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          string(4619) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13275" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Mousetrap_800x308.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="308" />

<em>Are you curious about how the murder mystery genre developed over the years? Check out this brief primer to learn more about the evolution of this popular literary genre, and add some authors to your reading list, too!</em>

[caption id="attachment_13277" align="alignleft" width="213"]<img class="wp-image-13277 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/426px-Edgar_Allan_Poe_circa_1849_restored_squared_off-213x300.jpg" alt="" width="213" height="300" /> Edgar Allan Poe, circa 1849[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The origin of modern detective fiction is often attributed to Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” written in 1844 and Wilkie Collins’ 1868 novel </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moonstone</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The texts are also considered to be pinnacle references for all detective fiction that has followed. The tradition of basing mysteries off of real-life situations continued in the United States with Allan Pinkerton’s detective series, which took inspiration from the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. The organization, founded in Chicago, was once the largest private law enforcement entity and influenced countless other literary works, such as those of Arthur Conan Doyle, but is now more infamous for its role in the Homestead Strike of 1892. Pinkerton’s tales of intrigue and crime captured the public’s imagination and contributed to the rise to the audience desire for sensationalist mystery fiction.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Murder mysteries continue to capture the public’s attention in various forms. In the nineteenth century, the dime novel dominated as an inexpensive and entertaining read. The city of Chicago began appearing with regularity in dime novels in the 1870s, serving as the backdrop for detective stories. In England, penny dreadfuls also featured sensational accounts focusing on the fictitious adventures of detectives and criminals alike. The cheap price of the stories, combined with steadily rising literacy rates and easy purchasing access to the publications, meant that they were the perfect vehicles to popularize the already soaring genres of murder mystery and detective fiction. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13279" align="alignright" width="252"]<img class="size-full wp-image-13279" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Agatha_Christie_in_1925.jpg" alt="" width="252" height="318" /> Agatha Christie, 1925[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Although murder mystery is still a well-explored genre today, it did reach its zenith in the 1920s and 1930s. The Golden Age of the murder mystery genre gave rise to the fame of such authors like <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/agatha-christie/">Agatha Christie</a>, G.K. Chesterton, and Mary Roberts Rinehart. The “whodunit” narrative thrived as audiences rushed to consume these scintillating stories, which always kept the identity of the criminal a secret until the end. In Christie’s </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mousetrap</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, some productions even include a message at the end of the play to request that the audience does not divulge the truth to anyone else who has not read or seen the play in order to further uphold the essence of the whodunit so it can continue to fulfill its original purpose of surprising viewers. Nowadays, from children’s cartoons to theatrical productions, the hallmarks of the whodunit genre continue to engross audiences.</span>

Can't get enough of the mystery genre? Save your seats to Agatha Christie's <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><em>The Mousetrap</em></a>! Previews begin January 16, 2020. <strong><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">Learn more →</a> </strong>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Note: Although the categorization of the mentioned genres is up for some debate, they are all discussed here as having a related history and prominence in the public sphere</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span>

<em>Photo of David Cerda, Alex Goodrich, Allen Gilmore, Kate Fry, Lyonel Reneau, and Erik Hellman by Joe Mazza.</em>"
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          string(4294) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13269" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/blog-header-holiday.jpg" alt="Happy Holidays" width="800" height="308" />

This winter, you can <b>spread holiday cheer and the arts</b> with our 2019 Court Theatre gift guide. From gift certificates to tickets to upcoming plays like <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">Agatha Christie's <em>The Mousetrap</em></a>, there are plenty of ways to give the gift of Court Theatre this season. Check out the full list below!

<hr />

<h3>Gift Certificates</h3>
<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/groups-discounts-gifts/gifts/"><img class="alignleft wp-image-13264 size-thumbnail" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gift-cert-2-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>

<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/groups-discounts-gifts/gifts/">Gift certificates</a> are available in any denomination and never expire! Perfect for any budget, you can print them out at home or email them as an attachment. Plus, <strong>subscribers save 10% on gift certificates</strong>. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/groups-discounts-gifts/gifts/">Purchase gift certificates →</a>

<hr />

<h3></h3>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Subscriptions</h3>
<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/subscriptions/"><img class="alignleft wp-image-13260 size-thumbnail" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/subs-1-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>

Spread holiday cheer with a <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/subscriptions/">3-Play Subscription</a>! Subscribers get a variety of perks and tickets to <em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">The Mousetrap</a></em>, <em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-lady-from-the-sea/">The Lady from the Sea</a></em>, or <em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/">The Gospel at Colonus</a></em>. 3-Play Subscriptions begin at just $96, while Value Flex Tickets are only $35 each, making this the best way to save on tickets to Court for the holidays. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/subscriptions/">Give a subscription →</a>

<hr />

<h3></h3>
<h3></h3>
<h3><em>Mousetrap</em> Tickets</h3>
<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><img class="alignleft wp-image-13262 size-thumbnail" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/mousetrap-1-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>

<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">Tickets to <em>The Mousetrap</em></a> are a great gift for theatre lovers and mystery fans, too! Agatha Christie's famous murder mystery is full of skillful twists and shocking turns. Under the direction of Sean Graney, this production is sure to be a fun one and makes a great holiday gift. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">See if your friends can solve the case →</a>

<hr />

&nbsp;
<h3></h3>
<h3>Spotlight Readings</h3>
<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/community-engagement/spotlight-reading-series/"><img class="alignleft wp-image-13261 size-thumbnail" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/spotlight-1-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>

Who says great gifts have to cost an arm and a leg? Tickets to one of Court's <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/community-engagement/spotlight-reading-series/">Spotlight Readings</a> are a great gift that doesn't cost you a dime! Reserve a seat for free and share the arts with a friend or loved one! <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/spotlight-reading-series/spotlight-reading-the-sty-of-the-blind-pig/"><em>The Sty of the Blind Pig</em></a>, our next Spotlight Reading, is February 24, 2020. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/spotlight-reading-series/spotlight-reading-the-sty-of-the-blind-pig/">Reserve tickets →</a>

<hr />

&nbsp;"
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          string(2650) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13174" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/mt-blog-cast-header.jpg" alt="The Mousetrap" width="800" height="300" />This January, Court Theatre stages our first Agatha Christie play in the theatre’s 65 year history. Famed for the way she masterfully adapted the tropes of radio drama to the stage in engaging and entertaining murder mysteries, Christie is perhaps one of England’s most prolific authors.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>

<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><i>The Mousetrap </i></a>features one of Christie’s most shocking twists, and holds the record as the longest-running production on the West End, clocking in at over 25,000 total performances. Bringing this famed whodunnit to life is director Sean Graney (<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2017-2018-season/the-belle-of-amherst/"><i>The Belle of Amherst</i></a> and <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2009-2010-season/mystery-irma-vep/"><i>The Mystery of Irma Vep</i></a>, among others at Court), whose production will eschew cliché and beg for a repeat viewing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>

