ELECTRA BY EURIPIDES
A PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA APPLICABLE TO THE MODERN AUDIENCE
by
LILLIAN GRAFF-SAGER
A THESIS PROJECT
Presented to the Ashland Center for Theatre Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts
Ashland, Oregon Spring 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Approval Page iii
Copyright Page iv
Acknowledgements v
ANALYSIS
Statement of Dramatic Action 1
Statement of Plot 1
Inciting Incident 2
Crisis 2
Climax 3
How the Statement of Dramatic Action Applies 5 to the Play?
Themes 5
Concept 7
Beat Analysis 9
Conclusion 13
COSTUME DESIGN STATEMENT 14
How Does the Director's Statement of Dramatic 15
Action Translate Into the Costumes?
SET DESIGN STATEMENT
Design Concept 18 ii
LIGHTING PROSPECTUS
What is the Lighting Style? 20
Approach to Lighting 20
How Will the Ideas of the Play Be Underscored 20 With Lighting?
What is the General Appearance of the Scenes 21
(Color, Angles, Intensity)?
What Kinds of Transitions Are Envisioned? 22
What is the Degree of Stylization or Realism? 23
SOUND PROSPECTUS
What is the Musical Rhythm/Flow of the Scenes?... 24
What Will Be the Style/Mood of the Sound? 24
Approach to Sound:
How Are the Ideas Underscored? 25
The General Tambour, Directionality, 26 Volume of the Scenes What Kinds of (Cued) Transitions Are 26 Envisioned?
What is the Degree of Stylization or 26 Realism?
What Are the Physical (Sound) Aspects of 2 6
of the Staging?
Specific Scene Requirements 27
How Will it Sound Live, Recorded, 27
Distorted?
FOOTNOTES 28
BIBLIOGRAPHY 2 9 Ill
APPROVAL PAGE
"Electra by Euripides: A Psychological Drama Applicable to the Modern Audience," a project prepared by Lillian Graff- Sager in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Theater Education.
This project has been approved and accepted by:
Dr. Eric Levii Date Chair of the Examining Committee
o Ms. Deborah Rosenberg ate Committee Member / Advisor 7
Mr.Chris Sackett Date Committee Member © Copyright Lillian Graff-Sager, 2007 V
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to express my appreciation to the faculty of ACTS for their valuable time and experience, and for the conception and evolution of this program.
As a member of the first graduating class of the SOU Theater Program, I want to thank Eric Levin, Deborah Rosenberg, Chris Sackett, Ezra Severin, and Sue Grossman for their insightful commentaries, hard work and encouragement. I also wish to express my gratitude to Mary Jo Stresky who contributed to this thesis project as editor.
And above all, kudos to my significant other — Gene Sager - who, if not for his tireless energy, diligent enthusiasm and complete support, this project would have never been completed. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 1
EURIPIDES' "ELECTRA" by Lillian Graff-Sager
STATEMENT OF DRAMATIC ACTION
Electra is a psychological Greek tragedy exploiting murder and revenge in the name of nobility and justice.
STATEMENT OF PLOT
Electra's ultimate objective is to avenge her father's
(King Agamemnon) death, reunite with her long-lost brother
Orestes, and strategize the murders of her mother, Queen
Clytemnestra, and stepfather Aigisthos1 in order to recapture
her rightful royal heritage. Seething, martyred rage mutating
in Electra's subconscious drives her unwavering quest for
vengeance and conciliation.
Positioning Orestes as antagonist and Electra as
protagonist, Euripides brilliantly weaves obstacles Electra
must overcome before completing her mission: 1) Her anger
over Orestes' absence as brother and confidant (albeit not of
his choosing since he was exiled as a young boy); 2) using him
as an excuse not to act on her desire for revenge; and 3)
manipulating his hesitancy to commit the actual murders of
Aigisthos and Clytemnestra. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 2
INCITING INCIDENT
The inciting incident occurs when Electra and Orestes
realize they are brother and sister and are finally reunited:
Electra: What do you mean, Old Man? I can't hope for such news.
Old Man: Orestes, Agamemnon's son, stands before my eyes?
Electra: Convince me. By what mark should I know him?
Old Man: The scar over his eyebrow. He got it by tumbling — remember? When he chased with you after the fawn.
Electra: With me? I do see the cut - long healed.
Old Man: Then why hold back? The brother you love - embrace him!
