Review: HEAVIER THAN at Know Theatre Reflects Greek Mythology Darkly
In an out-of-the-ordinary production that is Know Theatre's genre, playwright Stephen Yockey offers Heavier Than ...., an unusual play about Asterius, a minotaur, who is half man, half bull with a large set of horns, in a Cretan labyrinth surrounded by a chorus of three women as fates. Also included in this version of Greek mythology are Icarus, whose wings get too close to the sun and falls, a mother Pasiphae and daughter Ariadne.
Running from March 10 through April 1, Heavier Than... draws the reader back in time to Greek mythology. Directed by Bridget Leak, the play explores age old questions of friendship, mother-daughter relationships and family issues. It is a dark rendering with strong performances by Landon E. Horton, a young actor who nails the part of Asterius, the minotaur.
Piper Davis gives a fine reading as Pasiphae, the mother, in all too familiar exchanges with her daughter Ariadne played by Jordan Trovillion. Chorus members include area favorites Miranda McGee, Maggie Lou Rader and Nicole Hershey.
Andrew J. Hungerford, Know artistic director, also provided the scenic and lighting design for this production. The set is linear and grey, which leaves the play to the actors.
Know Theater produced two other plays, The Fisherman's Wife (2016) and Pluto (2014) written by Yockey. He is a Los Angeles-based writer who received an MFA in dramatic writing from New York University's Tisch School of Arts.
Originally premiered at the Theatre @ Boston Court in 2011, the jarring play raises more questions than it answers.
Photo Credit of Nathan Tubbs as Icarus by Daniel R. Winters
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