Comments on: Phoenician Women

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 21:42:55 +0000

Thanks for the feedback Janet. Most scholars agree that the text of the final quarter or so of the play that has come down to us is seriously corrupt, shot through with layers of additions, deletions and emendations from transcribers and editors in later periods, It is therefore not surprising that every translation of PW handles the ending a little differently, as the particular translator sorts through the text to try to depict as closely as he or she can what Euripides actually may have writtten. Having read about ten of these translations of PW, I think (contrary to the DCTR reviewer) that Prof. Mueller has brought great skill and taste to the task of sustaining dramatic integrity and effect over the course of this 2400-year-old play. Natural Theatricals couldn’t be happier with its choice of translation.

By: Janet

Janet — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:16:52 +0000

I also want to add that the performance by Mr. Moffitt at the end was amazing. My comment about it being tedious at the end was no reflection on his superb performance. Too bad he couldn’t have come in earlier in the play, but the story is what it is, I suppose. It just felt, to me, that after "the Three" died, the play was over — and maybe just a quick wrap-up would have been more satisfactory. Again, that it just me talking out loud. Kudos to this fine production!

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 04:13:56 +0000

Thanks for the comment Janet - the seven seats in the front row audience left are now cordoned off with tape and won’t be used for seating in future PW performances.

By: ronnie

ronnie — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 01:35:46 +0000

Thanks for the comments.. I love the feedback

By: Janet

Janet — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 01:24:22 +0000

I’m afraid that I did find it tedious at the end also after an entertaining (to me) beginning. Also, they should put signs on some of the front seats so that people won’t sit on them. At the end, the actors moved the benches so close to me that I found it too close for comfort. I second Ronnie’s comments about the "costumes." Either do costumes or street clothes, but not both.

By: Paula Y. Bickham

Paula Y. Bickham — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 17:28:39 +0000

I truly enjoyed this wonderful production of "Phoenican Women". It is chocked full of strong personalities. It is definately worth seeing. The set, sound, and lighting reflected the mood of the so many emotionally charged events that would unfold as the play progressed. The sound was uncomfortably strange in that it signalled impending doom on the horizon. For some reason I liked it. Miss Weinert’s portrayal of "Jocasta" was not only strong, elegant, and queenly, but the portrayal of a mother tormented was so convincing that any mother, regardless of her station in life, could easily identify with her pain. She was a mother driven to tears and anguish as she witnessed a dangerously growing animosity between her two sons. Mr. Moffitt’s brief appearance as "Oedipus" was what I would have imagined "Oedipus" would have looked like aged: A towering man who once commanded respect as evidenced from the strong inflection of his voice. Even now he exudes an air of authority, though in reality he is rendered powerless which is demonstrated in Mr. Moffit’s "Oedipus" with his towering frame now sinking to the floor upon more tragic news of his family. Mr. Nious and Mr. Ramsey as "Eteokles" and "Polyneikes" played off of each other exceptionally well, squaring off, eyeing one another, refusing to give in to each other’s demands. This was a darn good group of actors, some more seasoned then others, but hey…. so in a nutshell this is worth seeing. Messy family drama, weird music, gloom and doom on the horizon, and as in true Greek drama a lot of folks die under one curse or another. .