Blood will Flow in CSU, Chico’s Mainstage Production of Euripides’ “The Bacchae,” March 5-9  

Marilyn Manson’s remake of “Personal Jesus” screeches out to the audience. Cat-like figures slink about. Red floods the stage.

This is not your typical Greek tragedy.

CSU, Chico’s School of the Arts and Department of Theatre Arts will present Euripides’ “The Bacchae” at 7:30 p.m. on March 5-8 and at 2 p.m. on March 9 in Harlen Adams Theatre.

“The Bacchae” focuses on the divide between the rational and the religious; control and excess. Director Katie Whitlock and choreographer Susan Hargrave Pate will present this adaptation of the 5th century BCE play in its modern day rendition.

“The Bacchae” is about the vengeance of the god Dionysus when his cousin Pentheus, the king of Thebes, refuses to accept him as a deity. Murder, madness and mayhem descend upon the royal house of Cadmus as Dionysus drives the women of Thebes to insanity.

“The Bacchae” follows a similar format to most Greek tragedies but covers controversial subjects. Euripides wrote “The Bacchae” near the end of his life, and this traditional but daring play was produced posthumously.

Audiences will be enthralled by this classic tale although it originated in ancient Greek times.
    
“This play has been widely produced across the world because its themes of revenge and the divide between passion and logic strike chords with audiences regardless of time or place,” Whitlock said.

To make “The Bacchae” more accessible to college students, the director has modernized the language and combined three different versions. Whitlock and Pate also incorporated physical movement and slightly altered the conventional characters to get the audience more involved.

“As part of the stylization, Dionysus is performed by three actors giving a sense of gender and mortality separate from his divinity,” Whitlock said.

Ross Lacy, a senior who was also seen in CSU, Chico’s recent productions of “Bat Boy” and “Urinetown”, will play the God Dionysus. Opposite him is Pentheus played by junior Davis Carlson, who was seen in CSU, Chico’s recent productions of “Murdering Marlowe” and “Natural Selection.”  

Pentheus’ troubled mother Agave is played by senior Sarah Cuc, who was most recently seen in “Bat Boy” and Court Theatre productions. Sophomore Garrison Harward plays the Greek seer Tiresias, while junior James Dugan plays Cadmus, grandfather to Dionysus and Pentheus.

Other cast members include Jimmy Robertson, Sara St. Pierre, Kelsey Kinney, Becky Dedeker-Winston, Michael Kellogg, Jason Wegener, Will Kasson, Korey Emslie, Marissa Wilheim, Stacy Park, Jessie Lee and Jennette Holme.

The extensive cast will also be enhanced by the play’s music, dance, and costumes.

Modern music will mix with primal beats behind the poetic sections of “The Bacchae.” Pate has choreographed the show with cat-like tribal movements to represent the madness of the Theban women.

The play’s staging and lighting will draw the audience into the production.  Scenic Designer and Technical Director Dan Schindler, assisted by student David Baker, and Lighting Designer Mike Johnson, assisted by student Carly Bracco, have designed an up-and-down set that “intrudes into Harlen Adams Theatre.”

 “This set is a fabulous space for action and is also quite dangerous with height and drops to increase the tension and stakes of the performance.”

The action and passion in “The Bacchae” is complimented by eclectic costumes designed by faculty member Ruth Palmerlee that differ far from traditional Greek garb.

“Elements of Asian, Indian, African, and Russian dress appear alongside the rich colors and textures of the sensual realm of madness and intoxication.”

Whitlock and Pate’s stylized adaptation of “The Bacchae” will present students with an enticing interpretation of the classic tale while also staying true to its original story. Although “The Bacchae” was written in ancient Greece, Whitlock believes that audiences will still learn from it today.

“Caught between the two extremes of control and freedom seems a place all of us can relate to,” Whitlock said. “I hope Chico audiences find this cup of madness enticing and powerful. Together we will drink deep.”

Advance tickets, at $15 adult, $13 senior citizens and $6 students and children, are available at the University Box Office, 898-6333. Add $2 for tickets purchased at the door. For disability-related accommodations, please call 898-4325.

— Hillary Feeney