THE BACCHAE Reimagined Greek Tragedy to be Presented at Mercer County Community College Theater

A cross-program collaboration of talented Mercer County Community College students will be on full display with theater and dance interpretations of a classic Greek tragedy, when they present "The Bacchae of Euripides" and "A Mouthful of Birds," Nov. 21-24, at the Kelsey Theatre on MCCC's West Windsor Campus.

Both productions involve students from the Theater, Dance and Entertainment Technology; Fashion Apparel/Design; and Advertising and Graphic Design programs serving as performers and costume designers, and providing advertising/promotion support. According to Jody Gazenbeek-Person, MCCC's Theatre, Dance and Entertainment Technology Coordinator, the intra-program experience serves as a real-life lesson for a career in the entertainment industry, where understanding all aspects of a production is important for success.

"We have this wonderful collaboration across programs," Jody Gazenbeek-Person said. "When you come to this college you're not just stuck doing your own program. These are really important opportunities that prepare you for the professional world."

"The Bacchae of Euripides" is based on the original Greek tragedy "The Bacchae," written by Athenian playwright Euripides around 400 B.C. The story is based on the Greek myth of King Pentheus of Thebes and his mother, Agave, and their punishment by the god Dionysus, god of wine and revelry. Dionysus, who appears to exact vengeance upon those claiming he is not the son of Zeus, introduces Dionysian rites to Thebes-rites that involve the use of intoxicants, music, and dance to remove inhibitions and achieve a state of ecstasy and divine madness-to violently show that he was, indeed, born a god. "The Bacchae" is considered one of Euripides' greatest tragedies, and one of the greatest ever written.

"The Bacchae of Euripides" is a 1973 adaptation written by Wole Soyinka, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature. In his adaptation, Soyinka adds a scene to mirror the civil unrest in his native Nigeria, with a new ending that will surprise even the most dedicated scholar of ancient Greek literature.

"A Mouthful of Birds" is a play with dance loosely based on "The Bacchae." This bold electrifying dance/theater collage depicts a Dionysian clash of seven urbanites on the verge of violent transformation-thus weaving tales of possession, lust, and madness into a swirling blend of contemporary and ancient forces. The performance is a series of seven independent vignettes, each focusing on a different character.

Similar to "The Bacchae of Euripides," "A Mouthful of Birds" builds on themes and emotions of Ancient Greece and puts them in a modern perspective, Gazenbeek-Person said.

"When I look at the play, I recognize the physical violence, but the verbal violence as well," said Gazenbeek-Person. "Physical violence you can survive; verbal violence haunts your dreams and haunts your choices. It's not a traditional play, but a theater work, a collage where audiences have to add them up to make sense of it."

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