Photo courtesy of Immersive Art Colletive
Reviewed by Julyza Commodore
The Immersive Art Collective/Count’s Den
Thru November 12th
RECOMMENDED
So this young woman named Medea leaves her home and her family to be with her guy, Jason. Long story short, she grows older, and he betrays her for a younger bride, leaving her stranded and alone. If this scenario sounds familiar, that’s probably the reason Euripides’s ancient Greek tragedy still rings true with such emotion and tragedy.
Medea Unleashed, a reimagining, is no different. However, it is even more emotionally heightened as it is shown that Euripides (co-director Ian Heath) does not want the story to unfold as it does in this immersive production, and he’s practically going stir crazy as a result. There is absolutely no controlling his protagonist, Medea (Melanie Neilan) as she is indeed unleashed and enraged after being betrayed by Jason (Arno Horn). Neilian is both fiery and lively as Medea, and Heath does a wonderful job as Euripides, exemplifying the anxiousness and consequences of losing the control that he thought he once had.
With a cast of seven playing in this very intimate setting, the performances really do stand out and keep the audience engaged. Even if you aren’t someone who is familiar with the story, it is very easy to follow due to not only the clarity of the actors’ performances, but also the direction by Heath and Elif Savas (Savas also helped adapt the script). Watching the performances played out on only three platforms, the audience is immersed in all that is happening as the show unfolds. It’s so engaging that time flies by, so that you hardly notice it passing.
The Immersive Arts Collective/Counts Den at 1039 S. Olive Street. Sat., Nov. 11, 7 9 pm; Sun., Nov. 12, 2 & 4pm; thru Nov. 12. https://www.immersiveartcollective.org/