Discussing what initially drew him to this classic work by Agatha Christie, Graney shared that he hopes to explore how everyone is hiding something. He explains:
<blockquote>"The play to me is about how the lies we tell each other become our traps. We can’t honestly connect to each other, because we’re so worried about our lies coming to light."</blockquote>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13173" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cast-blog.jpg" alt="The cast of The Mousetrap" width="800" height="126" />The cast features Court favorites and new faces: <strong>David Cerda, Kate Fry, Allen Gilmore, Alex Goodrich, Erik Hellman, Tina Muñoz Pandya, Lyonel Reneau, </strong>and<strong> Hollis Resnik</strong>.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see this exciting mystery and try to solve the murder yourself!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>

<hr />

Performances of <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><i>The Mousetrap </i></a>begin January 16, 2020. Tickets are available <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/#calendar"><strong>online</strong></a> or by calling the Box Office at <b>(773) 753-4472</b>.
<p class="caption">Photo of Photo of David Cerda, Alex Goodrich, Allen Gilmore, Kate Fry, Erik Hellman, and Lyonel Reneau.</p>"
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          string(4971) "[caption id="attachment_13113" align="alignnone" width="800"]<img class="wp-image-13113 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/LightingOedipus_800x300.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="300" /> Photo of Kelvin Roston, Jr., Christopher Donahue, and the chorus of OEDIPUS REX (Brosilow).[/caption]

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">We talked with lighting designer <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/keith-parham/">Keith Parham</a> to learn more about his approach to lighting the set for </span></i><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">OEDIPUS REX</span></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The following interview is edited from his responses.</span></i>

<b>How do you typically approach designing lights for theatre?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I first approach lighting from a standpoint of the text. I read a script multiple times before entering a conversation with a director and/or the rest of the design team. The first time I read the script, I read it straight through without placing any thoughts on it. I then read it again and start questioning what the theatricality of the piece is. This leads me to thoughts about what form the lighting and design as a whole might take. After I’ve done this, I’m ready to converse with the director and design team. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">During the first few meetings, I’m rarely specifically thinking about the lighting. At this point, I tend to be thinking and talking about the entire design, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/creating-the-world-of-oedipus-rex/">specifically the scenery</a>. You have to think about the scenery because whatever the scenery ends up being always dictates what the lighting is going to do. This encompasses every choice you can make with the lighting, from types of gear to how the show will look and feel. Only once we have a scenic design do I start digging into what the lighting will actually be. I draw and submit a light plot, I focus on the show, and we start tech. The lighting is actually created only once we are in tech. During tech, I’m creating the cues for the show and keeping my eye on how the cues work with what we know about the show. This is a constant process of ensuring the lighting works in coordination with the actors, scenic, costume, and sound design. Hopefully, by the end of the process, we have created a piece of art in which I’ve played a large role, yet the lighting is only a small part of that. </span>

<b>How did your approach change for </b><b><i>Oedipus Rex</i></b><b>?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It didn’t change that much. The process worked the way I explained earlier. It helps that I’ve done a lot of productions with Charlie and this design team.   </span>

<b>What challenges did lighting an all-white set pose to you? How did you solve them?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">An all-white set presents certain challenges that are true whenever you are dealing with a white set. The largest challenge is the limitation placed upon the contrast of light in the space. When the set is darker, it is much easier to create contrast that allows the set and the actors to be highlighted in sculptural and theatrical ways. When you are dealing with a white set, the whole room lights up the moment you turn on a light, obliterating almost all contrast. You have to be really creative in the placement of your gear in order to create highlights and lowlights.</span>

<b>What (if anything) does an all white set afford you as a lighting designer?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A white set is a very specific choice you make as a design team, and only if it really fits the play you’re creating. Across the board, all white sets create an environment that visually expresses itself in the most in-your-face way possible. The strength of its visual presence is something that can really bring a lot to a production, if you’re using it in a strong and meaningful way. All the lighting can do with a white set is to follow suit and play to that same visual strength.</span>

<b>What are some of your overarching goals for </b><b><i>Oedipus</i></b><b>’ lighting design?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They are the same goals that I have working on any production. I’m hoping to enter into a process with a team of people to create an experience that is bigger than any single one of us. I’m always hoping we reach the point where we stop thinking about the craft and start experiencing the production with the audience.</span>

<strong><em> <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a> runs through December 8. <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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Although <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><em>Oedipus Rex</em></a> may not be directly alluded to in all of these songs, his presence is still prominent as his struggles with destiny and tragedy remain universally identifiable, even within different contexts. We composed a playlist of various songs that directly and indirectly mention characters’ struggles and the play’s motifs. The playlist is presented as one unit but each song was chosen with respect to a different character or theme. A variety of genres are explored. Below, each song is listed in relation to what character/theme it parallels, along with a brief discussion framing some of these similarities.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ow4dcCau71GoFCs02Cah0

<strong>THE PLAY (2 songs): </strong>

<em>“Fate” by Our Last Night</em>

This song is appropriate for the play as both discuss fate and the question of whether individuals truly have free will or are predestined from birth for doom.

<em>“Oedipus Rex” by Tom Lehrer</em>

Lehrer uses the infamy of the play and Freud’s interpretation of it in this humorous song.

<strong>OEDIPUS (4 songs):</strong>

<em>“Return (Coming Home)” by The Cruxshadows:</em>

Oedipus indeed suffers from his hubris and “taste[s] the wisdom of divinity and the horrors of its sting” upon hearing and unwittingly fulfilling the prophecies from Apollo concerning the fate of his kingdom and himself. At the end, although Oedipus is exiled and shamed, he is still “very much alive,” in the sense that he is alive to appear in the future plays and alive in the sense that his legacy lives on in culture.

<em>“Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by The Animals</em>

Oedipus originally only wanted to save his kingdom from the plague it is suffering from, yet in trying to find the murderer of the past king, ends up bringing his own torturous follies into light. His original intentions were good when he sent Creon to the Oracle to seek answers and he never intended to bed his own mother, yet viewers often hastily judge Oedipus despite his more subtle complexities.

<em>“Solar Flares” by Christopher Paul Stelling</em>

No matter that they tried to avoid the prophecies, all still fell to them. “Your own pearly knife handles still perched there in your back” refers to the inevitable nature that, despite their good intentions, the characters ended up paving their way to doom. “Always taking lefts when we know there’s only wrongs and rights” again calls back to the motif of inevitability and the frightening consideration of predetermination as the reason behind each choice. “We must at times face blindness to regain our sight” hints at how Oedipus changes between this play and the future installments.

<em>“Ue o Muite Arukou” by Kyuu Sakamoto (“Sukiyaki” Song)</em>

At the end of the play, after learning the truth and blinding himself in a fit of agony and shame, Oedipus is left to contemplate how it came to this. With this song, we can imagine the tragic character walking away to face his exile while mournfully reflecting on his rise and fall.

