There's Always Room for Infanticide!

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of Medea on Broadway. It was riveting. Fiona Shaw was incredible as Medea, the betrayed and scorned wife of Jason (of the Argonauts fame). I don't have my Playbill in front of me, so I'll just use character names for everyone else. Jason was passable, very passionate and visually stimulating, but few of the other actors looked like much next to Shaw. Aegeus came close, offering a brief appearance as a foreign ruler who would shelter her from the wrath of Corinth. The Greek Chorus was somewhat weakly played by four overzealous young ladies, although I was impressed by the girl who vomited on stage. Stunning set design, great blood work, and two lovely moppets who played dead and bloody remarkably well also added to the overall excellence of the production. If you're afraid of Greek tragedy or don't think you'll be able to understand Euripides, don't worry. Shaw's delivery of a dense text smoothly translates the story for modern ears while revealing Medea's wretched pain, cleverness and, ultimately, her madness. The show is only here for a 12-week run, so I recommend getting tickets now before they sell out.