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          string(7725) "<i><img class="wp-image-13047 size-full alignleft" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/musical-adaptation.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="219" />Written over two thousand years ago, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/event/listing/oedipus-rex-29/">OEDIPUS REX</a> continues to be adapted and reimagined in a variety of contexts and mediums. In this blog post, the second in a series of four posts, learn more about musical adaptations of Sophocles' play, as well as how these reimagined approaches address the enduring themes in this famous Greek tragedy.</i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus is not just a hero for traditional stage adaptations; he also</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">appears in musical comedies and operatic works. From Igor Stravinsky to Tom Lehrer, Oedipus is often alluded to in musical productions as a figure of either ridicule or devastation. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus! A New Musical Comedy </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">by Cynthia Jay and Edwin Wald, the tale is transposed to rural West Virginia. Upon discovering the fulfillment of a midwife’s prophecy, Oedipus (“Eddie”) and Jocasta (“Jo”) sell their sensational story to tabloids for money and fame. The comedy often disregards the complexity of Oedipus, reducing him and his family into an exaggerated caricature of a crude Southern family that embraces folly as something to profit from instead of scorn. The level of retrospection innate to the play is significantly reduced, so there is more on-stage action to complement the musical’s more energetic and wry approach. Yet, in departing from the original tone and its myriad complexities, the musical adaptation recontextualizes </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">in a modern setting and remarks on both social stereotypes and economic systems in the process. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus ROX! </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">features a 1980s rocker Oedipus, complete with dramatic eyeliner and glittery apparel. This self-aware comedic approach appeals both to audiences acquainted with the play and those who only know of the infamous Oedipus Complex so all can identify the satire and engage with the adaptation. The habit of exaggerating</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Oedipus Rex </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">for comedic purposes ensures Oedipus remains a readily identifiable cultural fixture, as these songs act as creative vehicles that immortalize his legacy and imprint his spirit into a more colloquial cultural context. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13073" align="alignleft" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-13073 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/TomLehrer-e1572549278921.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> Tom Lehrer performing at UCLA's Royce Hall for Greek Week.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, in this tradition of satirizing tragedy to revitalize it for new audiences, Tom Lehrer, an American musician, created an energetic ragtime theme song for the tragic character. Mildly misrepresenting the actual play by characterizing Oedipus as “a monarch most unfit,” Lehrer undermines the fact that the ruler did care for his kingdom. In his attempt to find a cure for the plague killing his people, he ends up learning of his own folly and securing his tragic fate. Lehrer inevitably focuses on the more taboo and often referenced aspect of the play: the dynamic between Jocasta and her son-turned-lover. He mocks this relationship and pokes fun at the true tragedy behind it. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Tex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a comedy music album/dramatic oratorio by Peter Schickele, the play is re-adapted into humorous songs that reimagine Oedipus as an average Texan man who falls into the same preordained doom as the original. However, the condensed story, set up as chronological titles on the album, is presented with a casual sense of comedic realism. One example of this is when, after blinding himself with Jocasta’s (“Billie Jo’s”) “rhinestone barrettes,” he immediately “kind of wished he hadn’t”. The last song even claims the story’s moral is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“you will be filled with great remorse / If you give your mom the love you should be saving for your horse”.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This wry fixation on Jocasta and Oedipus’ relationship, reinforced by Freud’s famous interpretation, completely dominates comedic portrayals to ensure Oedipus is often the target of countless “Greek tragedy” jokes. This phenomenon guarantees that modern audiences often enter the play with a preconceived notion of the relationship. However, they soon discover the true tragedy behind it as both parties are unwitting victims of a greater force they had no chance of successfully de</span>fying. Despite its tendency to caricaturize him, comedic music still serves as a vehicle through which Oedipus infiltrates and dominates modern culture.

[caption id="attachment_13075" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-13075 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Stravinsky.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="380" /> Ursula Boese (Jocaste) and Igor Stravinsky at the Premiere of "Oedipus Rex" in the Mailänder Scala, 1963.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other end of the musical adaptation spectrum, the play has been adapted into somber and soaring operatic performances. Igor Stravinsky’s </span>“opera-oratorio” of the play is considered to be among his best work, amazing audiences as recently as 2016 in a London production. Stravinsky wanted to create an ageless piece of music that focussed on the dramatic essence of a play’s core, so he chose <i>Oedipus Rex</i> due to its fame as one of the greatest tragedies. Stravinsky enlisted the help of Jean Cocteau and Abbe Jean Danielou to translate the text into French and, subsequently, Latin, because Stravinsky wanted the language to reinforce a sense of severe dramatism in the performance. The “opera-oratorio” solemnly follows the original text’s plot. The complete difference in tone of <i>Oedipus Rex </i>musical adaptations reflects how and why it continues to capture the minds of modern day audiences. Having his name and story appear in catchy rhythms, along with respected musical productions, makes his legacy remain in the audiences’ minds even more. In turn, his legacy is elevated despite any jokes made at his expense. The play is featured within so many diverse creative spheres that it has become a deeply ingrained point of cultural connection, as it continues to be readily identifiable and adaptable.

<hr />

On stage November 7 - December 8, 2019, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><em>Oedipus Rex</em></a> is the first powerful installment in Court's <strong>Oedipus Trilogy</strong>, which continues in May 2020 with <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><em>The Gospel at Colonus</em></a>, and concludes with <em>Antigone </em>in the fall of 2020. The trilogy lays bare the themes of fate, redemption, and justice in Sophocles’ works, dynamically engaging audiences with how these themes bridge cultures, cities, and communities."
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          string(9025) "<img class="alignnone wp-image-13069 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/oedipuscostumes-800x300.jpg" alt="" width="801" height="300" />

<em>We talked with costume designer <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/jacqueline-firkins/">Jacqueline Firkins</a> to learn more about her approach to costume design and <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a>. The following interview is edited from her responses.</em>

<b>What are the steps of your design process?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I start a design process by reading the play several times. The first time is for an emotional, instinctive response. What sticks with me? How do I feel? What do I think the play can do for an audience, based on how it impacts me? What’s the central story? I take note of all these things. Then I read it again more critically, looking for clues about the playwright’s intent. Are there indications of character relationships that I can help support with costumes? What are the primary themes and symbols? What actions have the greatest theatricality (i.e., those that will be best served by the audio/visual medium of live storytelling)? The third time, I read the play forensically. I note all the information about clothes, including weather, gender, class, and any specific literal or symbolic mentions of personal image/appearance that might directly impact the costume design. This can be as simple as a stage direction of someone checking a watch or putting on a coat, or as abstract as someone being described as birdlike or godlike. Once I have my emotional, intellectual, and forensic notes, I join the team and see where my ideas gel with those of the director and other designers, and where they want to shift with others’ input. Once we have that first group conversation, I head straight for imagery—collecting research pics and sketching out potential ways to apply them.</span>

[caption id="attachment_13060" align="alignright" width="233"]<img class="wp-image-13060 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/OR-Jocasta-pencil-sketch-233x300.jpg" alt="" width="233" height="300" /> A pencil sketch of one costume idea for Jocasta in OEDIPUS REX.[/caption]

<b>Did your approach change when starting to think about </b><b><i>Oedipus Rex</i></b><b>?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I joined the process a little later than usual on </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, so some of the set and lighting ideas were already pretty well established. This gave us a context in which to make further choices. I was able to springboard off <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/creating-the-world-of-oedipus-rex/">the set John created</a> and the team’s prior discussions about ritual and power and the role of the Chorus. One of the things I love about working at Court is that we don’t get shoehorned into our specializations right away. Everyone on the design team helps develop the world and characters and stylistic language. I also love the bridges we form between plays that were written in other times and places and the contemporary Chicago South Side audience. We’re constantly talking about why this play now, here, with this group of artists, for this audience. We want the art to be vital and present. This particular show is also blessed with an amazing team of dramaturgs. They brought in information and inspiration not just about Sophocles but about oracles and riddles, The Great Migration, plague and ritual, Chicago history, and contemporary African American artists. All that played into the production’s look and feel.</span>

<b>What are some of your overarching goals for </b><b><i>Oedipus’</i></b><b> costumes?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I want Oedipus, Jocasta, and Creon’s hierarchy to be clear. They each have power, but they’re different kinds of power. I want the Chorus to have the flexibility to function both as a group and as individuals. They need to be part of the space, and then be within the space when the actors take on specific roles. I want the brooches on Jocasta’s dress to feel ominous. They’re <a href="https://www.nownovel.com/blog/use-chekhovs-gun/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chekhov’s gun</a>. We wait for them to “go off.” I want to create a language that doesn’t set us in a specific time and place. We could be Ancient Greece. We could be 2019 South Side Chicago. We could be in Oedipus’ mind. I also want to establish a look that can be referenced in the remaining parts of the Trilogy. The language and style will no doubt change considerably in <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><em>The </em></a></span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gospel at Colonus</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, but it could be useful to see shapes and colors return, tickling the audience’s memory about what came before.</span>

[caption id="attachment_13059" align="alignleft" width="242"]<img class="wp-image-13059 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/OR-Oedipus-pencil-sketch-242x300.jpg" alt="" width="242" height="300" /> A pencil sketch of one costume idea for Oedipus in OEDIPUS REX.[/caption]

<b>How much of your work has been informed by the rest of </b><b><i>The Oedipus Trilogy</i></b><b>?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The short answer: a lot. The longer answer: the set put us in a psychological rather than a literal space. Yes, we’re in front of a palace, but we don’t have doors and pillars and torches. I followed suit with the clothes, stripping away details that might land us in a specific time and place. We also wanted the Chorus to feel not just like they’re in the world, but like they’re </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">of</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the world, so I looked for clothing shapes that felt architectural, and that matched (or, in a few cases, popped out of) the set’s minimal color palette. Anything that enters this space will get noticed. There’s a power to that. We have to make those choices carefully.</span>

<b>What's been the most challenging / rewarding aspect of designing costumes for </b><b><i>Oedipus</i></b><b>?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Challenge: Aside from things like always wanting more time and money, one of the greatest challenges to designing any production of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">OR</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is Oedipus’ final return after he’s learned the truth. It’s visceral and brutal. It needs a visual representation. However, modern audiences are inured to stage blood. We know it’s fake. We tell a more interesting, engaging story if we make a unique and symbolic gesture instead. The team developed a lot of different ideas for this until we landed on something everyone could get behind. It’s a choice we won’t really get to test until we have all the elements together in technical rehearsals. I’m looking forward to that!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Reward: This is my 15th season at Court. Over the years, the artists, craftspeople, performers, administrators, and all the other members of the Court community have become my artistic family. I know this is a safe place to take risks. I know I’ll be in a room with immense talent and heart. I know everyone will work their hardest to get an impactful, collaborative story onstage. I don’t live in Chicago anymore. Coming back to work with my family is a dream.</span>

<b>What's something you wish audience members knew about costume design?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I always feel like if the costumes do their job, you don’t notice them. You get a sense of character and world and relationships. You have the information you need to follow the story. Even when creating a spectacle, that spectacle should feel inherent to the needs of the show. I suspect audiences will notice the clothes in this particular production, particularly with the stronger symbols, shapes, and colors. Hopefully, the response is more emotional than analytical. The brooches feel ominous. The swish of a robe conveys bravado. The loss of a garment signifies another kind of loss. No matter how big the symbols get, the characters should still feel like real people with relatable struggles, allowing the audience key points of identification.</span>