<strong>JOCASTA (4 songs):</strong>

<em>“Nonn’ erubescite, reges” by Igor Stravinsky</em>

Stravinsky’s famous opera-oratorio. Here, Jocasta sings after encountering Creon and Oedipus arguing while her people continue to suffer. The soaring and dramatic vocals convey the true desperation of their circumstances as rulers over people in dire need and the foolishness in turning against one another when they have more important duties to attend to.

<em>“It’s A Sin” by Pet Shop Boys:</em>

Despite the fact she and Laius tried to kill Oedipus when he was a baby to avoid their prophesied downfalls, Jocasta still ends up in the exact position she was destined to be in all along. Looking back on her life, she is ashamed of bedding her son and, perhaps, even mournful of the loss of her child immediately after they decide to send him away. Her taboo relationship with her son is viewed as an abhorrent sin and everything she has done, both to avoid it and fulfill it, ends up shaping her regrets.

<em>“Ghost of a Chance” by Rush</em>

With each choice she made, Jocasta ended up fulfilling her destiny despite trying to run away from it. Even after casting off her infant son to die, they find each other and become lovers. Jocasta initially disregards Oedipus’ concerns about the prophecy, scorning the gods and Fates themselves, only to discover their veracity. The lyrics “Each time we turn a new corner / A tiny moment of truth” tie back to their attempts to move forward from under the shadow of prophecy only to find out the horrifying truth in the end.

<em>“Jocasta” by Noah and the Whale</em>

This indie band named one of their songs after the tragic character and accurately portray her situation. Although Jocasta does scorn prophecy when trying to assuage Oedipus’ fears, she still believed them enough to cast off her son and seek the Oracle’s counsel when her kingdom is suffering. Despite trying to rewrite her destiny, “her verse still [goes] on the same.”

<strong>TEIRESIAS (5 songs, 1 shared):</strong>

<em>“There’s A Storm A Comin’” by Richard Hawley</em>

This song is appropriate because Teiresias tells Oedipus that he is the one who has brought this plight to Thebes. His revelation and the consequent truths that come to light are “the storm” that will force Oedipus into exile.

<em>“Unconscious Power” by Iron Butterfly:</em>

Teiresias knows the truth about Oedipus and exposes it so that Oedipus goes on to fear the fulfillment of prophecy and discover his worst fears have already come true. However, at first, Teiresias refuses to tell him, which is reflected in the lyric “I say to you nothin’ for now”, yet he does in fact “know it all.” When Oedipus is trying to coerce the truth out of him, Teiresias proclaims that he has “the right to speak [his] mind freely”, which again ties back to the concept of freedom briefly mentioned in the song.

<em>“Head Like A Hole” by Nine Inch Nails</em>

This song, despite not seeming to at first, does inadvertently channel the spirited exchange between Teiresias and Oedipus when Oedipus demands to know the truth. The lyrics “no, you can’t take it” not only embody Teiresias’ initial insistence that he will not divulge the truth to Oedipus, but also represent his resistance to being coerced into speaking what he does not want to discuss. “I’d rather die than give you control” is an extreme manifestation of Teiresias’ defiance and fervent belief that he has the freedom to speak his mind, something that no king can take away from him. “Bow down before the one you serve” parallels Oedipus’ demands for him to speak and his invocation of his kingly status to try and make Teiresias reveal his secret. “You’re going to get what you deserve” is, again, an extreme representation of Teiresias’ replies when he does tell Oedipus the truth, as he tells him he will bring “destruction upon [him]self” and that, for “mocking [Teiresias] for [his] blindness” and for refusing to see the truth, Oedipus will fall and his eyes will be “covered with dark night”.

<em>“The Prophecy” by Iron Maiden</em>

As with any prophet, Teiresias gets some skeptics and must suffer the burden of wisdom. Oedipus refuses to believe him, yet Teiresias tells only the truth. “The whole village is doomed” refers to the plague that Thebes is suffering from while the lyrics “why won’t you listen to me?” and “heed what I say and you’ll see” refer to Teiresias' insistence that Oedipus will not want to hear the truth and, upon discovering it, he will foolishly disregard his counsel and needlessly prolong the suffering of the kingdom.

<em>“Freedom” by Fleetwood Mac</em>

Different parts of this song apply to different characters of the play. Here, the lyrics “look at me with daggers / It won’t do you any good / All the looks that you’ve used on me / Don’t work now that you’ve fallen” refer to Teiresias’ initial refusal to tell Oedipus what he knows and his knowledge of the king’s downfall.

<strong>CREON (5 songs, 1 shared):</strong>

<em>“Freedom” by Fleetwood Mac:</em>

The lyrics “my intentions were clear / I was with him / Everyone knew / Poor little fool” refer to Creon’s reaction when Oedipus accuses him of trying to steal the throne. Creon argues that he stands with Oedipus and has no treacherous plans to usurp him, something that Jocasta and the Chorus know to be true.

<em>“Give Me the Simple Life” by Tony Bennett</em>

Upon hearing Oedipus’ accusations of treason, Creon replies that he has no desire to have the responsibilities of king and is quite content with his position as it is. The lyric “sounds corny and seedy” refers to the fact that his argument does not convince Oedipus and Creon eventually does take advantage of gained power within future plays.

<em>“Simple Life” by Lukas Nelson </em>

Again, the simple life. Creon does not want to the complex life of a king, though he certainly wouldn’t mind taking its privileges, like secured housing, food, and respect as a royal relation. The line “ain’t nobody knows why” calls back to the horrified reactions of everyone upon hearing of Oedipus’ downfall and the play’s central contemplation on the nature of free will and destiny. The lyric “I’ve got something up my sleeve” refers to Oedipus’ suspicions of him and the interpretation that Creon is not as guileless and innocent as he appears in light of his actions in future plays.

<em>“Royals” by Lorde</em>

Creon wants to live like a king, but without all the cares, yet he will rule when Oedipus is exiled.

<em>“Hail To The King” by Avenged Sevenfold</em>

This song is a sneak peek into Creon’s tyrannical behavior in <em>Antigone</em>.

<strong>CHORUS (3 songs):</strong>

<em>“What’s Happening?!?!” by The Byrds</em>

The Chorus may know more than the vocalist, but they are just as afloat as he, something that is displayed by the Chorus’ role as narrator/relayer of information for the audience.

<em>“Stayin’ Alive” by the BeeGees</em>

All of Thebes is dying yet the Chorus remains untouched by illness. Even when faced with the madness and complex tragedies of royalty, the Chorus is still there, alive and observant.

<em>“Forgiveness” by TobyMac, ft. Lecrae</em>

Even after discovering Oedipus’ mistakes, the Chorus finally intervenes successfully on someone’s behalf. Despite the disdain and scorn everyone throws at Oedipus when the truth is revealed, the Chorus steps in to convince Creon to spare Oedipus’ life and instead send him into exile.

<strong>ANTIGONE (BONUS TRACK):</strong>

<em>“The Girl From Tel-Aviv Who Wouldn’t Kneel” by Morrissey</em>

Sneak peek at future productions. Despite her uncle’s orders, Antigone defies King Creon’s will, refusing to kneel or acquiesce to his demands.

