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Long live the king
Oedipus Rex is so well known that, as I sat watching the DCTC performance, I found myself wishing that I had brought someone who had never read or seen the play so that they might provide me with a truly fresh perspective on it. Having read the play many times and seen it performed on numerous occasions, I am no longer capable of shock or surprise at the revelations that unfold. With that in mind, I will now synopsize the play. I encourage anyone who has not seen or read Oedipus Rex to skip the synopsis and go see the show tabula rasa, so to speak. Oedipus Rex tells the tale of Oedipus, cursed king of Thebes. When Oedipus was a young child, his father, then king of Thebes, learned of a prophecy that his son would kill him. In an attempt to outwit fate, Oedipus' father abandoned him in the wilderness to die. In light of what later transpired, this should be a lesson to everyone that when trying to dispose of a potentially patricidal—not to mention regicidal—offspring, one should do the little guy in while one has the chance, rather than leaving his fate to the Fates (because as we know the Fates are fickle mistresses). Oedipus survives and is raised by foster parents in Corinth. Years later, another prophecy changes the course of Oedipus' life. He is told that he will sleep with his mother and murder his father. Thinking that the prophecy refers to his foster parents, the only parents he knows, Oedipus leaves Corinth and travels to Thebes in order to avoid doing the dastardly deeds. During a random encounter by the side of the road, Oedipus kills his real father, albeit unaware that the man is his father. Later, after saving the people of Thebes by solving the riddle of the Sphinx, Oedipus assumes the throne and—again unknowingly—takes his mother as his bride. Years pass, and Thebes is visited by plagues and other disasters attributed to the former king's killer never having been brought to justice. Oedipus Rex concerns itself with the one day when all of these hidden truths become known. When they do, Oedipus realizes what he has done (killed his father, had children with his own mother, brought ruin to Thebes). The revelations cause his mother/wife, Jocasta, to kill herself out of grief. Rather than join her in suicide, Oedipus blinds himself and banishes himself from Thebes in order to lift the curse. The DCTC's Oedipus Rex takes place against a beautifully rendered background evocative of stone. From the audience's perspective, the stonework appears very solid on the left and becomes increasingly scattered as it moves across the stage to the right. This dispersion not only gives the background a sense of movement, but it also echoes the unraveling of Oedipus' life during the course of the play. Set Designer Michael Brown should be proud. Another bold choice was to outfit every actor with a mask covering all of their face and head save for their mouths. The masks, skillfully created by Kevin Copenhaver, give the actors the otherworldly appearance of marble statues come to life and bestow upon the production an air of classicism. In addition to superb costume and set design, Director Anthony Powell goes a bit avant garde by having the chorus actually sing some of their dialogue. A very nontraditional choice, Powell's gamble pays off as the chorus' various harmonies lend greater weight to their words. Take your mother... or your father... or maybe just a date, but definitely experience the wonderfully presented tragedy of Oedipus Rex. Oedipus Rex plays at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1245 Champa St., Denver, through Feb. 26. For tickets or information, call 303-893-4100, or visit www.denvercenter.org. Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com Centerstage events for the week of 2/17/05
Boulder County Cats. Boulder's Dinner Theatre, 5501 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-449-6000, through May 1. Orpheus Descending — With Upstart Crow Theatre. Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-442-1415, through March 5. Denver metro A Midsummer Night's Dream. Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Ave., Golden, 303-935-3044, through March 13. A Selfish Sacrifice. Space Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1245 Champa St., Denver, 303-893-4100, through Feb. 26. Always... Patsy Cline. Garner Galleria Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1245 Champa St., Denver, 303-893-4100. Annie. Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Pkwy., Lakewood, 303-987-7845, through Feb. 20. Doņa Rosita's Jalapeņo Kitchen. El Centro Su Teatro, 4725 High St., Denver, 303-296-0219, through Feb. 26. Fool for Love. Germinal Stage, 2450 W. 44th Ave., Denver, 303-455-7108, through March 6. The Goat. Curious Theatre, 1080 Acoma St., Denver, 303-623-0524, through Feb. 26. Lips Together, Teeth Apart. Theatre on Broadway, 13 S. Broadway, Denver, 303-777-3292, through March 12. Magnets on the Fridge — A live sit-com. Buntport Theater, 717 Lipan St., Denver, 720-946-1388, every other Tuesday and Wednesday through May 4. Menopause: The Musical. Denver Civic Theatre, 721 Sante Fe Dr., Denver, 303-309-3773. Murder Most Fowl. Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave., Denver, 303-321-5925, through March 26. Oedipus Rex. Stage Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1245 Champa St., Denver, 303-893-4100, through Feb. 26. On the Spot—Primetime — Improv comedy. Bovine Metropolis Theater, 1527 Champa St., Denver, 303-758-4722, through Feb. 26. Testosterone Monologues. PS Grille, 1515 Madison St., Denver, 303-322-9324, through Feb. 26. 3 Guys in Drag Selling Their Stuff. Theatre du Quirque, 2119 E. 17th Ave., Denver, 303-499-0383, through March. To have an event considered for the theater calendar, send information including address, dates, times, price and phone number to: Theater Calendar, 690 S. Lashley Lane, Boulder, 80305; fax to 303-494-2585; e-mail to editorial@boulderweekly.com.
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The story of Oedipus Rex may be one of the most well known
in all of theatre. High school students the world over read it in literature
class. A well-known Freudian complex is named after it. The play itself has
been produced in every way imaginable—from actors in jeans and leather
jackets to productions involving intricate pyrotechnics. It is therefore a
minor miracle that the Denver Center Theatre Company has managed to create a
new iteration that tells the story clearly and concisely while innovating
remarkably with respect to costume, set design and the use of the chorus.
