Oresteia

 Oresteia
Park Avenue Armory
Almeida Theatre Production
July 16, 2022 

Photo courtesy of Park Avenue Armory

Robert Icke’s adaptation of  Oresteia is a brilliant retelling of the Aeschylus trilogy.  The production is four hours of riveting action.  The audience is part of the story.  We are drawn into the human emotions of this family, who sacrifices for the greater good, then gets trapped in a vicious cycle of murder.  Once this brilliant cast presents the full story, Mr. Icke includes the audience in the final conclusion.  How can this family break free from the endless cycle of bloody retribution?  How does our final thought reflect on our own sense of justice?

Mr. Icke brings the action into present day, and tells the tale in four Acts.

·       Act I:  The sacrifice of Iphigenia (played by Elyana Faith Randolph & Alexis Rae Forlenza) by Agamemnon (played by Angus Wright) to save his country from the destruction of war.

·       Act II:  The murder of Agamemnon by Klytemnestra (played by Anastasia Hille) for taking the life of their daughter.

·       Act II:  The murder of Klytemnestra by Orestes (played by Luke Treadaway) in retribution for the murder of his father.

·       Act IV:  The final judgment of Orestes.

Angus Wright as Agamemnon
Photo courtesy of Park Avenue Armory

 Act IV is a unique ending to this classic tale.  After three gripping acts of suspenseful and emotional
immersion, the final moments of the play engage you intellectually. The audience is asked to judge Orestes in the act of killing his mother for the murder of his father.  The cycle of vengeful murder needs to end with Orestes.  We witnessed the story and have the power to release him of the consequences of his fate, the expectation of his heritage, the burden of his lineage.  Mr. Icke takes us to a stunning conclusion as we face the truth of our own conviction.  How is justice served?  Is it through Oreste’s murder for his crime or through his absolution, which will overwhelm him with the guilt of his actions for the rest of his life.  A life that looks nothing like the privilege he was born into.  This is the question asked of Agamemnon in Act I when he is faced with the need to sacrifice Iphigenia.  What will her life be like if she is saved and they lose the war?  Their present life will no longer exist.  The tale goes full circle.  Justice is served.  The cycle might be ended, but what kind of life is ahead? 

The original cast of Oresteia
Photo courtesy of Park Avenue Armory

Aeschylus wrote Oresteia centuries before the practice of psychology was developed.  As in his production of Hamlet (running in rep with this production – see the post on this blog dated July 3), Mr. Icke analyzes these classic characters so we see our behavior in them.  As we face present day crises, both personal and on a world wide level, we need to see that our actions reflect who we are.  They have repercussions on our immediate circles.  As the crises of the world invade our homes, we have choice.  Our choices create a cycle in our behavior that can become inescapable.  Mr. Icke’s adaptation and direction of this centuries old story give us pause to realize that history never stops repeating.  We are not alone in the consequences of our decisions, but we do have the power to prevent the start of a cycle in our behavior, or break it before it is too late.

Oresteia is playing at the Park Avenue Armory in rep with Hamlet through August 13.  Both productions are in association with the Almeida Theatre in London.  They are both brilliantly conceived and masterfully directed by Robert Icke, with an exceptionally skilled cast and ensemble.  Don’t miss them! 

Domenick Danza