<strong><em>Previews to <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a> begin November 7. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">Learn more about the production →</a></em></strong>"
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            string(160) "We interviewed costume designer Jacqueline Firkins to learn more about her approach to designing OEDIPUS REX. Find out how her choices support the storytelling."
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          string(7688) "<i><img class="size-full wp-image-13043 alignleft" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/stage-adaptation.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="219" />Written over two thousand years ago, OEDIPUS REX continues to be adapted and reimagined in a variety of contexts and mediums. In this blog post, the first in a series of four posts, learn more about two theatrical adaptations of Sophocles' play, as well as how these reimagined texts address the enduring themes in this famous Greek tragedy.</i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As with any enduring work of literature, </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> conjures the inevitable question: why are audiences still drawn to this age-old tale? Why does it hold such a notable place in modern culture to the extent that it is still referenced and adapted so people from all backgrounds know the term “Oedipus Complex” without reading the actual text?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This play bounds away from any label of antiquity to land squarely in the realm of revitalization and enduring relevance within modern culture. This is due to the practice of adaptation and audiences’ continued desire to explore the namesake of one of literature’s greatest tragedies. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> upholds its title as a frequently referenced tragedy because Oedipus is an undeniably sympathetic victim of the gods’ will. He never had a chance to avoid his assigned fate, doomed to complete the cycle without ever initially knowing he is confined to a path. Such a crushing phenomenon contributes to the play’s appeal and malleability to fit any era or audience. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13035" align="alignleft" width="250"]<img class="wp-image-13035 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/the-darker-face-of-the-earth.jpg" alt="The Darker Face of the Earth Book Cover" width="250" height="399" /> Book cover.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In the stage play </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Darker Face of the Earth </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">by <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rita-dove" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rita Dove</a>, Oedipus is the son of a slave and a plantation owner’s wife. Dove’s Oedipus leads a revolt and engages in a relationship that is not only taboo because it is with his mother, but also due to its interracial aspect during the Antebellum era. Applying this contextualization to the tragedy reflects the motif of struggling against a preordained fate. It also underscores the play’s adaptability as the concept of inevitability is easily brought over to and can carry throughout any tale. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">
Furthermore, in Luis Alfaro’s </span><a href="http://magictheatre.org/past-productions/oedipus-el-rey-by-luis-alfaro" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus El Rey</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the play is reimagined for the stage within the context of a prison system that targets minorities. This compelling adaptation embodies the core of Oedipus’ original struggles: trying to escape his fate while applying this broader motif to a pressing modern day issue. In Alfaro’s rendition, Oedipus is a young Chicano man caught up in the gang culture of Southern California. About to be released from prison, Oedipus hears advice from another inmate, Tiresias, who tells him to escape the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">barrio</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, move to Nevada, and get a job. The proud Oedipus dismisses him and goes to LA, where he, inevitably, kills his father and beds his mother. Notably, a promotional trailer for one production included a controversial scene where Oedipus spray paints a crown across an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe. This action exemplifies Oedipus’ fatalistic pride and his scorn for prophecy in a modern religious context as Alfaro’s Oedipus blatantly disrespects this prominent idol. The shared contempt accentuates the mistake both make in disregarding warnings and higher forces, like fate. Placing it in a prison setting emphasizes the inability of every version of Oedipus to escape from a system or prophecy as all are imprisoned by inescapable destiny.
</span>

[caption id="attachment_13040" align="alignleft" width="250"]<img class="wp-image-13040 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/meme-freud.jpg" alt="Freud Meme" width="250" height="359" /> Freud meme.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A contributing factor to the play’s longevity arises from Sigmund Freud’s analysis and application of the play to psychological interpretation. Why did he use literary characters to defend his claim? And why do we not only acknowledge, but value, his work if he based it off imaginary creations? These creations embody and reflect the human psyche, since literature and theatre act as vehicles to examine the human condition. Freud, recognizing this power, utilized a renowned medium through which a near universal audience could contextualize and understand his theories. In turn, Freud lent renewed life to the play as an enduring cultural and psychological reference.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Although the message of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">may seem familiar to audiences before they even step foot into a theatre, viewers still return to watch the unraveling of a once lauded hero. As with any culturally significant work, there are underlying layers of complexity to the tragedy. Why does Oedipus scorn a divine prophet but believe Apollo’s words? Why does Jocasta dismiss Oedipus’ concerns about the prophecy, particularly the part about bedding his mother (as she says every man dreams of doing so), yet kills herself when discovering the truth? Is Creon truly guileless? What is the meaning behind the Chorus? Not only does the relevance of these thematic elements ensure the play remains a cultural fixture, but the opportunity to analyze the tragedy from different angles also enraptures audiences. Rereading the play from the perspectives of the Chorus, Jocasta, and even characters like the Shepherd or figures like Apollo who never actually materialize on stage, presents new dimensions to the tragedy, revitalizing it within different contexts and viewpoints. Adaptation is a method by which works are reexamined through a modern perspective and reapplied to the endeavor of understanding an individual’s place in the world. As such, Oedipus lives on, not only on stage, but via multiple mediums that further perpetuate the play’s legacy.</span>

<hr />

On stage November 7 - December 8, 2019, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><em>Oedipus Rex</em></a> is the first powerful installment in Court's <strong>Oedipus Trilogy</strong>, which continues in May 2020 with <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><em>The Gospel at Colonus</em></a>, and concludes with <em>Antigone </em>in the fall of 2020. The trilogy lays bare the themes of fate, redemption, and justice in Sophocles’ works, dynamically engaging audiences with how these themes bridge cultures, cities, and communities."
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          string(5968) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13026" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/oedipusset800x300.jpg" alt="Oedipus Rex Set model" width="800" height="320" />

<em>We talked with scenic designer <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/john-culbert/">John Culbert</a> to learn more about his approach to designing sets and the design for <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a>. The following interview is edited from his responses.</em>

<b>How do you approach designing sets for theatre?</b><b>   </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The “set” for a theatre production defines the world in which we are going to tell the story.  Before the performance even starts, it can give clues to the nature of the story to be told. If the set is literal, realistically depicting a location we recognize, we expect real-time, characters, and behavior in the performance. If the set is abstracted in some way, we expect some aspect of the performance will also not be “real.” So, before we can create the world, the production team needs to define the nature of the storytelling, which will then steer the set into a direction. In any case, we typically start with literal research about the locations in the play. We also look at images created by other visual artists inspired by themes, periods, or contexts that are addressed in the play. The inspiration for the world can come from any of that research, in addition to personal experience. There are usually many ideas resulting from the understanding gained through the research. So, we typically look at a number of options. Once we select a direction, refinement of that idea happens to support the action of the play.  </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Over a number of years, the work we've done with director <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/charles-newell/">Charlie Newell</a> tends to explore non-literal ways of representing the world. It is our experience that this empowers the audience to apply their own experiences and thoughts about the world rather than us telling them every detail. It inspires engagement rather than “watching.”  </span>

<b>Did your approach change when starting to think about </b><b><i>Oedipus Rex</i></b><b>?</b><b>   </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We followed our typical process of literal research (classic Greek architecture, altars, entrances/stairs, Greek theatres, shrines, etc.) and also performed visual image research that captured a sense of a place of power. That led us to light artist James Turrell and his work ended up serving as direct inspiration for the world we created. What was atypical in the process was that all of the artists working on the entire three</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">play Greek cycle being produced by Court were part of the design conversations. This collaboration added an unusual richness to the conversation with more perspectives and ideas in the hopper.  </span>

<b>What are some of your overarching goals for <em>Oedipus</em>' scenic design? </b><b>  </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We wanted to establish a place of power (in literal terms, we are just outside the seat of power in Thebes). We also knew that we wanted to create a space to support the telling of the story of Oedipus, not a representation of the literal location of the action in the play. We wanted a space that can transform with light in order to be able to go on the incredible emotional journey of the play. We wanted to set up the concept of the Chorus supporting the emotional journey of Oedipus, not a chorus of Thebes townsfolk. And, we wanted a space that will empower dynamic movement, as that is an important aspect of how we will tell the story.  </span>

<b>How much of your work has been informed by the rest of </b><b><i>The Oedipus Trilogy</i></b><b>?</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It has been strongly informed by the input of the artists working on the other two plays in the cycle, as they were part of the design conversations. And, we thought about how the environments of the different plays should relate conceptually. We thought about how to connect the end of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">with the beginning of </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gospel at Colonus</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in terms of the journey of Oedipus.  So, there are conceptual connections but not literal mirroring of the worlds.  </span>

<b>What's been the most challenging/rewarding aspect of designing the set for <em>Oedipus</em>?</b><b>    </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A challenge in creating a world for this story of Oedipus is how to create a space that has the scope and scale that enables the range of emotion and human journey that the story creates.  We strive to enhance, rather than diminish, how far the audience can go in their empathy with this, the most tragic of human journeys.</span>

<b>What's something you wish audience members knew about scenic design?</b><b>  </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I do not think they need to know much about the technicalities of set design—I just hope they bring their imagination to the theatre and that we can then inspire them to use it fully!</span>

<strong><em>Previews to <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a> begin November 7. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">Learn more about the production →</a></em></strong>"
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          string(2427) "<p dir="ltr"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13002" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/headers-blog-jeff-2019.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="350" />We're thrilled to share with you that Court was nominated for fifteen Jeff awards at this year's ceremony and won five total awards. Productions honored included <i><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2018-2019-season/for-colored-girls/" rel="noopener noreferrer">For Colored Girls</a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2018-2019-season/frankenstein/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Maunual Cinema's Frankenstein</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2018-2019-season/photograph-51/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Photograph 51</a></i>.</p>

<ul dir="ltr">
 	<li><b>Ensemble </b>- Play - <i>For Colored Girls </i>ensemble featuring <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/alexis-j-roston/">Alexis J. Roston</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/melody-angel/">Melody Angel</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/melissa-duprey/">Melissa DuPrey</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/anji-white/">AnJi White</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/melanie-brezill/">Melanie Brezill</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/angelica-katie/">Angelica Katie</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/patrese-d-mcclain/">Patrese McClain</a>, and <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/leah-casey/">Leah Casey</a></li>
 	<li><b>Director </b>- Play - Large - <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/vanessa-stalling/">Vanessa Stalling</a>, <i>Photograph 51</i></li>
 	<li><b>Performer in a Principal Role</b> - Play - <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/chaon-cross/">Chaon Cross</a>, <i>Photograph 51</i></li>
 	<li><b>Scenic Design </b>- Large - <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/arnel-sancianco/">Arnel Sancianco</a>, <i>Photograph 51</i></li>
 	<li><b>Projection Design </b>- <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/rasean-davonte-johnson/">Rasean Davonte Johnson</a>, <i>Frankenstein</i></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Overall, this year's ceremony served as a reminder of the depth and breadth of work being done across Chicagoland—work Court is honored to be a part of. Here's to another season of great plays!</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Photo by Michael Brosilow.</em></p>"
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            string(109) "<i>For Colored Girls, Frankenstein,</i> and <i>Photograph 51</i> were all honored at this year's Jeff Awards."
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          string(6662) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-12990" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/oedipus_agency_1000x400.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="400" />

<em>UChicago Classics Professor Sarah Nooter explores questions of agency, truth, and fate in Sophocles' OEDIPUS REX. In dissecting these issues, Nooter gets to the heart of what makes OEDIPUS REX a pillar of Western civilization. </em>

Oedipus represents the best and worst of all that is in us. The worst of Oedipus is clear: he killed his father and married his mother. No good. Looking to these biographical (if fictional) facts, Sigmund Freud proposed a psychoanalytic complex that comprised our deepest sources of shame and named it after Oedipus. Vladimir Propp and Claude Lévi-Strauss saw in the blueprint of Oedipus’ life a universal story told everywhere in every tale: birth, murder, marriage, difficulty, death.

