Phaedra Or Alcestis – Love Stories by Elena Penga (2007)
ACTORS 7: 4 FEMALE & 3 MALE
SYNOPSIS
A contemporary play inspired by Euripides’ tragedies Hippolytus and Alcestis. Why Phaedra or Alcestis? A fresh take at Phaedra’s love and Alcestis’ love. Why doesn’t Phaedra pull back from her obsession with Hippolytus? Why can’t she love him, without possessing him? And why is Alcestis’ love is so selfless? How do we fall in love? How do we love? How do we live in love? How does love kill us? Phaedra and Alcestis present two different extremes in the same old love story.
The stage is divided in two. On the right is the palace of Phaedra and on the left is that of Alcestis. The action starts on the right. We watch Phaedra’s drama in her palace. As soon as Phaedra dies, the action moves to the left, and we follow Alcestis’ drama. The connecting character is Death. Death is there to take both women with him, and he does so.
PRODUCTION HISTORY
This play has been commissioned by and presented at the European Cultural Center of Delfi in 2007.
TRANSLATIONS
Written in Greek, it has been translated in German by Torsten Israel and in English by the playwright.
The clip that follows is from the production at Delfi in 2007, directed by the playwright.
Elena Penga 