<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 Oedipus Trilogy, 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(6987) "<i><img class="wp-image-13046 size-full alignleft" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/film-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 third in a series of four posts, learn more about adaptations of Sophocles' play for the screen, as well as how these reimagined approaches address the enduring themes in this famous Greek tragedy.</i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">From stage to album, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reigns supreme as a frequently adapted source of creative work. However, Oedipus’ domain does not end there, as his story has been adapted for the silver screen as well. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13094" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-13094 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Oidipusz5-300x163.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="163" /> A scene from Pasolini's EDIPO RE.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In Italy in 1967, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s dramatic and renowned version of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, entitled </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Edipo Re</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, was released, quickly gaining worldwide recognition. Pasolini narrows in on the plot with Freudian intensity as he explores the relationship between Jocasta and Oedipus.  With an anachronistic prologue in 20th century Italy, it is implied that Laius abuses Oedipus because he is overcome with maddening jealousy toward his son for “stealing [his] wife’s love.” The film then cuts to an entirely different setting and time frame, jumping right into the play by showing an infant Oedipus being abandoned in the desert. The plot then closely follows Sophocles’ text, but does include some autobiographical bias on Pasolini’s part. In an interview with Oswald Sack, Pasolini said the aforementioned prologue was “a fairly particular evocation of [his] early childhood.” Why did Pasolini address elements of his private familial relationships within his presentation of this Greek tragedy? Was it simply the human desire to find oneself in a creative outlet? After all, audiences often identify with fictional characters and superimpose their own bias from experiences on their interpretation of a work. Possible answers point again to the reason the play endures. As <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcSwIU_pCYE">the film trailer</a>’s narrator says, this play is a “tragedy of today, yesterday, and tomorrow” as Oedipus is “a man both ancient and modern” in his struggles. Viewers can identify with the idea of folly as they commiserate over the shared agony of retrospection and feelings of helplessness when fighting against powerful, ineffable forces. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13095" align="alignleft" width="200"]<img class="wp-image-13095 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/400px-Gabriel_Garcia_Marquez-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" /> Photo of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipo Alcalde </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">(also known as </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Mayor</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">), the screenplay which was first written by Gabriel García Marquez, is another noteworthy adaptation of the play. It completely recontextualizes the work, transposing it into war-torn Colombia of the late 20th century. Oedipus is cast into the role of an embattled and weary mayor who is desperate to mediate peace between the fighting guerilla groups and Colombian army. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">can be adapted to fit any time period so the themes are pertinent to a specific audience while still maintaining its age-old appeal. This property, as well as its continued power to enthrall audiences and tantalize the creative mind, serves as a testament to the true versatility and relevance of Sophocles’ play. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Beyond its literary and historical value as one of Sophocles’ few surviving plays, the question remains: why continue to perform and adapt the original play within any capacity? </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">presents audiences with the lingering and insistent doubts that hover in the margins of daily life. In the wake of each choice lies the burning question of whether it was an act of free will or preordained folly. An intriguing aspect of the play is that all the prophecy-fulfilling action has taken place, leaving Oedipus condemned without possibility of salvation. Oedipus must grapple with the confounding reality of predetermined fate, helpless from the offset as he is forced to look back on choices already made. The excruciating agony of retrospect is such an integral aspect of conscious and unconscious human experience that viewers cannot help but commiserate with Oedipus. The play itself becomes an inevitable force, reinforcing this motif of inescapability. Thus, audiences are inevitably drawn into this enduring exploration of fate and free will. The act of viewing Oedipus’ struggles adopts an almost voyeuristic, masochistic quality because people are enraptured by their shared folly. Audiences use the play as an outlet to contemplate the nature of their own choices. The concept of predetermination is both chilling and tantalizing as the possibility of escaping fate shrinks with the rising, and inevitably confirmed, fears of the titular character. Oedipus not only reminds the viewers of the price of folly, but also asks them to question the nature of that folly in the first place. In doing so, the tragedy and its titular character remain an enduring mark of Sophocles’ continued influence on modern culture with the undeniable humanity of his characters.</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(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(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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<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(4619) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13275" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Mousetrap_800x308.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="308" />

<em>Are you curious about how the murder mystery genre developed over the years? Check out this brief primer to learn more about the evolution of this popular literary genre, and add some authors to your reading list, too!</em>

[caption id="attachment_13277" align="alignleft" width="213"]<img class="wp-image-13277 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/426px-Edgar_Allan_Poe_circa_1849_restored_squared_off-213x300.jpg" alt="" width="213" height="300" /> Edgar Allan Poe, circa 1849[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The origin of modern detective fiction is often attributed to Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” written in 1844 and Wilkie Collins’ 1868 novel </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moonstone</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The texts are also considered to be pinnacle references for all detective fiction that has followed. The tradition of basing mysteries off of real-life situations continued in the United States with Allan Pinkerton’s detective series, which took inspiration from the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. The organization, founded in Chicago, was once the largest private law enforcement entity and influenced countless other literary works, such as those of Arthur Conan Doyle, but is now more infamous for its role in the Homestead Strike of 1892. Pinkerton’s tales of intrigue and crime captured the public’s imagination and contributed to the rise to the audience desire for sensationalist mystery fiction.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Murder mysteries continue to capture the public’s attention in various forms. In the nineteenth century, the dime novel dominated as an inexpensive and entertaining read. The city of Chicago began appearing with regularity in dime novels in the 1870s, serving as the backdrop for detective stories. In England, penny dreadfuls also featured sensational accounts focusing on the fictitious adventures of detectives and criminals alike. The cheap price of the stories, combined with steadily rising literacy rates and easy purchasing access to the publications, meant that they were the perfect vehicles to popularize the already soaring genres of murder mystery and detective fiction. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13279" align="alignright" width="252"]<img class="size-full wp-image-13279" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Agatha_Christie_in_1925.jpg" alt="" width="252" height="318" /> Agatha Christie, 1925[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Although murder mystery is still a well-explored genre today, it did reach its zenith in the 1920s and 1930s. The Golden Age of the murder mystery genre gave rise to the fame of such authors like <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/agatha-christie/">Agatha Christie</a>, G.K. Chesterton, and Mary Roberts Rinehart. The “whodunit” narrative thrived as audiences rushed to consume these scintillating stories, which always kept the identity of the criminal a secret until the end. In Christie’s </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mousetrap</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, some productions even include a message at the end of the play to request that the audience does not divulge the truth to anyone else who has not read or seen the play in order to further uphold the essence of the whodunit so it can continue to fulfill its original purpose of surprising viewers. Nowadays, from children’s cartoons to theatrical productions, the hallmarks of the whodunit genre continue to engross audiences.</span>

Can't get enough of the mystery genre? Save your seats to Agatha Christie's <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><em>The Mousetrap</em></a>! Previews begin January 16, 2020. <strong><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">Learn more →</a> </strong>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Note: Although the categorization of the mentioned genres is up for some debate, they are all discussed here as having a related history and prominence in the public sphere</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span>