So where in Oedipus is the best of us? This we may find in Sophocles’ brilliant play itself. Let us pause to consider Oedipus and agency. When one teaches the play <em>Oedipus Rex</em> to undergraduate students, one tends to get caught up in this question: how can we say that Oedipus had agency—and thus responsibility or blame—for his taboo actions of murder and sex, when he committed them unknowingly, when he in fact tried as hard as he could to avoid committing them? What story would there be here if not for a nefarious Apollo, pulling the strings at every point, sending the hero reeling from the oracle at Delphi and into the belligerent path of his father, then the inevitable bed of his mother? There would be none of this but for the intervention of Apollo. For we find no meaningful agency in Oedipus in these deeds, nor would the Greek audiences have sought it here. But what good to us is a hero who is a pawn?

But the action of the play: here is where we see in Oedipus the very opposite of a pawn. Here we find an instantiation of ideal agency, and what I have called the best in us. What is Oedipus’ action? Is it discovery? What drives him—god, necessity, circumstances? No. What drives him is only the need to know. By the end, this need has become the need to know himself. Let me back up. Recall that the famous father-murdering and mother-bedding precede the play by some years; they are narrated, not performed. What motivates the action of the play initially is a plague, sent to Thebes by Apollo. In order to handle this crisis, which is killing the Theban people and rendering the land barren, Oedipus attempts to figure out the cause of the divine displeasure behind the plague. But then things take a strange turn as character after character tries with all their means and might to dissuade Oedipus from carrying his investigation forward: first the prophet Tiresias, then Oedipus’ wife Jocasta, and finally the shepherd who saved him as a baby. What these three characters share is that they know, or come to know, the truth about Oedipus before he does. And their reaction to the truth—out of love for Oedipus—is to try to bury it. For the truth, as they understand it, will destroy him.

But Oedipus will not let the truth be buried, even when he knows it will destroy him, telling his wife, “I must go on. I must find the truth” and saying to the herdsman, who proclaims himself on the brink of saying something terrible: “But hear I must.” He will not turn away from the monster within himself, even when he can hear and smell its approach. This is Sophocles’ Oedipus, firm in his need to know himself, infuriated by the specter of lies and ruthless in his pursuit of truth. This is the Oedipus that gives us our best self. One might object that he had to figure out the truth merely to combat the plague and, for some of the play, this is a concern. But note the centripetal concentration of the tragedy, moving from large-scale concerns to individual ones: the plague and the state of all of Thebes is critical for the first quarter of the play, less so in the middle, and entirely forgotten in the final third, when the play focuses relentlessly upon the truth of Oedipus’ identity. I say that “the play” focuses on Oedipus but really, of course, I mean that Oedipus focuses on himself: he is the driver of the plot, very nearly posed as its author. Such is the strength of his agency.
Let us remember the other great Greek figure who was fixated on knowing himself: Socrates. In Plato’s dialogue <em>The Phaedru</em>s, Socrates is asked whether he thinks a certain myth is true and replies that he has no time to wonder about gods and monsters, for he does not yet understand the monster that is himself: “I consider not these things but myself, whether I might turn out to be a monster more tangled up and rabid than Typhus, or a more gentle and simple creature.” Oedipus is likewise driven to know the monster within. Oedipus’ heroic quest, no less than Socrates’, is to know himself.

Teiresias gets the best line of the play: “this day will birth and destroy you.” No wonder Aristotle saw <em>Oedipus Rex</em> as the most complete of tragedies, with just one day encompassing the highest and lowest of possibilities for man. But what does Teiresias mean to tell Oedipus? He means that knowing oneself is the true birth of a self, and also that this is terrible and painful knowledge. No wonder Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx: that which walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at midday, and three at day’s end. The answer to the riddle is man, but the purpose of the riddle is to seek the answer.

<strong>Performances of <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><em>Oedipus Rex</em></a> run November 7 to December 8, 2019. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">Seek truth →</a></strong>

<hr />

<strong>Sarah Nooter</strong> is a Professor in the Department of Classics and the College at the University of Chicago. She is the author of <em>When Heroes Sing: Sophocles and the Shifting Soundscape of Tragedy</em> (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and <em>The Mortal Voice in the Tragedies of Aeschylus</em> (Cambridge University Press, 2017). She also co-edited <em>Sound and the Ancient Senses</em> (Routledge, 2019) with Shane Butler, and is Editor-in-Chief of <em>Classical Philology</em>. She is currently working on a book called <em>Bodies in Time: The Substance of Ancient Greek Poetry</em>, which explores modes of embodiment and temporality in ancient Greek poetry and song.

<em>Photo of Kelvin Roston, Jr. by Joe Mazza.</em>"
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          string(1154) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11746" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/fcg-1000x400.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="400" />

Court Theatre is thrilled to share that our production of Ntozake Shange's <em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2018-2019-season/for-colored-girls/">For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf</a> </em>took home three <a href="http://www.btaawards.org/">Black Theatre Alliance Awards</a> at this year's 2019 ceremony.

<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/seret-scott/">Seret Scott</a> received the Douglas Mann Award for Direction of Ensemble and the entire ensemble was honored with The Targed Community Relations Award for Best Ensemble. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/anji-white/">Anji White</a>, who portrayed the Lady in Red in Court's production was also honored with the Ethel Waters Award for Best Actress in an Ensemble.

&nbsp;

<em>Photo of Patrese McClain, Alexis J. Roston, Leah Casey, Melody Angel, Angelica Katie, Melanie Brezill, Melissa DuPrey, and AnJi White (Joe Mazza).</em>
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          string(5534) "<img class="alignnone wp-image-12923 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/kinghedley_reviewblog.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="400" />

Throughout Chicagoland, critics are praising Court's production of August Wilson's <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/"><em>King Hedley II</em></a>. Chris Jones of the <i>Chicago Tribune </i>awarded the production four stars and wrote that the production is cast “beautifully" with many memorable moments, while Kris Vire wrote for the <em>Chicago Sun-Times</em> that the play offers audiences "abundant rewards." Audiences and critics alike agree that <em>King Hedley II </em>is a relevant and powerful play worth seeing. See for yourself what the buzz is about — <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/">get tickets to <em>King Hedley II</em></a><i></i>.

<hr />

“The title character in <em>Hedley II</em> is a desperate mix of passion, determination and resentment... <span style="font-weight: 400;">And Parson here has an actor, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kelvin Roston Jr., who can handle not just the force of will of a typical Wilson hero, but an overwhelming self-doubt, usually expressed as fake confidence, especially in front of his sidekick Mister.</span>"

<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-ent-king-hedley-court-review-ttd-0924-20190923-vjqbqrrctve3blwdcpk66cyxhi-story.html">—Chris Jones, <i>Chicago Tribune</i>, ★★★★ Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

“<span style="font-weight: 400;">To see the director Ron OJ Parson completing August Wilson’s “Century Cycle” — the late playwright’s collection of 10 interconnected plays about the African American experience in the 20th century, each set in a different decade — is a momentous occasion...</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone more well-versed in Wilson’s themes and rhythms.</span>”

<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/9/24/20880362/king-hedley-ii-review-court-theatre-august-wilson-ron-oj-parson-century-cycle">—Kris Vire, <i>Chicago Sun-Times</i></a>

<hr />

“<span style="font-weight: 400;">In his epic masterpiece </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">King Hedley II</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the penultimate play in his Century Cycle, August Wilson captures man, society, and God in a bottle, and director Ron OJ Parson uncorks its glory and unleashes its fury on the Court Theatre audience like a torrential downpour... Director Parson deftly navigates the relentless waves of grief that buffet Hedley's kingdom by offering frequent comedic beats, leaving the audience unmoored and vulnerable for the next sucker punch. One of the standout emotional moments is a showstopper monologue delivered by Kierra Bunch.</span>”

<a href="https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/august-wilsons-king-hedley-ii-shows-the-ravages-of-the-1980s/Content?oid=73491399">—Sheri Flanders, <i>Chicago Reader </i>- Reader Recommended</a>

<hr />

“Powerhouse performances... you do not need to be familiar with Wilson’s work or earlier plays in this Cycle to thoroughly get where Wilson’s well-drawn characters are coming from.”

<a href="https://www.picturethispost.com/court-theatre-presents-king-hedley-ii-review/">—Amy Munice, <i>Picture This Post</i></a>

<hr />

“Director Ron OJ Parson helps us to see August Wilson's vision for this play... <em>Hedley</em> is masterfully done. Parson has skillfully given us another brilliant production."

<a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/lets-play/2019/09/king-hedley-ii/">—Rick and Brenda McCain, <i>Let's Play at Chicago Now</i>, Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

“<em>King Hedley II</em> can now claim its place among Wilson’s greatest plays, thanks to a volcanic revival at the Court Theatre... <em>Hedley</em> may be Parson’s finest artistic achievement.<span style="font-weight: 400;">"</span>

<a href="https://chicagolandtheaterreviews.com/chicagoland-productions/king-hedley/">—Dan Zeff, <em>Chicagoland Theatre Review, Highly Recommended</em></a>

<hr />

“A masterpiece, it’s the poetry that director Ron OJ Parson sees in the work... <em>King Hedley II</em> is filled with rage and passion.”

<a href="https://www.theatreworldim2.com/kinghedleyii-ct">—Ruth Smerling, <i>Theatre World,</i> Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

“Ron OJ Parson is a master at his craft and once again has shown the skill and passion he brings to his work. Every thing in this production is meticulous and tightly wrought. The cast works so well together and each performer is completely immersed in their character... <em>King Hedley II</em> should not be missed.”

<a href="http://www.aroundthetownchicago.com/theatre-reviews/king-hedley-ii-reviewed-by-michael-horn/">—Michael Horn, <em>Around the Town</em> Chicago, Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

“Questions of will, power, and predestination loom large in <em>King Hedley II</em>, eighth in Wilson’s ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle... Court’s production, directed by Ron OJ Parson, is blistering and absorbing.”

