Stewart's Herakles Via Phaedra Grips LaMaMa; Opens May 21

Mythic Greek hero Herakles and seductress Phaedra meet in The Roaring 20's in Ellen Stewart's new adaptation of Herakles Via Phaedra at La MaMa ETC (66 E. 4th St.), where it will run from May 18th through June 11th, with an opening set for May 21st.

The play is described by Stewart, who adapted the piece and will direct, as a "dance-theatre epic." The show "combines the myths of Herakles (also known as Hercules) and Phaedra, placing them amongst the flappers, bootleggers and jazz babies of the 1920's. (This marks Stewart's second time visiting the Herakles legend - a very different production, set in the 80s, debuted at La MaMa in 1987)," state press notes.

Herakles Via Phaedra will feature a cast of 25 in fashions of the period, elaborate masks and specialty costumes depicting such creatures as Cerebus, the three-headed dog; the Minotaur (half-bull, half-man); and Nessos, the Centaur (half-man, half-horse).

"In Herakles Via Phaedra, Herakles must prove his godliness and atone for a hideous crime against his wife and two sons by performing a series of twelve labors, from killing a fierce lion to bare-handedly capturing a three-headed dog. Meanwhile in the court of Aphrodite, a handmaiden named Phaedra sets out to win the heart of a king, only to find herself falsely accused of having a love affair with her stepson. Herakles and Phaedra's stories intertwine, leading one to a tragic end and the other to glory."

The show will have choreography by Renouard Gee, with Bharata Natyam (South Indian Dance) by Kamala Cesar of Lotus Studios, and Flamenco by Shigeko Suga; accompanied by original music composed by Genji Ito, Michael Sirotto, Heather Paauwe, Elizabeth Swados and Stewart. It also features bird and centaur puppets by Federico Restrepo, and masks by Gretchen Green; with set design by Jun Maeda; sound by Tim Schellenbaum; and projections created especially for this production by Jeffrey Issac.

For more than three decades, Stewart has presented numerous adaptations of Greek classics at La MaMa. Last season, she and the Great Jones Repertory Company offered a world-premiere adaptation of the rarely staged Greek saga Perseus. In 2004, La MaMa ETC presented "Seven" -- a month-long festival including the world-premiere of Stewart's Antigone, performed in repertory with revivals of six productions previously staged by Great Jones Repertory Company. La MaMa ETC enjoys international recognition as the home for theatrical experimentation. La MaMa was one of the first Off-Off Broadway theatres to support full-time resident companies, and was one of the first Off-Off companies to tour Europe. La MaMa has been honored with numerous OBIE Awards, dozens of Drama Desk Awards, Bessie Awards and Villager Awards.

Herakles Via Phaedra will run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2:30pm and 7:30 pm at La MaMa ETC Annex (66 East 4th Street). Tickets during previews are $20; after opening they are $25, and can be reserved by calling 212-475-7710 or online at www.lamama.org.