<em>Photo of David Cerda, Alex Goodrich, Allen Gilmore, Kate Fry, Lyonel Reneau, and Erik Hellman by Joe Mazza.</em>"
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      string(4619) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13275" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Mousetrap_800x308.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="308" />

<em>Are you curious about how the murder mystery genre developed over the years? Check out this brief primer to learn more about the evolution of this popular literary genre, and add some authors to your reading list, too!</em>

[caption id="attachment_13277" align="alignleft" width="213"]<img class="wp-image-13277 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/426px-Edgar_Allan_Poe_circa_1849_restored_squared_off-213x300.jpg" alt="" width="213" height="300" /> Edgar Allan Poe, circa 1849[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The origin of modern detective fiction is often attributed to Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” written in 1844 and Wilkie Collins’ 1868 novel </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moonstone</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The texts are also considered to be pinnacle references for all detective fiction that has followed. The tradition of basing mysteries off of real-life situations continued in the United States with Allan Pinkerton’s detective series, which took inspiration from the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. The organization, founded in Chicago, was once the largest private law enforcement entity and influenced countless other literary works, such as those of Arthur Conan Doyle, but is now more infamous for its role in the Homestead Strike of 1892. Pinkerton’s tales of intrigue and crime captured the public’s imagination and contributed to the rise to the audience desire for sensationalist mystery fiction.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Murder mysteries continue to capture the public’s attention in various forms. In the nineteenth century, the dime novel dominated as an inexpensive and entertaining read. The city of Chicago began appearing with regularity in dime novels in the 1870s, serving as the backdrop for detective stories. In England, penny dreadfuls also featured sensational accounts focusing on the fictitious adventures of detectives and criminals alike. The cheap price of the stories, combined with steadily rising literacy rates and easy purchasing access to the publications, meant that they were the perfect vehicles to popularize the already soaring genres of murder mystery and detective fiction. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13279" align="alignright" width="252"]<img class="size-full wp-image-13279" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Agatha_Christie_in_1925.jpg" alt="" width="252" height="318" /> Agatha Christie, 1925[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Although murder mystery is still a well-explored genre today, it did reach its zenith in the 1920s and 1930s. The Golden Age of the murder mystery genre gave rise to the fame of such authors like <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/agatha-christie/">Agatha Christie</a>, G.K. Chesterton, and Mary Roberts Rinehart. The “whodunit” narrative thrived as audiences rushed to consume these scintillating stories, which always kept the identity of the criminal a secret until the end. In Christie’s </span><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mousetrap</span></i></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, some productions even include a message at the end of the play to request that the audience does not divulge the truth to anyone else who has not read or seen the play in order to further uphold the essence of the whodunit so it can continue to fulfill its original purpose of surprising viewers. Nowadays, from children’s cartoons to theatrical productions, the hallmarks of the whodunit genre continue to engross audiences.</span>

Can't get enough of the mystery genre? Save your seats to Agatha Christie's <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><em>The Mousetrap</em></a>! Previews begin January 16, 2020. <strong><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">Learn more →</a> </strong>

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Note: Although the categorization of the mentioned genres is up for some debate, they are all discussed here as having a related history and prominence in the public sphere</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span>

<em>Photo of David Cerda, Alex Goodrich, Allen Gilmore, Kate Fry, Lyonel Reneau, and Erik Hellman by Joe Mazza.</em>"
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This winter, you can <b>spread holiday cheer and the arts</b> with our 2019 Court Theatre gift guide. From gift certificates to tickets to upcoming plays like <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">Agatha Christie's <em>The Mousetrap</em></a>, there are plenty of ways to give the gift of Court Theatre this season. Check out the full list below!

<hr />

<h3>Gift Certificates</h3>
<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/groups-discounts-gifts/gifts/"><img class="alignleft wp-image-13264 size-thumbnail" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gift-cert-2-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>

<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/groups-discounts-gifts/gifts/">Gift certificates</a> are available in any denomination and never expire! Perfect for any budget, you can print them out at home or email them as an attachment. Plus, <strong>subscribers save 10% on gift certificates</strong>. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/groups-discounts-gifts/gifts/">Purchase gift certificates →</a>

<hr />

<h3></h3>
<h3></h3>
<h3>Subscriptions</h3>
<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/subscriptions/"><img class="alignleft wp-image-13260 size-thumbnail" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/subs-1-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>

Spread holiday cheer with a <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/subscriptions/">3-Play Subscription</a>! Subscribers get a variety of perks and tickets to <em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">The Mousetrap</a></em>, <em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-lady-from-the-sea/">The Lady from the Sea</a></em>, or <em><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-gospel-at-colonus/">The Gospel at Colonus</a></em>. 3-Play Subscriptions begin at just $96, while Value Flex Tickets are only $35 each, making this the best way to save on tickets to Court for the holidays. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/subscriptions/">Give a subscription →</a>

<hr />

<h3></h3>
<h3></h3>
<h3><em>Mousetrap</em> Tickets</h3>
<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><img class="alignleft wp-image-13262 size-thumbnail" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/mousetrap-1-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>

<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">Tickets to <em>The Mousetrap</em></a> are a great gift for theatre lovers and mystery fans, too! Agatha Christie's famous murder mystery is full of skillful twists and shocking turns. Under the direction of Sean Graney, this production is sure to be a fun one and makes a great holiday gift. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/">See if your friends can solve the case →</a>

<hr />

&nbsp;
<h3></h3>
<h3>Spotlight Readings</h3>
<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/community-engagement/spotlight-reading-series/"><img class="alignleft wp-image-13261 size-thumbnail" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/spotlight-1-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>

Who says great gifts have to cost an arm and a leg? Tickets to one of Court's <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/community-engagement/spotlight-reading-series/">Spotlight Readings</a> are a great gift that doesn't cost you a dime! Reserve a seat for free and share the arts with a friend or loved one! <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/spotlight-reading-series/spotlight-reading-the-sty-of-the-blind-pig/"><em>The Sty of the Blind Pig</em></a>, our next Spotlight Reading, is February 24, 2020. <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/spotlight-reading-series/spotlight-reading-the-sty-of-the-blind-pig/">Reserve tickets →</a>

<hr />

&nbsp;"
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      string(2650) "<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13174" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/mt-blog-cast-header.jpg" alt="The Mousetrap" width="800" height="300" />This January, Court Theatre stages our first Agatha Christie play in the theatre’s 65 year history. Famed for the way she masterfully adapted the tropes of radio drama to the stage in engaging and entertaining murder mysteries, Christie is perhaps one of England’s most prolific authors.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>

<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><i>The Mousetrap </i></a>features one of Christie’s most shocking twists, and holds the record as the longest-running production on the West End, clocking in at over 25,000 total performances. Bringing this famed whodunnit to life is director Sean Graney (<a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2017-2018-season/the-belle-of-amherst/"><i>The Belle of Amherst</i></a> and <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2009-2010-season/mystery-irma-vep/"><i>The Mystery of Irma Vep</i></a>, among others at Court), whose production will eschew cliché and beg for a repeat viewing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>

