Medea

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides and first produced in 431 BC. The play is centered on a wife's relentless desire for revenge against her unfaithful husband, Jason. The role of Medea is so powerful that the play holds the American Tony award record for most wins for the same female lead character, with Judith Anderson winning in 1948, Zoe Caldwell in 1982, and Diana Rigg in 1994. As an undergrad at the University of Tennessee, I happened to see the 1982 adaptation starring Zoe Caldwell as Medea and Judith Anderson as the nurse. The production opened at the University’s Clarence Browne Theatre before moving to Broadway. To this day I remember the intensity of Dame Judith Anderson’s performance.

With that background established, let’s move to 2020 and this chilling update written and directed by Simon Stone and starring real-life husband and wife team Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne. Ancient Greece meets War of the Roses. We have seen Mr. Cannavale in numerous theater productions and he never fails to light the stage. I am fairly unfamiliar with Ms. Byrne’s body of work so when she took firm control of the stage and began hurdling the blood-soaked story toward its body-strewn conclusion, we sat up and took notice! The allure of mental illness can be quite compelling. Ms. Byrne’s Medea (named Anna in this production, the character Jason is now called Lucas) is in turn charming, seductive, remorseful, pleading, plotting, and ultimately fully unhinged. The visual volume is turned up with a closely shot, real-time video of the actor’s faces on a screen above the stage. Every nuance of their emotional hell is seen in high-def.

Adding to the dread are the two guileless children, played by Gabriel Amoroso and Emeka Guindo in the performance we saw, who are pawns in the disturbing disintegration of their parent’s marriage and grasp on sanity. Dylan Baker as Christopher, the boss of both Anna and Lucas as well as the father of Lucas’ new love interest Clara, holds his own most capably as the production descends into a literal pile of ashes.

Rose Byrne as Anna, Bobby Cannavale as Lucas, and Madeline Weinstein as Clara.

The starkness of this modern-day tragedy is fully bleached by set designer Bob Cousins’ blindingly white stage. This clinical view pours on the tension in this voyage to inevitability. There is nothing comfortable about infidelity and loss of love and children as victims and unrestrained madness. Yet we remain riveted. It’s a harrowing 80-minute journey. For theater lovers, it’s nothing short of a joy ride. It stays with you, haunting you with its dire warning of the consequences of adult decisions gone wrong.

Why we went: An always reliable endorsement by John and Mary Jane. Great track record at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music).

Plays and Entrees: Deniz located at 662 Fulton Street in Brooklyn is our go-to restaurant when we see BAM productions. It features Turkish Mediterranean cuisine including various kebabs, gyros, and salad offerings that are always delicious. Combine that with friendly, attentive service and a quick two-block walk to BAM and you have the perfect pre-theatre destination.