Electra: No more delay. Dear man, your evidence persuades my heart. At last, you - here, real! I'd lost all hope.
Orestes: And I hold you at last.
This dramatic moment is broadened when Electra encourages
Orestes to help vindicate their father's death and end their
grief and suffering.
CRISIS
The crisis occurs when Electra -- having proclaimed she
will commit suicide if Orestes' plan to murder Aigisthos is
foiled -- waits to hear the messenger's news of success or
failure: Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 3
Electra: Did an enemy howl, or a friend?
Chorus leader: I don't know. Such a muddle of cries!
Electra: No. We are beaten. Otherwise, wouldn't there be some news?
Chorus leader: News will come. It's no small matter to kill a king.
Messenger: Now let winning light up your faces. I bring you word that Orestes has won. Agamemnon's murderer Aigisthos sprawls on the ground. Give thanks to the gods.
The action rises when Electra sends a message to
Clytemnestra that she has given birth, using the naming ritual as a ploy to see her new grandson. When Clytemnestra arrives,
Electra confronts her mother's past indiscretions, and with malicious intent invites her into the farmhouse where Orestes is waiting to murder her.
CLIMAX
The climax occurs when Orestes and Electra murder
Clytemnestra. In keeping with traditional Greek theater, the matricide is concealed within the farmhouse structure
[onstage]. Burdened by the conflict of love for their mother and her own justification for Agamemnon's assassination,
Electra convinces Orestes to overcome the barrier of guilt and apprehension. Although the audience hears Clytemnestra's death wails... Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 4
Clytemnestra: Children! Dear god, I'm your mother! Don't
kill me.
Chorusleader: Do you Hear - "My god, don't kill me"?
Clytemnestra: NO! NOT ME! NO-0-0-0!
Chorus leader: No! Not her! No! Killed by her own
children.
...it is not until Electra and Orestes carry Aigisthos' and Clytemnestra's bodies onto the stage that the audience becomes fully aware of the heinous crimes committed in the farmhouse.
The denouement occurs when the Dioskouri appear above the
"crime scene," and Castor announces that, "Her fate was just; but your act is not justified." However, he and Polydeukes state unequivocally that matricide is nonetheless regarded as despicable and offer an option of punishment/atonement so
Electra and Orestes may exonerate their guilt: Electra shall marry Pylades, Orestes will assume his rightful place on the throne, and brother and sister will never see each other again. At this point, all loose ends come together: That although the incident was decreed by Apollo's Delphic oracle,
Orestes' and Electra's sorrowful repentance is caused by their own actions; thus, there is nothing that can repair it or undo what has been done. The tides cannot be turned, and their destiny is sealed with the blood of their family. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 5
HOW DOES THE STATEMENT OF DRAMATIC ACTION APPLY TO THE PLAY?
The entire house of Atreus is embroiled in "recycled" murder in the name of divine [poetic] justice. As Electra is a psychological Greek tragedy, this dramatic action is the core motivating factor behind the pursuit to break the tradition of violence. Carrying Electra to the modern audience, Euripides speaks against skewed behavior passing from generation to generation. Using the corrupted, obsessed, damaged royal family from Argos, he succinctly illustrates that the tools used for retribution need to be replaced with more affirmative ways to break misguided patterns of justified/unjustified violence and vengeance.
THEMES:
1. Murder and revenge are at the heart of Electra:
• Agamemnon has sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia, so his army will have safe passage to the Trojan War.
• After his ten-year absence, he brings Cassandra home as a concubine.
• Clytemnestra in the meantime has taken a lover, Aigisthos; together they murder Agamemnon and take over the throne, which justifiably angers Electra.
" Orestes and Electra are exiled from the kingdom (Orestes to live with King Strophius in Phocis, and Electra into a loveless, unconsummated marriage), and lose their royal heritage.
• Brother and sister reap revenge by murdering their mother and stepfather. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 6
2. The theme of atonement occurs at the end of the
play. Realizing the grotesqueness of Clytemnestra's murder
(evident in their conflicted sorrow), Electra and Orestes
repent to rectify their heinous actions.
3. The supernatural theme refers to the Delphic oracle
of Apollo who said Orestes should kill his mother:
Orestes: Now I come from Apollo's oracle at Delphi. He ordered me home, where no one suspects my presence, to exchange murder for my father's tomb, wept, offered a fresh- clipped lock of hair...