Discussing what initially drew him to this classic work by Agatha Christie, Graney shared that he hopes to explore how everyone is hiding something. He explains:
<blockquote>"The play to me is about how the lies we tell each other become our traps. We can’t honestly connect to each other, because we’re so worried about our lies coming to light."</blockquote>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-13173" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cast-blog.jpg" alt="The cast of The Mousetrap" width="800" height="126" />The cast features Court favorites and new faces: <strong>David Cerda, Kate Fry, Allen Gilmore, Alex Goodrich, Erik Hellman, Tina Muñoz Pandya, Lyonel Reneau, </strong>and<strong> Hollis Resnik</strong>.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see this exciting mystery and try to solve the murder yourself!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>

<hr />

Performances of <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/"><i>The Mousetrap </i></a>begin January 16, 2020. Tickets are available <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/the-mousetrap/#calendar"><strong>online</strong></a> or by calling the Box Office at <b>(773) 753-4472</b>.
<p class="caption">Photo of Photo of David Cerda, Alex Goodrich, Allen Gilmore, Kate Fry, Erik Hellman, and Lyonel Reneau.</p>"
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      string(4971) "[caption id="attachment_13113" align="alignnone" width="800"]<img class="wp-image-13113 size-full" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/LightingOedipus_800x300.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="300" /> Photo of Kelvin Roston, Jr., Christopher Donahue, and the chorus of OEDIPUS REX (Brosilow).[/caption]

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">We talked with lighting designer <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/people/keith-parham/">Keith Parham</a> to learn more about his approach to lighting the set for </span></i><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">OEDIPUS REX</span></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The following interview is edited from his responses.</span></i>

<b>How do you typically approach designing lights for theatre?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I first approach lighting from a standpoint of the text. I read a script multiple times before entering a conversation with a director and/or the rest of the design team. The first time I read the script, I read it straight through without placing any thoughts on it. I then read it again and start questioning what the theatricality of the piece is. This leads me to thoughts about what form the lighting and design as a whole might take. After I’ve done this, I’m ready to converse with the director and design team. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">During the first few meetings, I’m rarely specifically thinking about the lighting. At this point, I tend to be thinking and talking about the entire design, <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/creating-the-world-of-oedipus-rex/">specifically the scenery</a>. You have to think about the scenery because whatever the scenery ends up being always dictates what the lighting is going to do. This encompasses every choice you can make with the lighting, from types of gear to how the show will look and feel. Only once we have a scenic design do I start digging into what the lighting will actually be. I draw and submit a light plot, I focus on the show, and we start tech. The lighting is actually created only once we are in tech. During tech, I’m creating the cues for the show and keeping my eye on how the cues work with what we know about the show. This is a constant process of ensuring the lighting works in coordination with the actors, scenic, costume, and sound design. Hopefully, by the end of the process, we have created a piece of art in which I’ve played a large role, yet the lighting is only a small part of that. </span>

<b>How did your approach change for </b><b><i>Oedipus Rex</i></b><b>?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It didn’t change that much. The process worked the way I explained earlier. It helps that I’ve done a lot of productions with Charlie and this design team.   </span>

<b>What challenges did lighting an all-white set pose to you? How did you solve them?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">An all-white set presents certain challenges that are true whenever you are dealing with a white set. The largest challenge is the limitation placed upon the contrast of light in the space. When the set is darker, it is much easier to create contrast that allows the set and the actors to be highlighted in sculptural and theatrical ways. When you are dealing with a white set, the whole room lights up the moment you turn on a light, obliterating almost all contrast. You have to be really creative in the placement of your gear in order to create highlights and lowlights.</span>

<b>What (if anything) does an all white set afford you as a lighting designer?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A white set is a very specific choice you make as a design team, and only if it really fits the play you’re creating. Across the board, all white sets create an environment that visually expresses itself in the most in-your-face way possible. The strength of its visual presence is something that can really bring a lot to a production, if you’re using it in a strong and meaningful way. All the lighting can do with a white set is to follow suit and play to that same visual strength.</span>

<b>What are some of your overarching goals for </b><b><i>Oedipus</i></b><b>’ lighting design?</b>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">They are the same goals that I have working on any production. I’m hoping to enter into a process with a team of people to create an experience that is bigger than any single one of us. I’m always hoping we reach the point where we stop thinking about the craft and start experiencing the production with the audience.</span>

<strong><em> <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/">OEDIPUS REX</a> runs through December 8. <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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Although <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2019-2020-season/oedipus-rex/"><em>Oedipus Rex</em></a> may not be directly alluded to in all of these songs, his presence is still prominent as his struggles with destiny and tragedy remain universally identifiable, even within different contexts. We composed a playlist of various songs that directly and indirectly mention characters’ struggles and the play’s motifs. The playlist is presented as one unit but each song was chosen with respect to a different character or theme. A variety of genres are explored. Below, each song is listed in relation to what character/theme it parallels, along with a brief discussion framing some of these similarities.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ow4dcCau71GoFCs02Cah0

<strong>THE PLAY (2 songs): </strong>

<em>“Fate” by Our Last Night</em>

This song is appropriate for the play as both discuss fate and the question of whether individuals truly have free will or are predestined from birth for doom.

<em>“Oedipus Rex” by Tom Lehrer</em>

Lehrer uses the infamy of the play and Freud’s interpretation of it in this humorous song.

<strong>OEDIPUS (4 songs):</strong>

<em>“Return (Coming Home)” by The Cruxshadows:</em>

Oedipus indeed suffers from his hubris and “taste[s] the wisdom of divinity and the horrors of its sting” upon hearing and unwittingly fulfilling the prophecies from Apollo concerning the fate of his kingdom and himself. At the end, although Oedipus is exiled and shamed, he is still “very much alive,” in the sense that he is alive to appear in the future plays and alive in the sense that his legacy lives on in culture.

<em>“Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by The Animals</em>

Oedipus originally only wanted to save his kingdom from the plague it is suffering from, yet in trying to find the murderer of the past king, ends up bringing his own torturous follies into light. His original intentions were good when he sent Creon to the Oracle to seek answers and he never intended to bed his own mother, yet viewers often hastily judge Oedipus despite his more subtle complexities.

<em>“Solar Flares” by Christopher Paul Stelling</em>

No matter that they tried to avoid the prophecies, all still fell to them. “Your own pearly knife handles still perched there in your back” refers to the inevitable nature that, despite their good intentions, the characters ended up paving their way to doom. “Always taking lefts when we know there’s only wrongs and rights” again calls back to the motif of inevitability and the frightening consideration of predetermination as the reason behind each choice. “We must at times face blindness to regain our sight” hints at how Oedipus changes between this play and the future installments.

