Oedipus Rex

“If you’ve seen Court Theatre Artistic Director Charles Newell helm a Rudall translation before … you know to expect an emotionally pulverizing tale of gods, mortals and deadly hubris.” —Crain’s Chicago

★★★★ “Court Theatre serves up A MASTERPIECE” —Chicago Sun-Times

“A STARK MARVEL … Court’s production renders the ancient tragedy with stunning visual impact.” —Newcity Stage

“Newell’s show is, as is typical at this venerable Hyde Park theater, RICH, STYLISH, complicated and restlessly wrought, constantly in dialogue with the issues on our minds …” —Chicago Tribune

Oedipus seeks to cure his city of a mysterious plague by discovering the murderer of the former king. Captivating and cathartic, Sophocles’ seminal Greek tragedy brings to light enduring questions of identity, fate, and free will that reverberate in startling ways in the 21st century. Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell helms this production which begins Court’s Oedipus Trilogy, honoring the foundations of drama and Founding Artistic Director Nicholas Rudall’s vision for the way Court Theatre would invigorate the classical canon.

The second powerful installment in the Oedipus Trilogy begins in May 2020 with The Gospel at Colonus; the journey concludes with Antigone in the 2020/21 season. The trilogy will lay bare the themes of fate, redemption, and justice in Sophocles’ works, dynamically engaging participants with how these themes bridge cultures, cities, and communities.

Approximate Running Time: 80 minutes, no intermission.

Court Theatre is a participant in the Audience (R)Evolution: Cohort Grants program, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the professional not-for-profit American theatre.

Photo by Michael Brosilow.