4. The theme of poverty and riches refers to Electra
living in abject deprivation. Originally the Princess of
Argos, she is now married to a peasant farmer and regards her
luxuriate life in a palace as only a memory. In contrast, her
mother Clytemnestra lives in pampered comfort with servants,
and dresses in elegant finery to flaunt her aristocratic
station.
5. Celibacy refers to Electra's non-sexual cohabitation
with her farmer husband who feels unworthy of her, and that
consummation would be an act of irreverence toward her
ancestors and her father. Although Electra feels her husband
is a virtuous, kind man, she regrets being a virgin and is
despondent that she faces a life of celibacy. She refuses to
socialize with the other wives because of her crumpling,
embarrassing emotional and physical condition. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 7
(The above themes will be addressed in the lighting and costume design portions of this paper.)
CONCEPT
As Electra is known to be one of Euripides more complex female "Amazonian" antagonists, the production is approached as a contemporary psychodrama addressing the "Electra
Complex."2 The overall visual impression illustrating
Agamemnon's daughter's brooding soul is seen through her warped emotional perspective (SEE: set design).
Since the time period is set in 1174 B.C., formal contrivances of formal Greek theater were replaced with a simplistic, natural, non-distracting conveyances to demonstrate the humanistic plight of the characters. The barren setting symbolizes Electra's troubled psyche, fantasy of revenge, loss of her childhood companion (Orestes) , hapless marriage and childless existence, the poverty that envelopes her, and depression over her bleak future.
Representing family and motherhood to Electra — if that were to have been her "other" destiny — the farmhouse is a logical location to end her mother's life. In her distraught state and dwindling appearance, Electra shuns invitations from the women in town, thereby perpetuating the stigma that she is not performing her wifely duties. Every day she wakens, every Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 8 reminder that she is not living in her birthplace, takes her further into despair and loss of her connectivity as a woman.
Clytemnestra's retaliation for her husband's unwise choice of bringing home the concubine, Cassandra, culminates in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Since King Agamemnon sacrificed their daughter, Iphigenia, did his wife remove the remaining daughter to protect her position as Queen of Athos? Was
Electra a nagging reminder of Agamemnon's unrequited love for his wife, but unconditional love for his daughter? Women being cast aside in the House of Atreus surfaces as a reoccurring sub-text in this twisted portrayal of manipulation, jealousy and reprisal.
Orestes, the next "man of the house," grew up in luxury, while his sister Electra was- forced into an emotional and physical exile of marriage outside their patriarchal caste.
Removed from all she holds dear, and surrendering her aristocratic rights of passage, Electra inherits the perpetual chain of violence. In essence, she is sold into a life of subservient humiliation - her role of woman being subjected to and consumed by a man's world.
Exiting the house with the knife after helping Orestes kill their mother, Electra — the first to have blood on her hands — assumes the burden of both paternal (Agamemnon) and maternal (Clytemnestra) mourning. "Blood for blood, you paid Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 9 the just price," Euripides writes. Everything has been taken from her: her parents, the child she might have born, her regal heritage. Thus, what does she have left but to abide by the fate dictated by the gods and relinquish what little power she has remaining?
After Clytemnestra and Aigisthos' murders occur, and
Electra and Orestes wallow in remorse, the gods materialize to offer brother and sister a path of atonement.
BEAT ANALYSIS
Prologue: (lines 1-170)
Beat #1: Electra's husband, the peasant Farmer, opens the beginning moments. Murder and Revenge: He tells the back-story of the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra and her lover Aigisthos.
Beat #2: The peasant Farmer explains how Electra's brother Orestes was secretly sent to Phocis, and that Aigisthos placed a bounty on his head.
Beat #3: The peasant Farmer swears his marriage to Electra has not been consummated out of respect for her family.
Beat #4: Celibacy: Electra laments her miserable present state of affairs and reconfirms her chaste relationship with her husband.
Beat #5: Orestes enters and makes known his search for his sister, Electra. By order of the oracle of Apollo, Orestes has been ordered to avenge the murder of his father, Agamemnon.
Beat #6: Electra expresses her sadness over the murder of her father and the absence of her brother. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 10
Parodos: - Entrance dance of chorus (lines 171-229)
Beat #7: The chorus informs Electra that the women of the region are preparing a sacrifice to the Goddess Hera.