<em>“Ue o Muite Arukou” by Kyuu Sakamoto (“Sukiyaki” Song)</em>

At the end of the play, after learning the truth and blinding himself in a fit of agony and shame, Oedipus is left to contemplate how it came to this. With this song, we can imagine the tragic character walking away to face his exile while mournfully reflecting on his rise and fall.

<strong>JOCASTA (4 songs):</strong>

<em>“Nonn’ erubescite, reges” by Igor Stravinsky</em>

Stravinsky’s famous opera-oratorio. Here, Jocasta sings after encountering Creon and Oedipus arguing while her people continue to suffer. The soaring and dramatic vocals convey the true desperation of their circumstances as rulers over people in dire need and the foolishness in turning against one another when they have more important duties to attend to.

<em>“It’s A Sin” by Pet Shop Boys:</em>

Despite the fact she and Laius tried to kill Oedipus when he was a baby to avoid their prophesied downfalls, Jocasta still ends up in the exact position she was destined to be in all along. Looking back on her life, she is ashamed of bedding her son and, perhaps, even mournful of the loss of her child immediately after they decide to send him away. Her taboo relationship with her son is viewed as an abhorrent sin and everything she has done, both to avoid it and fulfill it, ends up shaping her regrets.

<em>“Ghost of a Chance” by Rush</em>

With each choice she made, Jocasta ended up fulfilling her destiny despite trying to run away from it. Even after casting off her infant son to die, they find each other and become lovers. Jocasta initially disregards Oedipus’ concerns about the prophecy, scorning the gods and Fates themselves, only to discover their veracity. The lyrics “Each time we turn a new corner / A tiny moment of truth” tie back to their attempts to move forward from under the shadow of prophecy only to find out the horrifying truth in the end.

<em>“Jocasta” by Noah and the Whale</em>

This indie band named one of their songs after the tragic character and accurately portray her situation. Although Jocasta does scorn prophecy when trying to assuage Oedipus’ fears, she still believed them enough to cast off her son and seek the Oracle’s counsel when her kingdom is suffering. Despite trying to rewrite her destiny, “her verse still [goes] on the same.”

<strong>TEIRESIAS (5 songs, 1 shared):</strong>

<em>“There’s A Storm A Comin’” by Richard Hawley</em>

This song is appropriate because Teiresias tells Oedipus that he is the one who has brought this plight to Thebes. His revelation and the consequent truths that come to light are “the storm” that will force Oedipus into exile.

<em>“Unconscious Power” by Iron Butterfly:</em>

Teiresias knows the truth about Oedipus and exposes it so that Oedipus goes on to fear the fulfillment of prophecy and discover his worst fears have already come true. However, at first, Teiresias refuses to tell him, which is reflected in the lyric “I say to you nothin’ for now”, yet he does in fact “know it all.” When Oedipus is trying to coerce the truth out of him, Teiresias proclaims that he has “the right to speak [his] mind freely”, which again ties back to the concept of freedom briefly mentioned in the song.

<em>“Head Like A Hole” by Nine Inch Nails</em>

This song, despite not seeming to at first, does inadvertently channel the spirited exchange between Teiresias and Oedipus when Oedipus demands to know the truth. The lyrics “no, you can’t take it” not only embody Teiresias’ initial insistence that he will not divulge the truth to Oedipus, but also represent his resistance to being coerced into speaking what he does not want to discuss. “I’d rather die than give you control” is an extreme manifestation of Teiresias’ defiance and fervent belief that he has the freedom to speak his mind, something that no king can take away from him. “Bow down before the one you serve” parallels Oedipus’ demands for him to speak and his invocation of his kingly status to try and make Teiresias reveal his secret. “You’re going to get what you deserve” is, again, an extreme representation of Teiresias’ replies when he does tell Oedipus the truth, as he tells him he will bring “destruction upon [him]self” and that, for “mocking [Teiresias] for [his] blindness” and for refusing to see the truth, Oedipus will fall and his eyes will be “covered with dark night”.

<em>“The Prophecy” by Iron Maiden</em>

As with any prophet, Teiresias gets some skeptics and must suffer the burden of wisdom. Oedipus refuses to believe him, yet Teiresias tells only the truth. “The whole village is doomed” refers to the plague that Thebes is suffering from while the lyrics “why won’t you listen to me?” and “heed what I say and you’ll see” refer to Teiresias' insistence that Oedipus will not want to hear the truth and, upon discovering it, he will foolishly disregard his counsel and needlessly prolong the suffering of the kingdom.

<em>“Freedom” by Fleetwood Mac</em>

Different parts of this song apply to different characters of the play. Here, the lyrics “look at me with daggers / It won’t do you any good / All the looks that you’ve used on me / Don’t work now that you’ve fallen” refer to Teiresias’ initial refusal to tell Oedipus what he knows and his knowledge of the king’s downfall.

<strong>CREON (5 songs, 1 shared):</strong>

<em>“Freedom” by Fleetwood Mac:</em>

The lyrics “my intentions were clear / I was with him / Everyone knew / Poor little fool” refer to Creon’s reaction when Oedipus accuses him of trying to steal the throne. Creon argues that he stands with Oedipus and has no treacherous plans to usurp him, something that Jocasta and the Chorus know to be true.

<em>“Give Me the Simple Life” by Tony Bennett</em>

Upon hearing Oedipus’ accusations of treason, Creon replies that he has no desire to have the responsibilities of king and is quite content with his position as it is. The lyric “sounds corny and seedy” refers to the fact that his argument does not convince Oedipus and Creon eventually does take advantage of gained power within future plays.

<em>“Simple Life” by Lukas Nelson </em>

Again, the simple life. Creon does not want to the complex life of a king, though he certainly wouldn’t mind taking its privileges, like secured housing, food, and respect as a royal relation. The line “ain’t nobody knows why” calls back to the horrified reactions of everyone upon hearing of Oedipus’ downfall and the play’s central contemplation on the nature of free will and destiny. The lyric “I’ve got something up my sleeve” refers to Oedipus’ suspicions of him and the interpretation that Creon is not as guileless and innocent as he appears in light of his actions in future plays.

<em>“Royals” by Lorde</em>

Creon wants to live like a king, but without all the cares, yet he will rule when Oedipus is exiled.

<em>“Hail To The King” by Avenged Sevenfold</em>

This song is a sneak peek into Creon’s tyrannical behavior in <em>Antigone</em>.

<strong>CHORUS (3 songs):</strong>

<em>“What’s Happening?!?!” by The Byrds</em>

The Chorus may know more than the vocalist, but they are just as afloat as he, something that is displayed by the Chorus’ role as narrator/relayer of information for the audience.

<em>“Stayin’ Alive” by the BeeGees</em>

All of Thebes is dying yet the Chorus remains untouched by illness. Even when faced with the madness and complex tragedies of royalty, the Chorus is still there, alive and observant.

<em>“Forgiveness” by TobyMac, ft. Lecrae</em>

Even after discovering Oedipus’ mistakes, the Chorus finally intervenes successfully on someone’s behalf. Despite the disdain and scorn everyone throws at Oedipus when the truth is revealed, the Chorus steps in to convince Creon to spare Oedipus’ life and instead send him into exile.

