Bryn Mawr’s Shakespeare Performance Troupe (SPT) has just finished a very busy two weeks; “Iphigenia in Aulis,” performed March 23 through 25, was followed by “Edward II” the following weekend from March 30th to April 1.
Iphigenia in Aulis
“Iphigenia in Aulis,” written by Euripides between 408 and 406 BC, details the struggle of Greek leader Agamemnon on whether to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to appease the goddess Artemis and allow his troops to set sail under favorable winds. The play was directed by junior L. Smelser; the titular character was played by first-year student Grace Sawyer, with Agamemnon played by junior Margaret Feng and Iphigenia’s mother Clytemnestra played by senior Devasha Solomon. Clytemnestra plays an active role in defending her daughter and trying to save her life.
Edward II
“Edward II,” having a considerably different flavor due to it being written about two thousand years later, in 1593, deals with the titular King Edward II and his struggles as the new ruler of England. As one of Edward (senior Alana Hoskins)’s first acts as king, he recalls his favorite, Gaveston (senior Maxwell Brenton), from exile. However, Edward’s advisors are concerned about his relationship with Gaveston and his actions as a ruler. His wife Isabella (senior Elle Mouzon Thompson) bemoans his abandonment of her.
Director Arlowe Willingham, a junior, explained that in SPT’s performance of the play, some lines formerly assigned to Mortimer (junior AJ Rose Wallihan) – Isabella’s lover and a conspirator against the king – are given to Isabella, to represent her as an active collaborator and protector of her son, Edward III (sophomore Aster Pasternak).
SPT this Spring
Both plays involved a large group of individuals collaborating to produce the show, from the pro-team to cast members to crew, and both plays are tales of bloody massacres, depicting families and lovers torn apart by political machinations and ambition. Fake blood was certainly put to use in the dramatic renderings of abundant violence.
