The lights dimmed on the empty stage as the sound of drumming filled the theater. Two figures dressed in long flowing robes and swinging flickering lanterns slowly entered from opposite sides of the stage. Stoic faced, the two began to pace in complete rhythm, successfully establishing the ominous mood of the play, “Agamemnon.”

Produced by Syracuse University’s Department of Drama, “Agamemnon” opened to a full house Nov. 7 at the Arthur Storch Theater in the Syracuse Stage/SU Drama Complex, and will run until Nov. 15.

The story is based on ancient Greek myths of the Trojan War. Agamemnon is finally returning home after fighting in the war 10 years. The prophetess Cassandra is alongside him as his prisoner of war and is tortured by her visions. Upon his arrival, he finds his wife Clytemnestra waiting for him in anger, and the play takes a dramatic turn from there.

 

This classic narrative, which is part of a trilogy of Greek plays written by the tragedian Aeschylus, is one of betrayal, power and a mother’s love for her daughter.

“Agamemnon” was visually stunning. The stage itself was set up to look like the front of an ancient Greek palace, centered around two massive wooden doors. Marble walls, towering torches, elaborate paintings of the gods — every part of the set was designed to be as vivid as possible.

Part of director Rodney Hudson’s vision was to make the show seem less like a play and more like a movie, according to the program. To achieve this, dramatic music was played continuously throughout the performance, similar to how film scores play in the background during movies.

Alen Ghavami, a junior acting major who played Agamemnon, said he thinks that this unorthodox style of performance was brilliant.

“You know, it’s such a different style of theater that I think totally shocked the audience; they didn’t know what to expect, and I think they enjoyed it,” Ghavami said.

The cast of “Agamemnon” was led by Ghavami and senior acting major, O Candide-Johnson, who played Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra. Ghavami, who wore classic Greek armor, long messy hair and a thick beard, said he spent a lot of time researching Agamemnon in order to fully understand his character’s thought process.

Candide-Johnson’s portrayal of Clytemnestra was one of a noble, proud queen who, although insane, knew exactly what she was doing. The performance was powerful all around, and many of the audience members said that she was their favorite character.

Bria Patrick, a member of the audience who is considering applying to the drama department at SU, said many of the moments with the queen were gorgeous.

“She was just so stunning, and then she came out and in every moment she had amazing stage presence. It was just really great to watch,” Patrick said.

The rest of the cast was composed of the chorus and various characters. The prophetess Cassandra and the treacherous Aegisthus, who were played by junior Jerrod Everett and senior Erin Christine Walsh, respectively, were two characters that stood out because of the talented actors and lengthy monologues.

The run-time of “Agamemnon” was roughly an hour and a half, and was filled with memorable scenes and bits of dialogue.

One such moment was when Agamemnon called out to Clytemnestra, “As long as my absence was, so was your speech,” after she finished a particularly lengthy monologue. The joke was completely unexpected in the scene, and the entire audience busted out laughing.

Another notable moment was when Iphigenia, Agamemnon’s daughter, was killed in a ritual to the gods. In an attempt to escape, she climbed nearly eight feet off the ground up the wooden doors, only to fall back into the arms of the chorus. The entire scene was meticulously choreographed and impressive visually for the audience.

At the end of “Agamemnon,” the applause was loud and long.

“I thought it was amazing. It was beautiful,” Patrick said. “Everything from costumes, lighting, the performances; just absolutely gorgeous.”

Published on November 8, 2015 at 10:16 pm

Contact: emmichae@syr.edu