<a href="https://www.newcitystage.com/2019/09/23/holding-court-a-review-of-king-hedley-ii-at-court-theatre/">—Iren Hsiao, <em>Newcity Stage</em>, Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

<em>Photo of Kelvin Roston, Jr. and TayLar by Michael Brosilow.</em>"
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          string(4230) "<span style="font-weight: 400;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-12904" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/oedipus-800x320.jpg" alt="Kelvin Roston Jr. as Oedipus Rex" width="800" height="320" />Fresh off his critically-acclaimed turn as Hedley in </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>King Hedley II</strong></span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/kelvin-roston-jr/">Kelvin Roston Jr</a>.</strong> will bring another “king” to life in Sophocles’ </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Oedipus Rex</strong></span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the first production in Court’s <strong>Oedipus Trilogy</strong>, tracing Sophocles’ themes and characters over the course of three productions (</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex; <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/">The Gospel at Colonus</a>; Antigone</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">) with an overlapping team of actors and artists. In </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Roston will have the opportunity to tackle one of the most iconic roles in classic drama: King Oedipus.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Audiences who enjoyed </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">King Hedley II </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">will find exciting parallels in Sophocles’ seminal tragedy. The </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chicago Tribune </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">describes Wilson’s take on life in Pittsburgh in the 1980s as a Greek tragedy in and of itself. Jones writes that “the title character in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hedley II </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">is a desperate mix of passion, determination and resentment. He’s an Oedipus-like character trapped in a cycle play of his own, desperately trying to grow some new roots and escape but ultimately thwarted not just by the previous generations of his own family but by the America whence his ancestors were brought on fear of violent death.” </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> puts similar issues of fate, free will, and identity on powerful display in a dauntless translation by Court’s founding artistic director, Nicholas Rudall.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><img class="size-full wp-image-12905 alignright" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/trilogy-200x72.jpg" alt="Oedipus Trilogy" width="200" height="72" /></a>In </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex, </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kelvin Roston, Jr. will further explore the Greek undercurrents he began to tap into in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">King Hedley II</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, again captivating audiences with raw emotion and sheer force of will. As Chris Jones writes in the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chicago Tribune</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, “Roston has a growing reputation in Chicago and New York; he’s a deeply empathetic actor whose take on King is completely different from what I have seen before.” Kelvin will assuredly provide this same insight and intensity in his performance as Oedipus, making </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and the remainder of The Oedipus Trilogy the theatrical event of the season.</span>

<hr />

<em>Oedipus Rex</em> begins November 7 | <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">Tickets and Information</a>
<p class="caption">Photo by of Kelvin Roston Jr. by Joe Mazza.</p>"
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            string(169) "Fresh off his critically-acclaimed turn as Hedley in <i>King Hedley II</i>, Kelvin Roston, Jr. will bring another “king” to life in Sophocles’ <i>Oedipus Rex</i>. "
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          string(6600) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-12815" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/chrislaporte_sound_800x300.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="300" />

<em>We sat down with sound designer <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/chris-laporte/">Christopher M. LaPorte</a> to learn more about his process and how he approaches collaborating with Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson on August Wilson's <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/">KING HEDLEY II</a>.</em>
<div class="yj6qo ajU">

<strong>How do you approach designing a show?</strong>

There are many little nuances and unique needs that any given show requires. With that in mind and before I get too centrally focused on that, I try to start with the basics. What is the show really about? What am I feeling or learning when I read this play and what observations do I make about the characters, myself, or others? That’s obviously a big question for theatre designers in pre-production.

I also focus on where we are in the play and what that sounds and feels like. Collaboration really takes place from the beginning. A great way for me to get inspired by the world and start making some assumptions about the sound is in the scenic and costume designs. In our production process, the set and the costumes are the focal point of our early production meetings and often times do a great deal of creating a world for me to then start working with. For <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/"><em>King Hedley II</em></a>, this was very true. We started seeing models, renderings, and drawings for both of these elements starting as far back as about 6-7 months prior to this show’s technical and rehearsal process. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/regina-garcia/">Regina</a> and <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/alex-rutherford/">Alex</a> (set and costume design, respectively) had some really great and informative mock-ups to show us early on to give a sense of these things. That tends to really give me something to look at and match sounds and content to much more organically than creating it all on my own in my head.

From that point forward, the process remains very collaborative in that <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/ron-oj-parson/">Ron</a> (our director) will usually know early on what kind of musical vibe we are generally going to be using for the show. Ron is a lover of music and has a great knowledge of jazz artists in particular. So, conversations with Ron on these topics are also taking place in tandem from the beginning. So, really, from the very beginning of the process, all elements are informing each other.

<strong>Listen to some of the songs informing <em>King Hedley II</em>:</strong>

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4er4m1QJ7WX7mg9an3mCKV

<strong>Does your process change at all when working with someone you've previously collaborated with?</strong>

I’d say that there is definitely ground work that can be helpful ahead of time having a repeating relationship with a director or other designers. There are tendencies that every artist has in their work in one way or another. Learning those things about a director in particular can be very helpful in approaching a show. Regardless of my prior engagements with a director or team, I try to look at a show as a singular entity. Sometimes we want themes to track in from other work and sometimes they do not. I find that if I look at every show or piece as a unique thing in itself, it has more of a chance of finding exactly what it needs from me. I know that Ron is very fresh in his approach to a show even though it may be a part of a sequence of stories and I think that is the right choice.

<strong>What have you and Ron learned from your previous collaborations?</strong>

Let it be said that Ron OJ Parson is definitely one of the most inspiring directors I have worked with. He has a perspective and feel that he is able to make unique to him and meaningful for the audience watching his shows. He knows how to interpret moments of a show in a way that isn’t fussy or over-complicated. I really respect that. I think he is very effective in shaking loose the fat of things and getting to the heart of it. Working with Ron in my role has always been a great experience. He is very hands on with the music and this oftentimes leads to sessions where we will simply sit and listen to music and talk about what works and what doesn’t. I know that sounds a lot like just hanging out with a friend, and it really feels like that which is a very special thing. All in all, being able to work with Ron has been a blessing and getting to see a show through his filter has been one of the great highlights of my career already.

<strong>What is one thing you wish people knew/better understood about sound design?</strong>

I would say that sound design can be many things. Sometimes it’s something that is very present and sometimes it may need to be something that isn’t. I think the show itself dictates that, but one thing I love about theatre is the sincerity we are often afforded. I feel that a lot of other mediums are prone to bashing you over the head with design or sound elements. Mostly to establish feelings in the content, but theatre, in my experience, allows my field to express some of these things in a much more subtle way. I really think that most times a great sound design can go largely unnoticed, and that’s what makes it good. It highlights what it needs to and stays out of the way when it needs to. It’s an element that is meant to shuffle in with the rest of it.

From a technical standpoint, and beyond the artistic decisions to be made, there is one very important bottom line. My job is also to make sure that every word and note played onstage is heard. A show like <em>King Hedley</em> doesn’t require microphones to accomplish that, which makes it much easier, but all of these things are what makes a sound design. That and a lot of online research for wacky things like what cicadas sounded like in the fall of 1973 in Botswana. I swear I’ve got that somewhere.

<hr />

<strong><em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/">KING HEDLEY II</a> </em><em>runs September 12 to October 13, 2019. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/">Learn more about the play and save your seats →</a></em></strong>

</div>"
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        string(7725) "<i><img class="wp-image-13047 size-full alignleft" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/musical-adaptation.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="219" />Written over two thousand years ago, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/event/listing/oedipus-rex-29/">OEDIPUS REX</a> continues to be adapted and reimagined in a variety of contexts and mediums. In this blog post, the second in a series of four posts, learn more about musical adaptations of Sophocles' play, as well as how these reimagined approaches address the enduring themes in this famous Greek tragedy.</i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus is not just a hero for traditional stage adaptations; he also</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">appears in musical comedies and operatic works. From Igor Stravinsky to Tom Lehrer, Oedipus is often alluded to in musical productions as a figure of either ridicule or devastation. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus! A New Musical Comedy </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">by Cynthia Jay and Edwin Wald, the tale is transposed to rural West Virginia. Upon discovering the fulfillment of a midwife’s prophecy, Oedipus (“Eddie”) and Jocasta (“Jo”) sell their sensational story to tabloids for money and fame. The comedy often disregards the complexity of Oedipus, reducing him and his family into an exaggerated caricature of a crude Southern family that embraces folly as something to profit from instead of scorn. The level of retrospection innate to the play is significantly reduced, so there is more on-stage action to complement the musical’s more energetic and wry approach. Yet, in departing from the original tone and its myriad complexities, the musical adaptation recontextualizes </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">in a modern setting and remarks on both social stereotypes and economic systems in the process. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus ROX! </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">features a 1980s rocker Oedipus, complete with dramatic eyeliner and glittery apparel. This self-aware comedic approach appeals both to audiences acquainted with the play and those who only know of the infamous Oedipus Complex so all can identify the satire and engage with the adaptation. The habit of exaggerating</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Oedipus Rex </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">for comedic purposes ensures Oedipus remains a readily identifiable cultural fixture, as these songs act as creative vehicles that immortalize his legacy and imprint his spirit into a more colloquial cultural context. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13073" align="alignleft" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-13073 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/TomLehrer-e1572549278921.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> Tom Lehrer performing at UCLA's Royce Hall for Greek Week.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, in this tradition of satirizing tragedy to revitalize it for new audiences, Tom Lehrer, an American musician, created an energetic ragtime theme song for the tragic character. Mildly misrepresenting the actual play by characterizing Oedipus as “a monarch most unfit,” Lehrer undermines the fact that the ruler did care for his kingdom. In his attempt to find a cure for the plague killing his people, he ends up learning of his own folly and securing his tragic fate. Lehrer inevitably focuses on the more taboo and often referenced aspect of the play: the dynamic between Jocasta and her son-turned-lover. He mocks this relationship and pokes fun at the true tragedy behind it. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Tex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a comedy music album/dramatic oratorio by Peter Schickele, the play is re-adapted into humorous songs that reimagine Oedipus as an average Texan man who falls into the same preordained doom as the original. However, the condensed story, set up as chronological titles on the album, is presented with a casual sense of comedic realism. One example of this is when, after blinding himself with Jocasta’s (“Billie Jo’s”) “rhinestone barrettes,” he immediately “kind of wished he hadn’t”. The last song even claims the story’s moral is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“you will be filled with great remorse / If you give your mom the love you should be saving for your horse”.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This wry fixation on Jocasta and Oedipus’ relationship, reinforced by Freud’s famous interpretation, completely dominates comedic portrayals to ensure Oedipus is often the target of countless “Greek tragedy” jokes. This phenomenon guarantees that modern audiences often enter the play with a preconceived notion of the relationship. However, they soon discover the true tragedy behind it as both parties are unwitting victims of a greater force they had no chance of successfully de</span>fying. Despite its tendency to caricaturize him, comedic music still serves as a vehicle through which Oedipus infiltrates and dominates modern culture.