Beat #8: Poverty and Riches: Electra declines to participate, stating she is too distraught over her shabby appearance.
First Episode: (lines 230-447)
Beat #9: [Incognito] Orestes tells Electra that her brother is alive.
Beat #10: Electra discloses to the stranger (Orestes) her unconsummated marriage and desire to have her brother assist her in avenging the murders of her mother Clytemnestra and her stepfather Aigisthos.
Beat #11: Electra explains to the stranger (Orestes) that Aigisthos has seized Agamemnon's realm. She discloses that Agamemnon's grave has been defiled, and that Aigisthos mocks the avenger of Agamemnon's murder.
Beat #12: The peasant chorus welcomes the two strangers.
Beat #13: Orestes observes the nature of virtue and how the criterion for judgment are not based on birth or wealth, but rather personal worth and character.
Beat #14: The Farmer is sent by Electra to find Agamemnon's foster father, the Old Man, who is to entertain the strangers.
First Stasimon: (choral ode) (lines 448-502)
Beat #15: The chorus tells of Achilles coming to Troy, how Agamemnon was murdered by Clytemnestra, and reaffirms that vengeance is ahead. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 11
Second Episode: (lines 503-723)
Beat #16: The Old Man enters and gives testimony of seeing fresh sacrifices at Agamemnon's tomb. He also reports that he has found locks of hair, and speculates that Orestes has returned.
Beat #17: Electra rejects this notion.
Beat #18: The Old Man recognizes Orestes by the scar on his forehead.
Beat #19: Inciting Incident: Orestes and Electra are reunited.
Beat #20: Orestes asks for guidance while planning revenge on Aigisthos.
Beat #21: The Old Man recommends that Orestes seek revenge on Aigisthos during the sacrificial feast to Hera.
Beat #22: Electra engineers a ruse to entice Clytemnestra to her hut to murder her: She lies that she has given birth to a son and requests her mother be present for the purification ritual. Crisis: Electra plans suicide if the plot fails.
Second Stasimon: - Choral ode (lines 724-776)
Beat #23: The chorus tells the audience that Agamemnon's brother Thyestes (aka: Aigisthos) murdered their father Atreus, and as a result Zeus transformed all of nature. Despite the forewarning, Clytemnestra murders Agamemnon without remorse.
Third Episode: (lines 776-1,086)
Beat #24: A Messenger reports Aigisthos has been murdered by Orestes with an axe during a sacrificial ceremony.
Beat #25: While standing over Aigisthos' lifeless body, Electra reveals his evil actions and kicks him with her foot. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 12
Beat #26: Orestes lays blame with the oracle of Apollo for spiteful malice.
Beat #27: Electra reinforces Orestes' resolution to commit matricide and kill Clytemnestra.
Beat #28: Clytemnestra upholds her justification for Agamemnon's murder.
Beat #29: Electra accuses Clytemnestra of committing adultery with Aigisthos. Electra bases their sin as their driving force for murdering her father, Agamemnon.
Beat #30: Clytemnestra says she has heard of the birth of Electra's son.
Beat #31: Electra lures Clytemnestra into the farmhouse to perform the ritualistic purification sacrifices.
Third Stasimon: - Choral ode (lines 1,086-1,205)
Beat #32: The chorus proclaims that justice is about to be served, and that retribution is at hand.
Fourth Episode: (lines 1,208-1,404)
Beat #35: Climax: Clytemnestra's death cry is heard.
Beat #36: Atonement and Sincerity: Orestes and Electra are repentant and angst-ridden over their actions. They lay blame with Apollo for their deed.
Beat #37: Supernatural: Castor and Polydeukes (the sons of Zeus) appear above the farmhouse as the deus ex machina. They state to Orestes and Electra that although Clytemnestra deserved to be punished for murder, the oracle of Apollo was not righteous in his instructions for them to commit the crime.
Beat #38: The Gods order Orestes to give Pylades in marriage to Electra; that he will be pursued by the Furies, but will be formally acquitted after a due trial in Athens. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 13
Beat #39: The Gods order that the bodies of Clytemnestra and Aigisthos be given proper burial rites.
Beat #40: Orestes and Electra part forever.
Beat #41: Castor and Polydeukes offer a final cautionary word against injustice.
