By Kate Patterson
This year’s spring mainstage play “The Oresteia” is a transfixing narrative of a family experiencing tragedy who further propagate this pain by pursuing justice through revenge.
The Oresteia was originally a trilogy of Greek tragedies written in the fifth century B.C.E. Following the tumultuous 2016 presidential election, playwright Ellen McLaughlin adapted the ancient trilogy into one cohesive story. The Oresteia deals with themes of generational trauma and the search for justice. “The story is about a cycle of vengeance and bloodshed within a family, and there is this perpetual cycle of violence that goes on in this family, like family members killing each other, until the end of the play, where there is like a resolution to that violence,” said Assistant Director Anya Cavender (‘25). Each individual is justified in their anger, yet the continued bloodshed hurts the whole community.
The play starts with king and war commander Agamemnon (Kobe Kwan ‘25), his wife Clytemnestra (Mya Woods ‘25) and their beloved daughter Iphigenia (Ashlyne Collado ‘26). Tragedy strikes and the innocent daughter Iphigenia is killed to appease the gods in hopes that wind will return to the land. As the play continues, we follow Clytemnestra and her other children as they grapple with the pain of betrayal and the loss of a family member.
The blood repeatedly shed throughout the play is depicted in several forms: red sand, cloth, paint and a beaded blood cape. Costume Designer Mishka Navarre had the inspiration for the beaded blood cape, which she and her team made using the tambour beading technique. Clytemnestra wears the blood cape around her neck and the strands run through her fingers to the ground, making it look liquid. Cavender notes the treatment of blood as one of the unique aspects of Puget Sound’s rendition. “Our design team has worked really hard to meet the needs of this play, but also to use abstraction in ways that are really beautiful,” she said.
Some of the most engaging costuming is worn by Clytemnestra. Clytemnestra is a visual focal point of the show; her classical, elegant clothes convey her high status. Navarre described her approach to costuming her, emphasizing what she calls “power colors.” “Purple is a power color, pulling focus. That white cape is all about pulling focus. Look at me, look at me. Same with the gold stuff. The gold is about conspicuous consumption,” Navarre said.
Cassandra, played by Emma Smith (‘25), is introduced when Agamemnon returns from war with her in tow. Cassandra, who Agamemnon describes as his slave, is a prophet burdened with being possessed by Apollo. She is continuously exploited by both Apollo and Agamemnon. Smith describes the non consensual relationship between Cassandra and Apollo. “I say the line, ‘I heaved him off, so he cursed me.’ The idea is, Apollo once gave her this gift of prophecy, and then she heaves him off — whatever you make of that — and then he curses her, and the curse is that she is never believed,” Smith said. She says the pain and exploitation Cassandra experiences “hits very close to home for a lot of people.” McLaughlin’s adaptation treats Cassandra’s story with care and shows how not being believed is a big burden to carry.
Though The Oresteia is set in ancient times, it offers lessons relevant to our present moment. Director Jess Smith writes in the director’s note, “The question of what we do as a community when someone has caused harm is a question well worth our time. It’s one that requires imagination and care and mercy.” When people live in community with one another, they will make mistakes and cause harm. The Oresteia models how to deal with harm by taking accountability and looking beyond punitive solutions.
The end of the play leaves Iphigenia’s siblings, Electra (Julia Pearl-Styles ‘25) and Orestes (Jacob Zwiernikowski ‘28), as each other’s only living family. Here, the chorus, made up of household staff and nurses, grapples with how to move forward. One member asks, “Isn’t justice also for the guilty?” This movement towards reconciliation and care takes the form of an argument, with lots of messy disagreement among the chorus. They finally have the agency to determine what will happen to their house. They choose, simply, to listen.
Puget Sound’s rendition of “The Oresteia” is a captivating take on Aeschylus’s ancient plays. The commitment and authenticity of the acting set it apart. Cavender shared, “there’s a moment where the chorus is praying, and they whisper their prayers in Greek.” Even though the audience is unable to make out the Greek words, the details and commitment translate to an immersive experience. The final three performances will take place March 7 at 7:30 p.m. and March 8 at both 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Norton Clapp Theatre, located in Jones Hall.