Oresteia and Season Kick-Off Party
Be Our Guest!
Free Events: Sunday, October 26
1-5:30PM Oresteia: A trilogy of Greek tragedies by Aeschylus
7PM “Theater and Justice” Lecture by Frank Wu, Dean of Hastings Law School
Free for Members and their guests (click here to become a member):
7:45PM Season Kick-Off Party
Please RSVP at info@cuttingball.com and let us know how many people will be in your party.
Oresteia
By Aeschylus
In a new translation by Ted Hughes
Directed by Rem Myers
Join us for this free marathon event to celebrate the launch of our 2014-2015 Season, Examining Injustice. 1-5:30PM: Patrons are welcome to come and go through this approximately four hour trilogy of plays celebrating the establishment of the Greek justice system. There will be a 10-minute break between readings.
Moving from darkness to light, from rage to self-governance, from primitive ritual to civilized institution, the Oresteia explores the shift from blood justice to the legal system.
Featuring: Molly Benson, Myers Clark, Marjorie Crump-Shears, Derek Fischer, Luisa Frasconi, Paul Gerrior, August Grahn, Carl Holvick-Thomas, Grace Ng, Geoffrey Nolan, Danielle O’Hare, Gwyneth Richards, Michael Anthony Torres, and Marlene Yarosh
Agamemnon
The King of Argos, Agamemnon, has returned from the Trojan War after ten years to a wife who wants him dead. Clytemnestra plans to murder him to avenge their daughter’s sacrifice and to ensure her lover (Agamemnon’s cousin Aegisthus) can ascend the throne.
The Libation Bearers
Clytemnestra’s daughter Electra and a chorus of elderly women pour libations onto Agamemnon’s grave to ward off the gods’ wrath on Clytemnestra’s behalf after she had a bad dream. This leads Electra’s brother Orestes to believe he must avenge their father, and he kills Aegisthus and his mother to do so.
The Eumenides
In this final play of the Oresteia, Apollo convinces Athena that because man is more important than woman, Orestes should be acquitted for murdering his mother. The Erinyes or Furies torment Orestes as advocates for Clytemnestra, and Apollo serves as Orestes’ counsel. The resulting tie in the jury’s vote acquits Orestes, and the Erinyes are convinced to accept the verdict to ensure Athens’ prosperity.
7PM “Theater and Justice”
A lecture by Frank Wu
Dean of Hastings Law School
Dean of UC Hastings Law School Frank Wu will kick off our season long conversation about injustice. In addition to serving as the Dean of Hastings Law School, Wu is also a theater aficionado who has seen all 38 of Shakespeare’s plays!
Read Wu’s Huffington Post article on why he attends Shakespeare, and what value classic works have in the modern world.
7:45PM Season Kick-Off Party!
Finally, our Season Kick-off Party for members and their guests completes the night.
Click here to become a member and join the party!