By Shianne Gray
The Classical Greek Theatre Festival opened their annual touring production of a classical Greek play with Euripides’ Ion at the Courage Theatre at Westminster College on Thursday, September 7th. Since 1971, the Classical Greek Theatre Festival has kept Greek theatre alive in Utah by producing a classic play each year. Ion, the story of a young orphan (Brandt Garber) discovering his family, heritage, and destiny hasn’t been seen at the CGTF since 2000, and it’s back in a powerful, engaging, and entertaining production, directed by Alexandra Harbold and assistant directed by Emilio Casillas.
As an alumna of Westminster’s theatre program, I’ve been familiar with the CGTF since 2011’s Iphigenia in Tauris. I was thrilled to see a full house on opening night, with familiar faces—of Westminster professors and theatre-loving community members—and unfamiliar faces—of new Westminster students, attending the production as part of studying the play in class—alike. The festival is the oldest Greek theatre festival in the country, and it’s exciting to have such a unique theatrical tradition based in Salt Lake City.
Among the pantheon of Greek plays, Ion is one of the lesser-produced. CGTF producer, founder, and dramaturg Jim Svendsen, in his half-hour pre-show lecture (absolutely worth attending), explains that one cause of the relative unpopularity of this play is its inability to fit neatly into the traditional genres of Greek drama. Although considered a tragedy, Ion has elements of comedy and romance that set it apart from the more oft-produced Greek plays. It also employs a multiple-plot structure, following both the titular character, an orphan seeking his parentage, and Creusa, a woman seeking the child she lost eighteen years ago, until their paths finally cross, with the help of a traditional Greek chorus and the interference of the gods Hermes, Apollo, and Athena.
Harbold places the action in a more contemporary and highly-stylized 1950s Delphi. David Lan’s translation beautifully updates the text, making it easily accessible by a modern audience while retaining the heightened quality of language that characterizes classical Greek drama. The chorus begins the play as a tour group exploring the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and Creusa (Tamari Dunbar), the royal daughter of Athens, evokes the poise of Grace Kelly. The set is stark and unmoving, consisting of Greek pillars, a temple doorway, and not much else, creating an interesting dichotomy between the ancient stillness of the Apollonian temple and the colorful, bustling characters that inhabit it.
One of Ion’s biggest strengths is its fast-paced and varied structure. Greek theatre is known for long expository monologues, and Ion has its fair share, but they are presented in creative and engaging ways—there is no boredom in this production. The first speech of the play has the messenger god Hermes (Tyler Palo) setting the scene for what’s to come. He bounds energetically around the stage, inviting the rest of the cast to participate and act out the story of his exposition. This first monologue ends in a gorgeous tableau, with each chorus member atop a pillar in a perfectly statuesque pose.
Other long monologues are transformed into song. These musical interludes allow 
actors to find new emotional depths in their words while moving the action along in an upbeat, exciting way. Dunbar is especially impressive in her musicality—her voice is sweet and pitch-perfect, but unafraid to go to heavier and more anguished places when the music and text demands it. Still other scenes make great use of the play’s frequent stichomythia, a stylistic device in which characters speak alternating lines of verse. These scenes play like verbal ping-pong, and the strength of the chorus is on display as they patter back and forth without missing a beat.
Ion owes much of its success to an incredibly strong ensemble cast, from the lead characters to the always-shifting chorus. As Ion, Garber is confident, youthful, and fiery—distrustful, but quick to embrace the changes in his life. Although not the strongest singer, his opening song is well-acted and imbued with the charm and ease of the ephebe—the Greek archetype of the 18-year-old man. Dunbar is magnificent as Creusa. Her character arc is meticulously acted, from her opening moments as a poised noblewoman to her journey into the emotional and dramatic climax of the play. Her performance is layered and magnetic, with every line fascinating to watch.
Other standouts include the Old Servant (Holly Fowers), who deftly navigates both comic relief and dramatic instigation, and Apollo’s priestess Pythia (Stacey Jenson), whose presence is both powerful and soothing in her role as Ion’s adopted mother. As Creusa’s husband Xuthus, Aaron Adams is also strong, playing a role that might usually be portrayed more stoically with enthusiasm and energy.
The entire chorus works together well in a variety of roles, from a tour group including a delightfully excitable bus driver (Alec James Kalled), an adorable and impressionable young woman (Katelyn Limber), an aloof traveler (Sydney Shoell) and a gossip-loving busybody (Merry Magee) setting the scene in Delphi, to a group of servants plotting revenge for their master.
The production’s design serves the story well. Shannon McCullock’s costumes are gorgeous, crisp and stylish. The picture-perfect looks of Creusa, Xuthus, and the chorus are the perfect foil to the simple garb worn by Ion and Pythia, and Ion’s costume changes are an interesting reflection of his character’s journey. Jen Jackson’s sound design and original compositions are less consistent. At best, the music provides a steady underscore that moves the action along, but the songs are sometimes directionless and difficult to follow. Technical difficulties on opening night meant that some songs were performed a capella by the chorus, who handled it admirably but occasionally struggled with pitch and timing. Adriana Lemke’s fight choreography was well-rehearsed and naturalistic, flowing easily with the rest of the play’s blocking.
CGTF’s Ion is a strong, clear, and well-acted production, well worth a trip to any of its upcoming tour locations. Although the varying stylistic choices sometimes give the play a sense of disjointedness, the upbeat pace means that the action is always changing, and there is bound to be something for everyone. For me, the moments of true communication between Creusa and Ion at the crux of the play were moving and worth the price of admission alone. I was thrilled to see nuanced, naturalistic acting in a stylized, classical work. The opportunity to see this excellent production of a rarely-produced play shouldn’t be missed.
Classical Greek Theatre Festival presents Ion by Euripides
- Westminster College, Jay W. Lees Courage Theatre, September 7–9, 14–16 7:30 PM
- Weber State University, Wildcat Theatre, September 19, 7:30 PM
- West Valley City, UCCC Amphitheater, September 22, 7:30 PM
This performance will be held in the outdoor amphitheater and will include wine and beer sales, a brief pre-show lecture, and a post event meet and greet reception with the cast. - Brigham Young University, de Jong Concert Hall, September 25, 5:00 PM An orientation lecture will precede each performance 30 minutes before the show starts.
The drug consists of sildenafil citrate, an ingredient which ensures smooth blood viagra from canada pharmacy flow to the penis which means the man can then lead to the best erections. While there are many causes of peripheral vascular disease, but medical practitioners commonly use the term lowest cost of viagra peripheral vascular disease to refer to peripheral artery disease (PAD). online cialis india This could be the positive point for Kamagra to have huge fame and sale in comparison to others. Another different and one that’s preferred for several drivers is to require drivers education courses on-line. generic cialis prices
Tickets: $8-$18
Contact: 801-832-2457 Study Guide
Westminster College Website
Classical Greek Festival Facebook page
Ion Facebook event
0 Comments