[caption id="attachment_13075" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-13075 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Stravinsky.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="380" /> Ursula Boese (Jocaste) and Igor Stravinsky at the Premiere of "Oedipus Rex" in the Mailänder Scala, 1963.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other end of the musical adaptation spectrum, the play has been adapted into somber and soaring operatic performances. Igor Stravinsky’s </span>“opera-oratorio” of the play is considered to be among his best work, amazing audiences as recently as 2016 in a London production. Stravinsky wanted to create an ageless piece of music that focussed on the dramatic essence of a play’s core, so he chose <i>Oedipus Rex</i> due to its fame as one of the greatest tragedies. Stravinsky enlisted the help of Jean Cocteau and Abbe Jean Danielou to translate the text into French and, subsequently, Latin, because Stravinsky wanted the language to reinforce a sense of severe dramatism in the performance. The “opera-oratorio” solemnly follows the original text’s plot. The complete difference in tone of <i>Oedipus Rex </i>musical adaptations reflects how and why it continues to capture the minds of modern day audiences. Having his name and story appear in catchy rhythms, along with respected musical productions, makes his legacy remain in the audiences’ minds even more. In turn, his legacy is elevated despite any jokes made at his expense. The play is featured within so many diverse creative spheres that it has become a deeply ingrained point of cultural connection, as it continues to be readily identifiable and adaptable.

<hr />

On stage November 7 - December 8, 2019, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><em>Oedipus Rex</em></a> is the first powerful installment in Court's <strong>Oedipus Trilogy</strong>, which continues in May 2020 with <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><em>The Gospel at Colonus</em></a>, and concludes with <em>Antigone </em>in the fall of 2020. The trilogy lays bare the themes of fate, redemption, and justice in Sophocles’ works, dynamically engaging audiences with how these themes bridge cultures, cities, and communities."
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      string(7725) "<i><img class="wp-image-13047 size-full alignleft" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/musical-adaptation.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="219" />Written over two thousand years ago, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/event/listing/oedipus-rex-29/">OEDIPUS REX</a> continues to be adapted and reimagined in a variety of contexts and mediums. In this blog post, the second in a series of four posts, learn more about musical adaptations of Sophocles' play, as well as how these reimagined approaches address the enduring themes in this famous Greek tragedy.</i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus is not just a hero for traditional stage adaptations; he also</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">appears in musical comedies and operatic works. From Igor Stravinsky to Tom Lehrer, Oedipus is often alluded to in musical productions as a figure of either ridicule or devastation. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus! A New Musical Comedy </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">by Cynthia Jay and Edwin Wald, the tale is transposed to rural West Virginia. Upon discovering the fulfillment of a midwife’s prophecy, Oedipus (“Eddie”) and Jocasta (“Jo”) sell their sensational story to tabloids for money and fame. The comedy often disregards the complexity of Oedipus, reducing him and his family into an exaggerated caricature of a crude Southern family that embraces folly as something to profit from instead of scorn. The level of retrospection innate to the play is significantly reduced, so there is more on-stage action to complement the musical’s more energetic and wry approach. Yet, in departing from the original tone and its myriad complexities, the musical adaptation recontextualizes </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">in a modern setting and remarks on both social stereotypes and economic systems in the process. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus ROX! </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">features a 1980s rocker Oedipus, complete with dramatic eyeliner and glittery apparel. This self-aware comedic approach appeals both to audiences acquainted with the play and those who only know of the infamous Oedipus Complex so all can identify the satire and engage with the adaptation. The habit of exaggerating</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Oedipus Rex </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">for comedic purposes ensures Oedipus remains a readily identifiable cultural fixture, as these songs act as creative vehicles that immortalize his legacy and imprint his spirit into a more colloquial cultural context. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13073" align="alignleft" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-13073 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/TomLehrer-e1572549278921.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> Tom Lehrer performing at UCLA's Royce Hall for Greek Week.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, in this tradition of satirizing tragedy to revitalize it for new audiences, Tom Lehrer, an American musician, created an energetic ragtime theme song for the tragic character. Mildly misrepresenting the actual play by characterizing Oedipus as “a monarch most unfit,” Lehrer undermines the fact that the ruler did care for his kingdom. In his attempt to find a cure for the plague killing his people, he ends up learning of his own folly and securing his tragic fate. Lehrer inevitably focuses on the more taboo and often referenced aspect of the play: the dynamic between Jocasta and her son-turned-lover. He mocks this relationship and pokes fun at the true tragedy behind it. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Tex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a comedy music album/dramatic oratorio by Peter Schickele, the play is re-adapted into humorous songs that reimagine Oedipus as an average Texan man who falls into the same preordained doom as the original. However, the condensed story, set up as chronological titles on the album, is presented with a casual sense of comedic realism. One example of this is when, after blinding himself with Jocasta’s (“Billie Jo’s”) “rhinestone barrettes,” he immediately “kind of wished he hadn’t”. The last song even claims the story’s moral is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“you will be filled with great remorse / If you give your mom the love you should be saving for your horse”.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This wry fixation on Jocasta and Oedipus’ relationship, reinforced by Freud’s famous interpretation, completely dominates comedic portrayals to ensure Oedipus is often the target of countless “Greek tragedy” jokes. This phenomenon guarantees that modern audiences often enter the play with a preconceived notion of the relationship. However, they soon discover the true tragedy behind it as both parties are unwitting victims of a greater force they had no chance of successfully de</span>fying. Despite its tendency to caricaturize him, comedic music still serves as a vehicle through which Oedipus infiltrates and dominates modern culture.

[caption id="attachment_13075" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-13075 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Stravinsky.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="380" /> Ursula Boese (Jocaste) and Igor Stravinsky at the Premiere of "Oedipus Rex" in the Mailänder Scala, 1963.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other end of the musical adaptation spectrum, the play has been adapted into somber and soaring operatic performances. Igor Stravinsky’s </span>“opera-oratorio” of the play is considered to be among his best work, amazing audiences as recently as 2016 in a London production. Stravinsky wanted to create an ageless piece of music that focussed on the dramatic essence of a play’s core, so he chose <i>Oedipus Rex</i> due to its fame as one of the greatest tragedies. Stravinsky enlisted the help of Jean Cocteau and Abbe Jean Danielou to translate the text into French and, subsequently, Latin, because Stravinsky wanted the language to reinforce a sense of severe dramatism in the performance. The “opera-oratorio” solemnly follows the original text’s plot. The complete difference in tone of <i>Oedipus Rex </i>musical adaptations reflects how and why it continues to capture the minds of modern day audiences. Having his name and story appear in catchy rhythms, along with respected musical productions, makes his legacy remain in the audiences’ minds even more. In turn, his legacy is elevated despite any jokes made at his expense. The play is featured within so many diverse creative spheres that it has become a deeply ingrained point of cultural connection, as it continues to be readily identifiable and adaptable.

<hr />

On stage November 7 - December 8, 2019, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><em>Oedipus Rex</em></a> is the first powerful installment in Court's <strong>Oedipus Trilogy</strong>, which continues in May 2020 with <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><em>The Gospel at Colonus</em></a>, and concludes with <em>Antigone </em>in the fall of 2020. The trilogy lays bare the themes of fate, redemption, and justice in Sophocles’ works, dynamically engaging audiences with how these themes bridge cultures, cities, and communities."
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<em>We talked with costume designer <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/jacqueline-firkins/">Jacqueline Firkins</a> to learn more about her approach to costume design and <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a>. The following interview is edited from her responses.</em>

<b>What are the steps of your design process?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I start a design process by reading the play several times. The first time is for an emotional, instinctive response. What sticks with me? How do I feel? What do I think the play can do for an audience, based on how it impacts me? What’s the central story? I take note of all these things. Then I read it again more critically, looking for clues about the playwright’s intent. Are there indications of character relationships that I can help support with costumes? What are the primary themes and symbols? What actions have the greatest theatricality (i.e., those that will be best served by the audio/visual medium of live storytelling)? The third time, I read the play forensically. I note all the information about clothes, including weather, gender, class, and any specific literal or symbolic mentions of personal image/appearance that might directly impact the costume design. This can be as simple as a stage direction of someone checking a watch or putting on a coat, or as abstract as someone being described as birdlike or godlike. Once I have my emotional, intellectual, and forensic notes, I join the team and see where my ideas gel with those of the director and other designers, and where they want to shift with others’ input. Once we have that first group conversation, I head straight for imagery—collecting research pics and sketching out potential ways to apply them.</span>

[caption id="attachment_13060" align="alignright" width="233"]<img class="wp-image-13060 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/OR-Jocasta-pencil-sketch-233x300.jpg" alt="" width="233" height="300" /> A pencil sketch of one costume idea for Jocasta in OEDIPUS REX.[/caption]

<b>Did your approach change when starting to think about </b><b><i>Oedipus Rex</i></b><b>?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I joined the process a little later than usual on </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, so some of the set and lighting ideas were already pretty well established. This gave us a context in which to make further choices. I was able to springboard off <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/creating-the-world-of-oedipus-rex/">the set John created</a> and the team’s prior discussions about ritual and power and the role of the Chorus. One of the things I love about working at Court is that we don’t get shoehorned into our specializations right away. Everyone on the design team helps develop the world and characters and stylistic language. I also love the bridges we form between plays that were written in other times and places and the contemporary Chicago South Side audience. We’re constantly talking about why this play now, here, with this group of artists, for this audience. We want the art to be vital and present. This particular show is also blessed with an amazing team of dramaturgs. They brought in information and inspiration not just about Sophocles but about oracles and riddles, The Great Migration, plague and ritual, Chicago history, and contemporary African American artists. All that played into the production’s look and feel.</span>

<b>What are some of your overarching goals for </b><b><i>Oedipus’</i></b><b> costumes?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I want Oedipus, Jocasta, and Creon’s hierarchy to be clear. They each have power, but they’re different kinds of power. I want the Chorus to have the flexibility to function both as a group and as individuals. They need to be part of the space, and then be within the space when the actors take on specific roles. I want the brooches on Jocasta’s dress to feel ominous. They’re <a href="https://www.nownovel.com/blog/use-chekhovs-gun/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chekhov’s gun</a>. We wait for them to “go off.” I want to create a language that doesn’t set us in a specific time and place. We could be Ancient Greece. We could be 2019 South Side Chicago. We could be in Oedipus’ mind. I also want to establish a look that can be referenced in the remaining parts of the Trilogy. The language and style will no doubt change considerably in <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><em>The </em></a></span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gospel at Colonus</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, but it could be useful to see shapes and colors return, tickling the audience’s memory about what came before.</span>

[caption id="attachment_13059" align="alignleft" width="242"]<img class="wp-image-13059 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/OR-Oedipus-pencil-sketch-242x300.jpg" alt="" width="242" height="300" /> A pencil sketch of one costume idea for Oedipus in OEDIPUS REX.[/caption]

<b>How much of your work has been informed by the rest of </b><b><i>The Oedipus Trilogy</i></b><b>?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The short answer: a lot. The longer answer: the set put us in a psychological rather than a literal space. Yes, we’re in front of a palace, but we don’t have doors and pillars and torches. I followed suit with the clothes, stripping away details that might land us in a specific time and place. We also wanted the Chorus to feel not just like they’re in the world, but like they’re </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">of</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the world, so I looked for clothing shapes that felt architectural, and that matched (or, in a few cases, popped out of) the set’s minimal color palette. Anything that enters this space will get noticed. There’s a power to that. We have to make those choices carefully.</span>

