Electra is mourning the murder of her father by her adulterous mother, Clytemnestra.
She is grief-stricken and bent on retribution and awaits her brother Orestes’ return so that she may enact her quest for personal justice. His arrival sets in motion swift and bloody retribution.
Though this version of “Electra” contains a litany of dead, take note that all killings happen offstage in true Greek fashion. However, there will be enough graphic evidence on stage of these bloody deeds.
Seattle Shakespeare Company’s staging of Sophocles’ story of family vengeance by Frank McGuinness, whose adaptation played to critical acclaim on Broadway in 1998, and directed by Sheila Daniels, who said the aftereffects of violence and the Trojan War are living within this family.
“The sorrow held by Electra after her father’s murder drives her to believe that if she can achieve this one act of retribution, then she will be able to find peace. But in a world fueled by revenge, what is justice?” Daniels asked.
“Electra” begins with previews starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Center House Theatre, 305 Harrison St., Seattle. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 31.
Tickets range from $30 to $36 for adults and $22 to $25 for seniors and students. Call 206-733-8222 or go to www.seattleshakespeare.org.
Special “Shakespeariences” are also offered including: “Jumpstart into Electra,” a facilitated introduction to the play that starts at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 and costs $10, and post-play discussions on selected performances.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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