CONCLUSION
While analyzing Electra's spiral into depths of vengeance
from which there was no return, a pattern relatable to today's women in many cultures revealed that the black "veil"
represents every aspect of emotionality as daughter, sister, wife, lover. In ancient and modern cultures, women have had to
hide their feminine emotions behind heavy shrouds of guilt, mourning, shame, fear, and sorrow. Living in a sterile
existence devoid of love and approval, the layers of coarse,
shredded fabric represent the layers of Electra's conscious
and subconscious actions.
Treating Electra as a contemporary psychodrama, it was
imperative to keep the humanity of the characters intact
according to the dynamics of Euripides's original metaphor:
That the cycle of unjustifiable violence and unrealized
actions needs to be ameliorated. Therefore, it is essential to
approach the ramifications of revenge and matricide in a
manner that will be easily grasped by a 21st Century audience. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 14
COSTUME DESIGN STATEMENT
In order to maintain the integrity of Euripides' depiction of the period, the action is staged in a naturalistic setting adhering to the presentational,
simplistic mode according to the Greek silhouette of 1174 B.C.
Every major and minor character is unhampered by traditional Greek theater contrivances such as masks
(prosopon) and adornments. Through the use of color and fabric texture, period costumes aid the storytelling by intimating
the character's age, temperament, social status, occupation
and environment. These elegant versus crude (i.e., silk versus burlap) elements contrast the social status of the royal,
elitist characters to their poor country counterparts. For
example, distinguishing Clytemnestra's elegant attire against
Electra's tattered rags demonstrates the physical and
emotional pit into which Electra has fallen, thereby
reflecting her chaotic state of mind.
Electra, the exiled former princess and now peasant
farmer's wife, laments the hardships she must endure.
Endlessly complaining that her lowered social status prevents
her from interacting with other women, her rags and shorn hair
exemplify her shame and loss of pride. Her burdensome chores Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 15
of carrying heavy buckets of water are deliberate gestures
invoking the gods to witness her wretched existence, which in her mind is no better than a slave.
HOW DOES THE DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT OF DRAMATIC ACTION TRANSLATE INTO THE COSTUMES?
Since the action verb is exploiting, how does its meaning
support the costume design?3
Electra wears a simple gold ring given to her by her
father, Agamemnon, on her right index finger. A constant
reminder of her pure, childlike love and the connection to her
royal past, it also [exploits] symbolizes to never let go of
her sworn duty to avenge his murder. In contrast, her mother
Clytemnestra dresses ostentatiously dresses to flaunt
[exploit] her luxurious lifestyle and blatant sexuality (her
daughter, after all, accuses her basically of "whoring around"
after Agamemnon leaves for war).
The costume color palette is in earth tones: Natural,
raw fabrics are used to recreate the authenticity of the time
period. Handspun and/or rough textures are used for the
peasant characters (lower stations), while fine wools and
silks dyed in blues, greens and golds regally depict the
imperial characters (regal stations). The sterile palette and
materials exemplify the multiple layers and textures of
Electra's emotionality dealing with the manifestation of Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 16 hatred for her mother and desire for revenge after Agamemnon's murder.
Electra's farmer husband wears dirty, tattered, rough
clothing, a shabby straw hat and carries a pitchfork as he is
a man who has led a toiling, hard, but honest country life.
Both barefoot, Orestes and Pylades are costumed to
conceal their royal status. Trying to blend with their rustic
surroundings, Orestes wears a light tan, short chiton of raw,
nubby fabric with a green chlamys and leather headband.
Pylades wears a short, purple chiton trimmed in blue. Their
costumes portray them as travelers with no connection to
royalty, as they must be above suspicion to allow access to
Aigisthos.
The chorus is dressed in chitons/peplos of bright shades
of green, blue and gray representing joy and happiness
contrasting Electra's sorrowful persona.
The Old Man is dressed in a long chiton of natural color,
to indicate his station and that he is from another country.
In contrast, the Messenger's status is revealed in a neutral
gray-blue chiton made of natural fabrics.
The Dioskouri (gods) are clad in chitons of blue, gray
and purple silk; their heads adorned in gold wreaths to make
them stand out against the austere, dark background. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager
Clytemnestra's handmaiden is adorned in a light blue chiton with purple trim, and wears armbands signifying her status as servant (this shows the disparity between the
Queen's servant and her impoverished daughter). Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 18
SET DESIGN STATEMENT
DESIGN CONCEPT
The script according to the Janet Lembke and Kenneth J.