<b>What's been the most challenging / rewarding aspect of designing costumes for </b><b><i>Oedipus</i></b><b>?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Challenge: Aside from things like always wanting more time and money, one of the greatest challenges to designing any production of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">OR</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is Oedipus’ final return after he’s learned the truth. It’s visceral and brutal. It needs a visual representation. However, modern audiences are inured to stage blood. We know it’s fake. We tell a more interesting, engaging story if we make a unique and symbolic gesture instead. The team developed a lot of different ideas for this until we landed on something everyone could get behind. It’s a choice we won’t really get to test until we have all the elements together in technical rehearsals. I’m looking forward to that!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Reward: This is my 15th season at Court. Over the years, the artists, craftspeople, performers, administrators, and all the other members of the Court community have become my artistic family. I know this is a safe place to take risks. I know I’ll be in a room with immense talent and heart. I know everyone will work their hardest to get an impactful, collaborative story onstage. I don’t live in Chicago anymore. Coming back to work with my family is a dream.</span>

<b>What's something you wish audience members knew about costume design?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I always feel like if the costumes do their job, you don’t notice them. You get a sense of character and world and relationships. You have the information you need to follow the story. Even when creating a spectacle, that spectacle should feel inherent to the needs of the show. I suspect audiences will notice the clothes in this particular production, particularly with the stronger symbols, shapes, and colors. Hopefully, the response is more emotional than analytical. The brooches feel ominous. The swish of a robe conveys bravado. The loss of a garment signifies another kind of loss. No matter how big the symbols get, the characters should still feel like real people with relatable struggles, allowing the audience key points of identification.</span>

<strong><em>Previews to <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a> begin November 7. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">Learn more about the production →</a></em></strong>"
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      string(7688) "<i><img class="size-full wp-image-13043 alignleft" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/stage-adaptation.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="219" />Written over two thousand years ago, OEDIPUS REX continues to be adapted and reimagined in a variety of contexts and mediums. In this blog post, the first in a series of four posts, learn more about two theatrical adaptations of Sophocles' play, as well as how these reimagined texts address the enduring themes in this famous Greek tragedy.</i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As with any enduring work of literature, </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> conjures the inevitable question: why are audiences still drawn to this age-old tale? Why does it hold such a notable place in modern culture to the extent that it is still referenced and adapted so people from all backgrounds know the term “Oedipus Complex” without reading the actual text?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This play bounds away from any label of antiquity to land squarely in the realm of revitalization and enduring relevance within modern culture. This is due to the practice of adaptation and audiences’ continued desire to explore the namesake of one of literature’s greatest tragedies. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> upholds its title as a frequently referenced tragedy because Oedipus is an undeniably sympathetic victim of the gods’ will. He never had a chance to avoid his assigned fate, doomed to complete the cycle without ever initially knowing he is confined to a path. Such a crushing phenomenon contributes to the play’s appeal and malleability to fit any era or audience. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13035" align="alignleft" width="250"]<img class="wp-image-13035 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/the-darker-face-of-the-earth.jpg" alt="The Darker Face of the Earth Book Cover" width="250" height="399" /> Book cover.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In the stage play </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Darker Face of the Earth </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">by <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rita-dove" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rita Dove</a>, Oedipus is the son of a slave and a plantation owner’s wife. Dove’s Oedipus leads a revolt and engages in a relationship that is not only taboo because it is with his mother, but also due to its interracial aspect during the Antebellum era. Applying this contextualization to the tragedy reflects the motif of struggling against a preordained fate. It also underscores the play’s adaptability as the concept of inevitability is easily brought over to and can carry throughout any tale. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">
Furthermore, in Luis Alfaro’s </span><a href="http://magictheatre.org/past-productions/oedipus-el-rey-by-luis-alfaro" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus El Rey</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the play is reimagined for the stage within the context of a prison system that targets minorities. This compelling adaptation embodies the core of Oedipus’ original struggles: trying to escape his fate while applying this broader motif to a pressing modern day issue. In Alfaro’s rendition, Oedipus is a young Chicano man caught up in the gang culture of Southern California. About to be released from prison, Oedipus hears advice from another inmate, Tiresias, who tells him to escape the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">barrio</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, move to Nevada, and get a job. The proud Oedipus dismisses him and goes to LA, where he, inevitably, kills his father and beds his mother. Notably, a promotional trailer for one production included a controversial scene where Oedipus spray paints a crown across an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe. This action exemplifies Oedipus’ fatalistic pride and his scorn for prophecy in a modern religious context as Alfaro’s Oedipus blatantly disrespects this prominent idol. The shared contempt accentuates the mistake both make in disregarding warnings and higher forces, like fate. Placing it in a prison setting emphasizes the inability of every version of Oedipus to escape from a system or prophecy as all are imprisoned by inescapable destiny.
</span>

[caption id="attachment_13040" align="alignleft" width="250"]<img class="wp-image-13040 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/meme-freud.jpg" alt="Freud Meme" width="250" height="359" /> Freud meme.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A contributing factor to the play’s longevity arises from Sigmund Freud’s analysis and application of the play to psychological interpretation. Why did he use literary characters to defend his claim? And why do we not only acknowledge, but value, his work if he based it off imaginary creations? These creations embody and reflect the human psyche, since literature and theatre act as vehicles to examine the human condition. Freud, recognizing this power, utilized a renowned medium through which a near universal audience could contextualize and understand his theories. In turn, Freud lent renewed life to the play as an enduring cultural and psychological reference.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Although the message of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">may seem familiar to audiences before they even step foot into a theatre, viewers still return to watch the unraveling of a once lauded hero. As with any culturally significant work, there are underlying layers of complexity to the tragedy. Why does Oedipus scorn a divine prophet but believe Apollo’s words? Why does Jocasta dismiss Oedipus’ concerns about the prophecy, particularly the part about bedding his mother (as she says every man dreams of doing so), yet kills herself when discovering the truth? Is Creon truly guileless? What is the meaning behind the Chorus? Not only does the relevance of these thematic elements ensure the play remains a cultural fixture, but the opportunity to analyze the tragedy from different angles also enraptures audiences. Rereading the play from the perspectives of the Chorus, Jocasta, and even characters like the Shepherd or figures like Apollo who never actually materialize on stage, presents new dimensions to the tragedy, revitalizing it within different contexts and viewpoints. Adaptation is a method by which works are reexamined through a modern perspective and reapplied to the endeavor of understanding an individual’s place in the world. As such, Oedipus lives on, not only on stage, but via multiple mediums that further perpetuate the play’s legacy.</span>

<hr />

On stage November 7 - December 8, 2019, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><em>Oedipus Rex</em></a> is the first powerful installment in Court's <strong>Oedipus Trilogy</strong>, which continues in May 2020 with <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><em>The Gospel at Colonus</em></a>, and concludes with <em>Antigone </em>in the fall of 2020. The trilogy lays bare the themes of fate, redemption, and justice in Sophocles’ works, dynamically engaging audiences with how these themes bridge cultures, cities, and communities."
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      string(5968) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13026" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/oedipusset800x300.jpg" alt="Oedipus Rex Set model" width="800" height="320" />

<em>We talked with scenic designer <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/john-culbert/">John Culbert</a> to learn more about his approach to designing sets and the design for <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a>. The following interview is edited from his responses.</em>

<b>How do you approach designing sets for theatre?</b><b>   </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The “set” for a theatre production defines the world in which we are going to tell the story.  Before the performance even starts, it can give clues to the nature of the story to be told. If the set is literal, realistically depicting a location we recognize, we expect real-time, characters, and behavior in the performance. If the set is abstracted in some way, we expect some aspect of the performance will also not be “real.” So, before we can create the world, the production team needs to define the nature of the storytelling, which will then steer the set into a direction. In any case, we typically start with literal research about the locations in the play. We also look at images created by other visual artists inspired by themes, periods, or contexts that are addressed in the play. The inspiration for the world can come from any of that research, in addition to personal experience. There are usually many ideas resulting from the understanding gained through the research. So, we typically look at a number of options. Once we select a direction, refinement of that idea happens to support the action of the play.  </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Over a number of years, the work we've done with director <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/charles-newell/">Charlie Newell</a> tends to explore non-literal ways of representing the world. It is our experience that this empowers the audience to apply their own experiences and thoughts about the world rather than us telling them every detail. It inspires engagement rather than “watching.”  </span>

<b>Did your approach change when starting to think about </b><b><i>Oedipus Rex</i></b><b>?</b><b>   </b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We followed our typical process of literal research (classic Greek architecture, altars, entrances/stairs, Greek theatres, shrines, etc.) and also performed visual image research that captured a sense of a place of power. That led us to light artist James Turrell and his work ended up serving as direct inspiration for the world we created. What was atypical in the process was that all of the artists working on the entire three</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">play Greek cycle being produced by Court were part of the design conversations. This collaboration added an unusual richness to the conversation with more perspectives and ideas in the hopper.  </span>

<b>What are some of your overarching goals for <em>Oedipus</em>' scenic design? </b><b>  </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We wanted to establish a place of power (in literal terms, we are just outside the seat of power in Thebes). We also knew that we wanted to create a space to support the telling of the story of Oedipus, not a representation of the literal location of the action in the play. We wanted a space that can transform with light in order to be able to go on the incredible emotional journey of the play. We wanted to set up the concept of the Chorus supporting the emotional journey of Oedipus, not a chorus of Thebes townsfolk. And, we wanted a space that will empower dynamic movement, as that is an important aspect of how we will tell the story.  </span>

<b>How much of your work has been informed by the rest of </b><b><i>The Oedipus Trilogy</i></b><b>?</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It has been strongly informed by the input of the artists working on the other two plays in the cycle, as they were part of the design conversations. And, we thought about how the environments of the different plays should relate conceptually. We thought about how to connect the end of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">with the beginning of </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gospel at Colonus</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in terms of the journey of Oedipus.  So, there are conceptual connections but not literal mirroring of the worlds.  </span>

<b>What's been the most challenging/rewarding aspect of designing the set for <em>Oedipus</em>?</b><b>    </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A challenge in creating a world for this story of Oedipus is how to create a space that has the scope and scale that enables the range of emotion and human journey that the story creates.  We strive to enhance, rather than diminish, how far the audience can go in their empathy with this, the most tragic of human journeys.</span>

<b>What's something you wish audience members knew about scenic design?</b><b>  </b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I do not think they need to know much about the technicalities of set design—I just hope they bring their imagination to the theatre and that we can then inspire them to use it fully!</span>

<strong><em>Previews to <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a> begin November 7. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">Learn more about the production →</a></em></strong>"
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        string(109) "<i>For Colored Girls, Frankenstein,</i> and <i>Photograph 51</i> were all honored at this year's Jeff Awards."
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      string(2427) "<p dir="ltr"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13002" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/headers-blog-jeff-2019.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="350" />We're thrilled to share with you that Court was nominated for fifteen Jeff awards at this year's ceremony and won five total awards. Productions honored included <i><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2018-2019-season/for-colored-girls/" rel="noopener noreferrer">For Colored Girls</a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2018-2019-season/frankenstein/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Maunual Cinema's Frankenstein</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2018-2019-season/photograph-51/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Photograph 51</a></i>.</p>

