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Phaedra

One Year Lease, 2005

a play by Matthew Maguire (after Euripides)

directed by Ianthe Demos

scenery by James Hunting

costumes by Kay Lee

sound by Dave Chessman

at the Cherry Lane Theater, New York City

The second installment of Phaedra x3, three versions of the Phaedra story performed in rotating repertory

By the end of this marvelous experience—and it is an experience—you’ll not only appreciate theater more, but you’ll understand the process too.

How’s this for ambition: six actors and one director set out to train in Greece for a month and then come back to perform three dramatically different versions of Phaedra in repertoire. There’s the classic (Racine’s Phèdre, as opposed to Euripides’ original), the modern (Matthew Maguire’s Phaedra) and the neo-expressionist (Sarah Kane’s Phaedra’s Love). Each has its own unique vision and flair, but One Year Lease, by giving theatergoers the opportunity to compare and contrast all three, has triumphed with an overall production that can only be titled Phaedra x3. The classics are made contemporary (and vice versa) ... this is edutainment for anyone interested in theater.

    --Aaron Riccio, New Theatre Corps, Dec. 10, 2005

photos by Mike Riggs

Phaedra

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