering of Prometheus still fresh and new and about to become more intense.
In this manner, and with the sounds of his chains still rattling in the audience’s ears, Prometheus Bound becomes another view into the history of man and how power corrupts. There is still one more chance to see this talented cast. They perform at Brigham Young University on September 23, 2019. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the epic struggle one last time.
Salt Lake City Classical Greek Theatre Festival and Westminster College present Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus, translated by William Matthews
Harman Theatre, 3333 Decker Lake Dr, West Valley City, UT 84119
Friday, September 20, 2019, 7:00 PM Literary Discussion with Jim Svendsen and 7:30 Showtime
Tickets: $15-18
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