Parthenon Events Schedule
Sophocles’ Oedipus at the Parthenon
In collaboration with John Holleman & Company, the Parthenon will present Sophocles’ Oedipus the King at the feet of Athena in the Parthenon on November 13 -15 and 19 - 21 at 7:30 p.m. each night.
In an effort to save his city from the plague that is causing death to its inhabitants, Oedipus, King of Thebes, vows to find and punish the murderer of his predecessor. Teiresias, the blind prophet, warns Oedipus not to pursue this quest, that it will be his undoing, but Oedipus insists on digging out the truth. What he uncovers destroys his household and sends his children into exile. This best known of the ancient Greek tragedies deals with themes of sight and blindness, both literal and metaphorical; knowledge and ignorance, including willful ignorance; and fate versus free will.
John Holleman & Company specializes in masked theatre and has previously produced Medea (2005), Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses (2006), and Antigone (2007) for the Parthenon. Holleman’s three-actor adaptation of Oedipus uses two people to play all the non-title roles. The actors take off their masks periodically throughout the play to talk to the audience about the nature of the art they’re performing, the history of Greek theatre, mask work, and the mythology surrounding the Oedipus story, thus creating an unusual and involving evening of theatre.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, and $10 for groups of 10 or more. For reservations call the Parthenon at 862-8431 or purchase online.
2009 – 2010 Symposia
November 17 – Jim Womack – James Cowan, Gentleman Collector
December 8 – Richard Vine – John Kingerlee: By Art Alone
January 26 – Susann Lusnia – The Amazing, Colossal Temple
February 11 – Barbara Tsakirgis – Opening the Door to the Ancient Greek House
March 23 – Betsey Robinson – A Corinthian Hydra: The Fountain of Peirene Lost and Found
April 13 – John Oakley – Children in Wartime
All lectures are sponsored by The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park and the Archaeological Institute of America. Unless otherwise noted, lectures begin at 7:00 p.m. Call 862-8431 for reservations.