Reckford translation mentions that, "...the action takes place in the mountains of Argos and the only structure requested is a small farmhouse."4 Hence, the stage setting is stark, dark and moody. The landscape of twisted, barren trees symbolizes
Electra's dismal, virginal state, her childless marriage, the hardship in which she dwells, and her bleak future. The farmhouse represents home/wife/mother/children -- what she believes she rightfully deserves.
While considering visual metaphors to represent Electra's range of clouded emotions, a black scrim was chosen to depict a veil which, when lowered, represents her incomprehension or irrationality. When the veil/scrim rises in the final scene, it reveals her realization that she must come to terms with her monstrous crimes in order to receive atonement:
• Electra unequivocally feels her ultimate desires are obscured by the clouded veil of revenge; therefore, the black scrim symbolizes darkness, vengeance, and violence.
• The barrenness of the trees represents Electra's virginal, childless state; she feels spurned by her unfulfilled role as a woman in an unconsummated marriage. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 19
• The farmhouse upstage-right behind the scrim is seen entirely throughout the scenes (but will only be highlighted during Clytemnestra's murder).
• The jagged, pointed trees imitate the weapons used to murder Clytemnestra and Aigisthos.
After the final murder has been committed, the scrim - representing remorse felt by Electra and Orestes for their heinous crime of matricide — rises as the gods Castor and
Polydeukes descend from the "heavens." Ergo, when revenge
[scrim] lifts, truth is revealed; as the set is cleared, brother and sister's self-inflicted judgment is cleansed and they are ready to accept atonement for their sins. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 20
LIGHTING PROSPECTUS
WHAT IS THE LIGHTING STYLE?
Since Electra is a psychological tragedy performed in presentational style, the color structure (orange, gold, lavender, blue, red) represents Electra's overall visual emotionality of her downtrodden plight. By utilizing sharp, convoluted angles and cue intensification, the audience will become immersed in a dark arena of moodiness portending drama and mystery.
APPROACH TO LIGHTING
Lighting will be used to...
• create an emotional, ominous mood for the audience before the curtain lifts;
• accentuate the inciting action, the crisis, and the climax;
• underscore and highlight dramatic moments.
HOW WILL THE IDEAS OF THE PLAY BE UNDERSCORED WITH LIGHTING?
The elements of revenge and hatred is the driving force propelling the action forward; however, it is nonetheless the resultant remorse and atonement that provides resolution and contrast. Therefore, while considering lighting, these Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 21
emotional aspects are illustrated utilizing representative
color, intensity, and angles:
• Orange = transition and plotting of murder.
• Red = hatred and murder.
• Dark Blue = revenge; light blue = peace.
• Lavender = neutrality, healing.
• Gold = the celestial aspects of divine intervention from the gods, for it is they who offer brother and sister a path to atonement.
WHAT IS THE GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE SCENES (COLOR, ANGLES, INTENSITY)?
The lighting's intensity follows the play's emotional
zenith. The overall lighting in the pre-show is warm, but low
in intensity; the prologue is basically the same, but slightly
intensified. Lighting changes in angle and intensity for
specific moments (i.e., it crescendos at the onset of
Clytemnestra's entrance and decision to enter the farmhouse;
and during the crisis when she is murdered inside).
Although the actual murders are not visible to the
audience, it is necessary to use angles and intensity to
dramatically infer the action. For example...
• When Electra is on stage, soft red light emanates from the background. The intensity increases when Orestes and Electra plot Aigisthos' murder.
• Light blue darkens as the Messenger informs Electra that Orestes has killed Aigisthos. A major transition occurs Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 22
after Clytemnestra has been killed and Orestes and Electra become remorseful.
• Blue light combines with red to meld into lavender, giving way to gold (from side lighting) representing the gods and symbolizing divine [supernatural] intervention.
• After the resolution, lights return to pre-show set-up with the exception of a single red light upstage -- serving as reminder that one is never truly forgiven for violent and malicious deeds.
• Utilizing a black scrim will cause additional challenges for lighting:
o At the beginning of the play, the scrim will be located ten feet from the back wall. To solve this lighting dilemma, the lights situated in the area directly in front of the farmhouse are brought down to allow the lights behind the scrim to be brought up to medium level, thus highlighting the farmhouse in areas 10, 11, and 12.
o This, then, will create a filmy dream-like quality above the farmhouse.
o The scrim will also provide a hazy red glow at the rear of the stage representing Electra's clouded judgment.
o During the climax of the story, lights are brought down across the front of the scrim; lights directly above the farmhouse will focus on the impact of the action.
