Theater for the New South will present Euripides’ Medea Aug. 24, 25, 30, 31 and Sept. 1 and 2 at Tanner Hill Art Gallery on 3069 S. Broad St. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission cost is $10.
The first show of TFNS’s second season, Medea is a classic Greek tragedy in which the title character’s plot of revenge against her adulterous husband takes a deadly turn. Conceptualizing a world that physicalizes Medea’s psychological limitations, director Blake Harris takes the play out of ancient Greece and into 1930’s Dust Bowl America, where the audience finds Medea in a make-shift military hospital during a dust storm.
"I'm not one that subscribes to the notion that a classic's validity is determined by how well it transfers into modernity,” says Mr. Harris. “I did, however, want to comment on women's expectations by creating a physical and social environment that was claustrophobic, stifling and isolating, and that is why the Dust Bowl was chosen as the setting. To delve into the twisted, and often changing, psychology of the title character, we have to establish the environment that would potentially drive someone to make these choices. It's been a fascinating process that continues to present new and welcomed challenges."
In keeping with TFNS’s commitment to utilizing found spaces in the Chattanooga area, Medea will be performed at Tanner Hill Art Gallery on South Broad Street. Used for both rehearsals and performances, the gallery’s unconventional space provides unique opportunities for cast and crew alike, says Mike Rudez, artistic director at Theater for the New South and the show’s producer.
“The wonderful thing about staging this production at Tanner Hill is that it immediately engages the audience by placing them outside their element.,” says Mr. Rudez. “It’s unexpected to see theatre in an art gallery. We’re excited to bring theatre like this to Chattanooga.”
The cast of Medea includes Lizzie Chazen, Logan Disbrow, Maia Disbrow, Steven Disbrow, Sam Fort, Doug May, Kaleb Moran, Kitty Reel and Patrick Sweetman, with designers Randy Forester, Megan Hollenbeck, Alex Miller-Long and Jessica Thomas.
For more information about Theater for the New South’s Medea and to purchase tickets, visit
Theaterforthenewsouth.com or
Facebook.com/theaterforthenewsouth.