<ul dir="ltr">
 	<li><b>Ensemble </b>- Play - <i>For Colored Girls </i>ensemble featuring <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/alexis-j-roston/">Alexis J. Roston</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/melody-angel/">Melody Angel</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/melissa-duprey/">Melissa DuPrey</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/anji-white/">AnJi White</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/melanie-brezill/">Melanie Brezill</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/angelica-katie/">Angelica Katie</a>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/patrese-d-mcclain/">Patrese McClain</a>, and <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/leah-casey/">Leah Casey</a></li>
 	<li><b>Director </b>- Play - Large - <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/vanessa-stalling/">Vanessa Stalling</a>, <i>Photograph 51</i></li>
 	<li><b>Performer in a Principal Role</b> - Play - <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/chaon-cross/">Chaon Cross</a>, <i>Photograph 51</i></li>
 	<li><b>Scenic Design </b>- Large - <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/arnel-sancianco/">Arnel Sancianco</a>, <i>Photograph 51</i></li>
 	<li><b>Projection Design </b>- <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/rasean-davonte-johnson/">Rasean Davonte Johnson</a>, <i>Frankenstein</i></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Overall, this year's ceremony served as a reminder of the depth and breadth of work being done across Chicagoland—work Court is honored to be a part of. Here's to another season of great plays!</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Photo by Michael Brosilow.</em></p>"
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      string(6662) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-12990" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/oedipus_agency_1000x400.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="400" />

<em>UChicago Classics Professor Sarah Nooter explores questions of agency, truth, and fate in Sophocles' OEDIPUS REX. In dissecting these issues, Nooter gets to the heart of what makes OEDIPUS REX a pillar of Western civilization. </em>

Oedipus represents the best and worst of all that is in us. The worst of Oedipus is clear: he killed his father and married his mother. No good. Looking to these biographical (if fictional) facts, Sigmund Freud proposed a psychoanalytic complex that comprised our deepest sources of shame and named it after Oedipus. Vladimir Propp and Claude Lévi-Strauss saw in the blueprint of Oedipus’ life a universal story told everywhere in every tale: birth, murder, marriage, difficulty, death.

So where in Oedipus is the best of us? This we may find in Sophocles’ brilliant play itself. Let us pause to consider Oedipus and agency. When one teaches the play <em>Oedipus Rex</em> to undergraduate students, one tends to get caught up in this question: how can we say that Oedipus had agency—and thus responsibility or blame—for his taboo actions of murder and sex, when he committed them unknowingly, when he in fact tried as hard as he could to avoid committing them? What story would there be here if not for a nefarious Apollo, pulling the strings at every point, sending the hero reeling from the oracle at Delphi and into the belligerent path of his father, then the inevitable bed of his mother? There would be none of this but for the intervention of Apollo. For we find no meaningful agency in Oedipus in these deeds, nor would the Greek audiences have sought it here. But what good to us is a hero who is a pawn?

But the action of the play: here is where we see in Oedipus the very opposite of a pawn. Here we find an instantiation of ideal agency, and what I have called the best in us. What is Oedipus’ action? Is it discovery? What drives him—god, necessity, circumstances? No. What drives him is only the need to know. By the end, this need has become the need to know himself. Let me back up. Recall that the famous father-murdering and mother-bedding precede the play by some years; they are narrated, not performed. What motivates the action of the play initially is a plague, sent to Thebes by Apollo. In order to handle this crisis, which is killing the Theban people and rendering the land barren, Oedipus attempts to figure out the cause of the divine displeasure behind the plague. But then things take a strange turn as character after character tries with all their means and might to dissuade Oedipus from carrying his investigation forward: first the prophet Tiresias, then Oedipus’ wife Jocasta, and finally the shepherd who saved him as a baby. What these three characters share is that they know, or come to know, the truth about Oedipus before he does. And their reaction to the truth—out of love for Oedipus—is to try to bury it. For the truth, as they understand it, will destroy him.

But Oedipus will not let the truth be buried, even when he knows it will destroy him, telling his wife, “I must go on. I must find the truth” and saying to the herdsman, who proclaims himself on the brink of saying something terrible: “But hear I must.” He will not turn away from the monster within himself, even when he can hear and smell its approach. This is Sophocles’ Oedipus, firm in his need to know himself, infuriated by the specter of lies and ruthless in his pursuit of truth. This is the Oedipus that gives us our best self. One might object that he had to figure out the truth merely to combat the plague and, for some of the play, this is a concern. But note the centripetal concentration of the tragedy, moving from large-scale concerns to individual ones: the plague and the state of all of Thebes is critical for the first quarter of the play, less so in the middle, and entirely forgotten in the final third, when the play focuses relentlessly upon the truth of Oedipus’ identity. I say that “the play” focuses on Oedipus but really, of course, I mean that Oedipus focuses on himself: he is the driver of the plot, very nearly posed as its author. Such is the strength of his agency.
Let us remember the other great Greek figure who was fixated on knowing himself: Socrates. In Plato’s dialogue <em>The Phaedru</em>s, Socrates is asked whether he thinks a certain myth is true and replies that he has no time to wonder about gods and monsters, for he does not yet understand the monster that is himself: “I consider not these things but myself, whether I might turn out to be a monster more tangled up and rabid than Typhus, or a more gentle and simple creature.” Oedipus is likewise driven to know the monster within. Oedipus’ heroic quest, no less than Socrates’, is to know himself.

Teiresias gets the best line of the play: “this day will birth and destroy you.” No wonder Aristotle saw <em>Oedipus Rex</em> as the most complete of tragedies, with just one day encompassing the highest and lowest of possibilities for man. But what does Teiresias mean to tell Oedipus? He means that knowing oneself is the true birth of a self, and also that this is terrible and painful knowledge. No wonder Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx: that which walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at midday, and three at day’s end. The answer to the riddle is man, but the purpose of the riddle is to seek the answer.

<strong>Performances of <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><em>Oedipus Rex</em></a> run November 7 to December 8, 2019. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">Seek truth →</a></strong>

<hr />

<strong>Sarah Nooter</strong> is a Professor in the Department of Classics and the College at the University of Chicago. She is the author of <em>When Heroes Sing: Sophocles and the Shifting Soundscape of Tragedy</em> (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and <em>The Mortal Voice in the Tragedies of Aeschylus</em> (Cambridge University Press, 2017). She also co-edited <em>Sound and the Ancient Senses</em> (Routledge, 2019) with Shane Butler, and is Editor-in-Chief of <em>Classical Philology</em>. She is currently working on a book called <em>Bodies in Time: The Substance of Ancient Greek Poetry</em>, which explores modes of embodiment and temporality in ancient Greek poetry and song.

<em>Photo of Kelvin Roston, Jr. by Joe Mazza.</em>"
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Court Theatre is thrilled to share that our production of Ntozake Shange's <em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2018-2019-season/for-colored-girls/">For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf</a> </em>took home three <a href="http://www.btaawards.org/">Black Theatre Alliance Awards</a> at this year's 2019 ceremony.

<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/seret-scott/">Seret Scott</a> received the Douglas Mann Award for Direction of Ensemble and the entire ensemble was honored with The Targed Community Relations Award for Best Ensemble. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/anji-white/">Anji White</a>, who portrayed the Lady in Red in Court's production was also honored with the Ethel Waters Award for Best Actress in an Ensemble.

&nbsp;

<em>Photo of Patrese McClain, Alexis J. Roston, Leah Casey, Melody Angel, Angelica Katie, Melanie Brezill, Melissa DuPrey, and AnJi White (Joe Mazza).</em>
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Throughout Chicagoland, critics are praising Court's production of August Wilson's <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/"><em>King Hedley II</em></a>. Chris Jones of the <i>Chicago Tribune </i>awarded the production four stars and wrote that the production is cast “beautifully" with many memorable moments, while Kris Vire wrote for the <em>Chicago Sun-Times</em> that the play offers audiences "abundant rewards." Audiences and critics alike agree that <em>King Hedley II </em>is a relevant and powerful play worth seeing. See for yourself what the buzz is about — <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/">get tickets to <em>King Hedley II</em></a><i></i>.

<hr />

“The title character in <em>Hedley II</em> is a desperate mix of passion, determination and resentment... <span style="font-weight: 400;">And Parson here has an actor, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kelvin Roston Jr., who can handle not just the force of will of a typical Wilson hero, but an overwhelming self-doubt, usually expressed as fake confidence, especially in front of his sidekick Mister.</span>"

<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-ent-king-hedley-court-review-ttd-0924-20190923-vjqbqrrctve3blwdcpk66cyxhi-story.html">—Chris Jones, <i>Chicago Tribune</i>, ★★★★ Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

“<span style="font-weight: 400;">To see the director Ron OJ Parson completing August Wilson’s “Century Cycle” — the late playwright’s collection of 10 interconnected plays about the African American experience in the 20th century, each set in a different decade — is a momentous occasion...</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone more well-versed in Wilson’s themes and rhythms.</span>”

<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/9/24/20880362/king-hedley-ii-review-court-theatre-august-wilson-ron-oj-parson-century-cycle">—Kris Vire, <i>Chicago Sun-Times</i></a>

<hr />

“<span style="font-weight: 400;">In his epic masterpiece </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">King Hedley II</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the penultimate play in his Century Cycle, August Wilson captures man, society, and God in a bottle, and director Ron OJ Parson uncorks its glory and unleashes its fury on the Court Theatre audience like a torrential downpour... Director Parson deftly navigates the relentless waves of grief that buffet Hedley's kingdom by offering frequent comedic beats, leaving the audience unmoored and vulnerable for the next sucker punch. One of the standout emotional moments is a showstopper monologue delivered by Kierra Bunch.</span>”

<a href="https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/august-wilsons-king-hedley-ii-shows-the-ravages-of-the-1980s/Content?oid=73491399">—Sheri Flanders, <i>Chicago Reader </i>- Reader Recommended</a>

<hr />

“Powerhouse performances... you do not need to be familiar with Wilson’s work or earlier plays in this Cycle to thoroughly get where Wilson’s well-drawn characters are coming from.”

<a href="https://www.picturethispost.com/court-theatre-presents-king-hedley-ii-review/">—Amy Munice, <i>Picture This Post</i></a>

<hr />

“Director Ron OJ Parson helps us to see August Wilson's vision for this play... <em>Hedley</em> is masterfully done. Parson has skillfully given us another brilliant production."

<a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/lets-play/2019/09/king-hedley-ii/">—Rick and Brenda McCain, <i>Let's Play at Chicago Now</i>, Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

“<em>King Hedley II</em> can now claim its place among Wilson’s greatest plays, thanks to a volcanic revival at the Court Theatre... <em>Hedley</em> may be Parson’s finest artistic achievement.<span style="font-weight: 400;">"</span>

<a href="https://chicagolandtheaterreviews.com/chicagoland-productions/king-hedley/">—Dan Zeff, <em>Chicagoland Theatre Review, Highly Recommended</em></a>

<hr />

“A masterpiece, it’s the poetry that director Ron OJ Parson sees in the work... <em>King Hedley II</em> is filled with rage and passion.”

<a href="https://www.theatreworldim2.com/kinghedleyii-ct">—Ruth Smerling, <i>Theatre World,</i> Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

“Ron OJ Parson is a master at his craft and once again has shown the skill and passion he brings to his work. Every thing in this production is meticulous and tightly wrought. The cast works so well together and each performer is completely immersed in their character... <em>King Hedley II</em> should not be missed.”

