From the 9-foot-tall Oedipus, to the slithering interpretation of Theseus, the Yorktown theater production of Oedipus Rex does away with the traditional line readings of this classical piece and reaches back to the symbolisms of the ancient Greeks. The actors themselves are not the main attention of this show. Instead well crafted masks, conceived and made by the Yorktown Tech Theater department, are the actors on the stage. The people themselves are more the spirits, who lead each tragic character into their own demise.
Oedipus is a puppet played by Matt Bloch, Bobby Crosby and Josh Kelly. The actors play different body parts of the same character; a technique that doesn’t limit them in stage movement. Oedipus is torn within himself as the horrors of his past are revealed one grueling piece at a time. On stage his body is split into pieces, to show the audience through more than just words, the splitting of his own mind. As Iocasta, Rachel Thompson, Muriel MacDonald and Martha Woldu work fantastically well together to create a wonderful mother and wife to Oedipus. Oedipus and Iocasta face the Gods and challenge fate. They learn that Oedipus is the child Iocasta had when she was younger, that he is the mysterious man who killed her first husband (his own father) and later married his own mother and had four children by her. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy given to Tieresias by the god Apollo.
The rest of the cast, playing equal outstanding roles, gives this story an eerie twist to the already twisted epic. The Choral readings and conjoined actions give an appearance of a single entity, living breathing and moving as one on the stage. Director, Carol Cadby and student director, George Foster put endless thought into the staging and true meaning of Oedipus Rex. The result is fantastic teamwork.
In short, this is one show you cannot miss. Though the topic is one that even professional psychologists can’t completely decipher, this Theatre III class is more than capable of putting their interpretation onto this centuries old show written by
Sophocles. So best of luck to all the actors in the show and to the audience, please enjoy the show.