<strong>ANTIGONE (BONUS TRACK):</strong>

<em>“The Girl From Tel-Aviv Who Wouldn’t Kneel” by Morrissey</em>

Sneak peek at future productions. Despite her uncle’s orders, Antigone defies King Creon’s will, refusing to kneel or acquiesce to his demands.

<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 Oedipus Trilogy, 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(6987) "<i><img class="wp-image-13046 size-full alignleft" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/film-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 third in a series of four posts, learn more about adaptations of Sophocles' play for the screen, as well as how these reimagined approaches address the enduring themes in this famous Greek tragedy.</i>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">From stage to album, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reigns supreme as a frequently adapted source of creative work. However, Oedipus’ domain does not end there, as his story has been adapted for the silver screen as well. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13094" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-13094 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Oidipusz5-300x163.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="163" /> A scene from Pasolini's EDIPO RE.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In Italy in 1967, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s dramatic and renowned version of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, entitled </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Edipo Re</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, was released, quickly gaining worldwide recognition. Pasolini narrows in on the plot with Freudian intensity as he explores the relationship between Jocasta and Oedipus.  With an anachronistic prologue in 20th century Italy, it is implied that Laius abuses Oedipus because he is overcome with maddening jealousy toward his son for “stealing [his] wife’s love.” The film then cuts to an entirely different setting and time frame, jumping right into the play by showing an infant Oedipus being abandoned in the desert. The plot then closely follows Sophocles’ text, but does include some autobiographical bias on Pasolini’s part. In an interview with Oswald Sack, Pasolini said the aforementioned prologue was “a fairly particular evocation of [his] early childhood.” Why did Pasolini address elements of his private familial relationships within his presentation of this Greek tragedy? Was it simply the human desire to find oneself in a creative outlet? After all, audiences often identify with fictional characters and superimpose their own bias from experiences on their interpretation of a work. Possible answers point again to the reason the play endures. As <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcSwIU_pCYE">the film trailer</a>’s narrator says, this play is a “tragedy of today, yesterday, and tomorrow” as Oedipus is “a man both ancient and modern” in his struggles. Viewers can identify with the idea of folly as they commiserate over the shared agony of retrospection and feelings of helplessness when fighting against powerful, ineffable forces. </span>

[caption id="attachment_13095" align="alignleft" width="200"]<img class="wp-image-13095 size-medium" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/400px-Gabriel_Garcia_Marquez-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" /> Photo of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.[/caption]

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipo Alcalde </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">(also known as </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Mayor</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">), the screenplay which was first written by Gabriel García Marquez, is another noteworthy adaptation of the play. It completely recontextualizes the work, transposing it into war-torn Colombia of the late 20th century. Oedipus is cast into the role of an embattled and weary mayor who is desperate to mediate peace between the fighting guerilla groups and Colombian army. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">can be adapted to fit any time period so the themes are pertinent to a specific audience while still maintaining its age-old appeal. This property, as well as its continued power to enthrall audiences and tantalize the creative mind, serves as a testament to the true versatility and relevance of Sophocles’ play. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Beyond its literary and historical value as one of Sophocles’ few surviving plays, the question remains: why continue to perform and adapt the original play within any capacity? </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oedipus Rex </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">presents audiences with the lingering and insistent doubts that hover in the margins of daily life. In the wake of each choice lies the burning question of whether it was an act of free will or preordained folly. An intriguing aspect of the play is that all the prophecy-fulfilling action has taken place, leaving Oedipus condemned without possibility of salvation. Oedipus must grapple with the confounding reality of predetermined fate, helpless from the offset as he is forced to look back on choices already made. The excruciating agony of retrospect is such an integral aspect of conscious and unconscious human experience that viewers cannot help but commiserate with Oedipus. The play itself becomes an inevitable force, reinforcing this motif of inescapability. Thus, audiences are inevitably drawn into this enduring exploration of fate and free will. The act of viewing Oedipus’ struggles adopts an almost voyeuristic, masochistic quality because people are enraptured by their shared folly. Audiences use the play as an outlet to contemplate the nature of their own choices. The concept of predetermination is both chilling and tantalizing as the possibility of escaping fate shrinks with the rising, and inevitably confirmed, fears of the titular character. Oedipus not only reminds the viewers of the price of folly, but also asks them to question the nature of that folly in the first place. In doing so, the tragedy and its titular character remain an enduring mark of Sophocles’ continued influence on modern culture with the undeniable humanity of his characters.</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(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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<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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  <h1>Blog</h1>
  
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/whodunnit-first-the-origins-of-the-murder-mystery/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Mousetrap_whodunnit_sq.jpg" alt="" /></a>
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        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/whodunnit-first-the-origins-of-the-murder-mystery/">Whodunnit First? The Origins of the Murder Mystery</a></h3>
        <p>Curious about how murder mysteries developed over the years? Read this piece for a brief primer on the genre.</p>
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    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/courts-2019-holiday-gift-guide/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/snowman-200.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/courts-2019-holiday-gift-guide/">Court&#8217;s 2019 Holiday Gift Guide</a></h3>
        <p>Need help shopping for the holidays? Spread holiday cheer and the arts with these gifts!</p>
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    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/sneak-peek-the-mousetrap/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/mt-200.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/sneak-peek-the-mousetrap/">Sneak Peek: The Mousetrap</a></h3>
        <p>This January, Court Theatre stages our first Agatha Christie play in the theatre’s 65 year history.</p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/lighting-an-all-white-set-an-interview-with-keith-parham/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/LightingOedipus_sq.jpg" alt="" /></a>
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        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/lighting-an-all-white-set-an-interview-with-keith-parham/">Lighting An All-White Set: An Interview with Keith Parham</a></h3>
        <p>We talked with lighting designer Keith Parham to learn more about his approach to lighting the set for OEDIPUS REX.</p>
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    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/get-ready-for-oedipus-rex-with-our-curated-playlist/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/MousetrapPlaylist_square.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/get-ready-for-oedipus-rex-with-our-curated-playlist/">Get Ready for THE MOUSETRAP with Our Curated Playlist</a></h3>
        <p>Listen to our MOUSETRAP-inspired playlist! We chose a variety of songs that directly and indirectly mention characters’ struggles and the play’s motifs. </p>
      </div>
    </article>
      <article class="blog-teaser">
      <a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/oedipus-onscreen/"><img class="blog-teaser__img" src="https://www.courttheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/film-adaptation-200.jpg" alt="" /></a>
      <div class="blog-teaser__body">
        <h3 class="title"><a href="https://www.courttheatre.org/about/blog/oedipus-onscreen/">OEDIPUS Onscreen</a></h3>
        <p>Learn more about adaptations of Sophocles' play for the screen, as well as how these reimagined approaches address the enduring themes in this famous Greek tragedy.</p>
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    </article>
      <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>
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