WHAT KINDS OF TRANSITIONS ARE ENVISIONED?
The envisioned transitions are motivated according to the dramatic arc, the text and the action of the play. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 23
WHAT IS THE DEGREE OF STYLIZATION OR REALISM?
Lighting is highly stylized to emphasize specific
dramatic moments, while contrasting the natural acting and
dramatic, presentational [simplistic] setting. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 24
SOUND PROSPECTUS
WHAT IS THE MUSICAL RHYTHM/FLOW OF THE SCENES?
Because of the poetic fluidity of the Lembke and Reckford
translation, it was felt the tempo or rhythm should be
choreographed according to the particular action. For example,
in the beginning of the play when Electra is mourning that her
father is dead, the tempo paints her woeful misery. When
Clytemnestra enters the farmhouse to be murdered, a droning,
pounding drumbeat replicates the pulse of a frightened heart
to accentuate suspense for the audience.
WHAT WILL BE THE STYLE/MOOD OF THE SOUND?
Adhering to the time period of 1174 B.C., the setting is
naturalistic — and the overall visual and emotional response
is seen through Electra's self-perspective — the
presentational mood is devoid of audio-gadgets.
The overall soundscape following the morose scenic design
creates the brooding quality of the story. The pre- and after-
show music taken from "Immortal Egypt" by Phil Thornton and
Hossam Ramzy5 (a fusion of Egyptian dance and instruments with
Western contemporary themes) paints the dynamics of the
inciting incident, the crisis and the climax; illustrates
characters with individualized themes; and enhances specific Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 25 moments with percussive accents, thereby achieving the sought- after emotional response from the audience.
APPROACH TO SOUND
How are the ideas underscored?
Since the score is "contemporary" Egyptian blending with
Western influence, the flute and other instrumentation should acquaint today's audience with familiar mid-Eastern sounds.
Although genuine Greek instruments and authentic modes might be a complementary addition, they however would be a distraction from the otherwise base presentational mode.
The pre-show score establishes that the audience is about to walk into a very dark, sinister mood for the entire production. Specific instruments such as the Aboriginal didgeridoo establish an "earthy" tonality appropriate for the
Farmer. At other times they will be used as a nebulously encroaching theme to establish anticipation (i.e., at the beginning of the play, Electra grieves the death of her father: Under this dialogue, a mournful tune expresses her convoluted state of mind.)
Instrumentation and choral chanting, therefore, is used to enhance the inciting incident, the crisis, and the climax:
• Murder and revenge is translated into percussive music embodying one's emotional reactions. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 26
• Chimes are used to create the ethereal Dioskouri, Castor and Polydeukes.
• The Chorus possesses an almost drone-like, detached quality.
THE GENERAL TAMBOUR, DIRECTIONALITY, VOLUME OF THE SCENES
The directionality of sound is from the four speakers to
the left and right of the proscenium arch approximately four
feet off the ground. The sound's volume accentuates the last
line in each of the scenes.
WHAT KINDS OF (CUED) TRANSITIONS ARE ENVISIONED?
The cueing begins mostly on a zero count, with some of
the music held in the dialogue to aid transitions from scene-
to-scene .
WHAT IS THE DEGREE OF STYLIZATION OR REALISM?
On a scale from one to ten, stylization is a ten and
realism an eight. Since the actors' attire is classic in Greek
silhouette and light is artificially created for dramatic, but
natural effect, subsequently the musical aspects should convey
a real time, real dress, real behavior to establish
cohesiveness from beginning to end of the production.
WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL [SOUND] ASPECTS OF THE STAGING?
The WYO Theater in Sheridan, Wyoming, has four speakers
available: Two positioned to stage right and stage left, and Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 27 two upstage right and left. The speakers will be used for all pre-recorded sounds.
SPECIFIC SCENE REQUIREMENTS
(SEE: sound chart for further details)
Environmental atmosphere is a vital ingredient for this production, as the sound must reinforce the feeling of drama as well as emotions. Musical themes reinforce personality traits of specific characters to aid the audience in telling who is who; whereas particular dramatic moments are embellished by sound that drives the plot movement of the story.