<a href="http://www.aroundthetownchicago.com/theatre-reviews/king-hedley-ii-reviewed-by-michael-horn/">—Michael Horn, <em>Around the Town</em> Chicago, Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

“Questions of will, power, and predestination loom large in <em>King Hedley II</em>, eighth in Wilson’s ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle... Court’s production, directed by Ron OJ Parson, is blistering and absorbing.”

<a href="https://www.newcitystage.com/2019/09/23/holding-court-a-review-of-king-hedley-ii-at-court-theatre/">—Iren Hsiao, <em>Newcity Stage</em>, Highly Recommended</a>

<hr />

<em>Photo of Kelvin Roston, Jr. and TayLar by Michael Brosilow.</em>"
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      string(4230) "<span style="font-weight: 400;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-12904" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/oedipus-800x320.jpg" alt="Kelvin Roston Jr. as Oedipus Rex" width="800" height="320" />Fresh off his critically-acclaimed turn as Hedley in </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>King Hedley II</strong></span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/kelvin-roston-jr/">Kelvin Roston Jr</a>.</strong> will bring another “king” to life in Sophocles’ </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Oedipus Rex</strong></span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the first production in Court’s <strong>Oedipus Trilogy</strong>, tracing Sophocles’ themes and characters over the course of three productions (</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex; <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/">The Gospel at Colonus</a>; Antigone</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">) with an overlapping team of actors and artists. In </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Roston will have the opportunity to tackle one of the most iconic roles in classic drama: King Oedipus.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Audiences who enjoyed </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">King Hedley II </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">will find exciting parallels in Sophocles’ seminal tragedy. The </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chicago Tribune </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">describes Wilson’s take on life in Pittsburgh in the 1980s as a Greek tragedy in and of itself. Jones writes that “the title character in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hedley II </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">is a desperate mix of passion, determination and resentment. He’s an Oedipus-like character trapped in a cycle play of his own, desperately trying to grow some new roots and escape but ultimately thwarted not just by the previous generations of his own family but by the America whence his ancestors were brought on fear of violent death.” </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> puts similar issues of fate, free will, and identity on powerful display in a dauntless translation by Court’s founding artistic director, Nicholas Rudall.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><img class="size-full wp-image-12905 alignright" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/trilogy-200x72.jpg" alt="Oedipus Trilogy" width="200" height="72" /></a>In </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex, </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kelvin Roston, Jr. will further explore the Greek undercurrents he began to tap into in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">King Hedley II</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, again captivating audiences with raw emotion and sheer force of will. As Chris Jones writes in the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chicago Tribune</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, “Roston has a growing reputation in Chicago and New York; he’s a deeply empathetic actor whose take on King is completely different from what I have seen before.” Kelvin will assuredly provide this same insight and intensity in his performance as Oedipus, making </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and the remainder of The Oedipus Trilogy the theatrical event of the season.</span>

<hr />

<em>Oedipus Rex</em> begins November 7 | <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">Tickets and Information</a>
<p class="caption">Photo by of Kelvin Roston Jr. by Joe Mazza.</p>"
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      string(6600) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-12815" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/chrislaporte_sound_800x300.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="300" />

<em>We sat down with sound designer <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/chris-laporte/">Christopher M. LaPorte</a> to learn more about his process and how he approaches collaborating with Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson on August Wilson's <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/">KING HEDLEY II</a>.</em>
<div class="yj6qo ajU">

<strong>How do you approach designing a show?</strong>

There are many little nuances and unique needs that any given show requires. With that in mind and before I get too centrally focused on that, I try to start with the basics. What is the show really about? What am I feeling or learning when I read this play and what observations do I make about the characters, myself, or others? That’s obviously a big question for theatre designers in pre-production.

I also focus on where we are in the play and what that sounds and feels like. Collaboration really takes place from the beginning. A great way for me to get inspired by the world and start making some assumptions about the sound is in the scenic and costume designs. In our production process, the set and the costumes are the focal point of our early production meetings and often times do a great deal of creating a world for me to then start working with. For <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/"><em>King Hedley II</em></a>, this was very true. We started seeing models, renderings, and drawings for both of these elements starting as far back as about 6-7 months prior to this show’s technical and rehearsal process. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/regina-garcia/">Regina</a> and <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/alex-rutherford/">Alex</a> (set and costume design, respectively) had some really great and informative mock-ups to show us early on to give a sense of these things. That tends to really give me something to look at and match sounds and content to much more organically than creating it all on my own in my head.

From that point forward, the process remains very collaborative in that <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/ron-oj-parson/">Ron</a> (our director) will usually know early on what kind of musical vibe we are generally going to be using for the show. Ron is a lover of music and has a great knowledge of jazz artists in particular. So, conversations with Ron on these topics are also taking place in tandem from the beginning. So, really, from the very beginning of the process, all elements are informing each other.

<strong>Listen to some of the songs informing <em>King Hedley II</em>:</strong>

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4er4m1QJ7WX7mg9an3mCKV

<strong>Does your process change at all when working with someone you've previously collaborated with?</strong>

I’d say that there is definitely ground work that can be helpful ahead of time having a repeating relationship with a director or other designers. There are tendencies that every artist has in their work in one way or another. Learning those things about a director in particular can be very helpful in approaching a show. Regardless of my prior engagements with a director or team, I try to look at a show as a singular entity. Sometimes we want themes to track in from other work and sometimes they do not. I find that if I look at every show or piece as a unique thing in itself, it has more of a chance of finding exactly what it needs from me. I know that Ron is very fresh in his approach to a show even though it may be a part of a sequence of stories and I think that is the right choice.

<strong>What have you and Ron learned from your previous collaborations?</strong>

Let it be said that Ron OJ Parson is definitely one of the most inspiring directors I have worked with. He has a perspective and feel that he is able to make unique to him and meaningful for the audience watching his shows. He knows how to interpret moments of a show in a way that isn’t fussy or over-complicated. I really respect that. I think he is very effective in shaking loose the fat of things and getting to the heart of it. Working with Ron in my role has always been a great experience. He is very hands on with the music and this oftentimes leads to sessions where we will simply sit and listen to music and talk about what works and what doesn’t. I know that sounds a lot like just hanging out with a friend, and it really feels like that which is a very special thing. All in all, being able to work with Ron has been a blessing and getting to see a show through his filter has been one of the great highlights of my career already.

<strong>What is one thing you wish people knew/better understood about sound design?</strong>

I would say that sound design can be many things. Sometimes it’s something that is very present and sometimes it may need to be something that isn’t. I think the show itself dictates that, but one thing I love about theatre is the sincerity we are often afforded. I feel that a lot of other mediums are prone to bashing you over the head with design or sound elements. Mostly to establish feelings in the content, but theatre, in my experience, allows my field to express some of these things in a much more subtle way. I really think that most times a great sound design can go largely unnoticed, and that’s what makes it good. It highlights what it needs to and stays out of the way when it needs to. It’s an element that is meant to shuffle in with the rest of it.

From a technical standpoint, and beyond the artistic decisions to be made, there is one very important bottom line. My job is also to make sure that every word and note played onstage is heard. A show like <em>King Hedley</em> doesn’t require microphones to accomplish that, which makes it much easier, but all of these things are what makes a sound design. That and a lot of online research for wacky things like what cicadas sounded like in the fall of 1973 in Botswana. I swear I’ve got that somewhere.

<hr />

<strong><em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/">KING HEDLEY II</a> </em><em>runs September 12 to October 13, 2019. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/king-hedley-ii/">Learn more about the play and save your seats →</a></em></strong>

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  <h1>Blog</h1>
  
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/musical-adaptations-of-oedipus-rex/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/musical-adaptation-200.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/musical-adaptations-of-oedipus-rex/">Musical Adaptations of OEDIPUS REX</a></h3>
        <p>In this blog post, the second in a series of four posts, learn more about musical adaptations of Sophocles' play, as well as how these reimagined approaches address the enduring themes in this famous Greek tragedy.</p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/power-and-symbolism-designing-the-costumes-of-oedipus-rex/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/oedipus-costumes-thumb.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/power-and-symbolism-designing-the-costumes-of-oedipus-rex/">Power and Symbolism: Designing the Costumes of OEDIPUS REX</a></h3>
        <p>We interviewed costume designer Jacqueline Firkins to learn more about her approach to designing OEDIPUS REX. Find out how her choices support the storytelling.</p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/oedipus-and-stage-adaptation/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/stage-adaptation-200.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/oedipus-and-stage-adaptation/">OEDIPUS and Stage Adaptation</a></h3>
        <p>Learn more about how different artists have adapted OEDIPUS for the stage and how its themes continue to resonate in different contexts.</p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/creating-the-world-of-oedipus-rex/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/oedipussethumb.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/creating-the-world-of-oedipus-rex/">Creating the World of OEDIPUS REX</a></h3>
        <p>We interviewed scenic designer John Culbert about his approach to creating the set for OEDIPUS REX.</p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/court-theatre-honored-with-5-jeff-awards/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/fcg-200x200.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/court-theatre-honored-with-5-jeff-awards/">Court Theatre Honored with 5 Jeff Awards</a></h3>
        <p><i>For Colored Girls, Frankenstein,</i> and <i>Photograph 51</i> were all honored at this year's Jeff Awards.</p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/oedipus-and-agency/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/oedipus_agency_200x200.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/oedipus-and-agency/">Oedipus and Agency</a></h3>
        <p>UChicago Professor Sarah Nooter explores questions of agency, truth, and fate in Sophocles' OEDIPUS REX.</p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/court-theatre-receives-3-black-theatre-alliance-awards/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/fcg-300x200.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/court-theatre-receives-3-black-theatre-alliance-awards/">Court Theatre Receives 3 Black Theatre Alliance Awards</a></h3>
        <p>FOR COLORED GIRLS director Seret Scott and her ensemble were honored by the Black Theatre Alliance.</p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/critics-are-hailing-courts-production-of-king-hedley-ii-as-masterful/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/kinghedleyreview_feature.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/critics-are-hailing-courts-production-of-king-hedley-ii-as-masterful/">Critics are hailing Court&#8217;s production of KING HEDLEY II as &#8220;masterful.&#8221;</a></h3>
        <p>Critics around Chicagoland are praising Court's production of KING HEDLEY II for its powerful acting, direction, and design!</p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/kelvin-roston-jr-embodies-another-king-in-oedipus-rex/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/oedipus-kelvin-200sq.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/kelvin-roston-jr-embodies-another-king-in-oedipus-rex/">Kelvin Roston Jr. Embodies Another King in Oedipus Rex</a></h3>
        <p>Fresh off his critically-acclaimed turn as Hedley in <i>King Hedley II</i>, Kelvin Roston, Jr. will bring another “king” to life in Sophocles’ <i>Oedipus Rex</i>. </p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/hearing-every-note-chris-laporte-on-the-sound-design-of-king-hedley-ii/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/sounddesign_Chris_square.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/hearing-every-note-chris-laporte-on-the-sound-design-of-king-hedley-ii/">Hearing Every Note: Chris LaPorte on the Sound Design of KING HEDLEY II</a></h3>
        <p>We sat down with sound designer Christopher M. LaPorte to learn more about his process and how he approaches collaborating with Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson on August Wilson's KING HEDLEY II.</p>
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