HOW WILL IT SOUND LIVE, RECORDED, DISTORTED?
All music and percussive sound is taken from pre-recorded material, as there will be no live musicians or sound effects. Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 28
FOOTNOTES
1. Euripides, Electra, trans. Janet Lembke and Kenneth J. Reckford (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994). All play quotes and spellings of names for this study came from this particular translation.
2. Electra Complex: The female version of the Oedipus complex. Electra complex is a term used to describe the psychological conflict of a daughter's unconscious rivalry with her mother for her father's attention. The name comes from the Greek legend of Electra, who avenged the death of her father, Agamemnon, by plotting the death of her mother. http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/literature/bedlit/glossar y_a.htm
3. "Exploit": To make unethical use of for one's own advantage or profit; to make profit from the labor of (others); to stir up interest in. New World Dictionary, 2nd College Ed. (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986).
4. Euripides, Electra, trans. Janet Lembke and Kenneth J. Reckford.
5. "Immortal Egypt": Phil Thornton, Hossam Ramzy (New World Music Ltd., 1986). Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 29
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
Gorsline, Douglas. What People Wore. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1951.
Euripides, Electra, trans. Lembke, Janet and Kenneth J. Reckford. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
McHenry, Paul Graham (1984). Adobe and Rammed Earth Buildings Design and Construction. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1984.
MUSIC
"Immortal Egypt": Phil Thornton, Hossam Ramzy. New World Music Ltd., 1986.
PHOTOGRAPHS http://www.architectural-e- llusions.gr/assets/images/autogen/a knossos009.jpg 6/29/2006 http://www.barrgazetas.xom/project- images/thumbnails/hydra 1 jpg.jpg 6/28/2006 Vicksburg National Military Park Home Page, Battle of Port Gibson site photos 6/29/2006 http://www.civilwaralbum.com/vicksburg/port gibson.htm http://www.civilwaralbum.com/vicksburg/vb/vb23.jpg 6/29/2006 http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup+1992.07.0656
6/15/2006 http://www.stmarystars.com/Subject Art.html 6/29/2006 http://www.thegreektravel.com/pelion/photos/tsagarada-2.jpg 6/28/2006 http://twinning.vet.gov.tr/history/cappadocia/defalt.htm 6/28/2006 Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 30
http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/pics/pl7.gif 6/19/2006 http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/pics/p27.gif 6/19/2006 http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/pics/p37.gif 6/19/2006 http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/pics/p90.gif 6/19/2006 http://worldart.sjsu.edu/Vie059567$24.66.255.212$40*133688 9 6/28/2006 http://worldart.sjsu.edu/VieO59068$24.66.2 55.212$40*1337961 6/28/2006 http://yoyita.com/images/new/Ancient%20Greek%20tree%20copy.jpg 6/29/2006 http://yoyita.com/images of europe.htm 6/29/2006
WEBSITES
Classics Technology Center, "What Happened to Deus ex Machina after Euripides?" by Akiko Kiso, Kitani Institute of Technology, Japan. http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/showcase/kiso3.html
"Electra Complex." http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/literature/bedlit/glossary a.h tm Hairstyles and cosmetics in Ancient Greece, Cosmetics, http://www.fjkluth.com/hair.html 6/15/2006
Maginnis, Tara Ph.D., University of Alaska Fairbanks. The Costumer's Manifesto, www.costumes.org, as follows:
Ancient Greece. 6/19/2006, ©1996-2006 http://www.costumes.org/HISTORY/lOOOpages/timelinepages/a ncientgreechl.htm
Ancient Greek Dress 6/19/2006 http://www.costumes.org/classes/fashiondress/ancientgreec e. htm Ancient Greek Jewelry 6/19/2006 http://www.costumes.org/HISTORY/lOOpages/greekjewelry.htm Analysis/Lillian Graff-Sager 31
Ancient Greek Women's Dress and Hair 6/19/2006 http://www.costumes.org/HISTORY/lOOpages/greekwomenl.htm
Nostrum, Mare. Clothing of the Ancient Greek Women, Basic Clothing of the Fifth Century 6/19/2006 http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/costume/costume.html
Theatre Database, "Electra: An analysis of the play by Euripides." Originally published in "The Tragic Drama of the Greeks. A.E. Haigh. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1896: pp. 301-3. http://www.theatredatabase.com/ancient/euripides 009.html