Review: 'Oedipus Rex' at Legacy Theatre

Branford - The Legacy Theatre, a brand new theatre located in the Stony Creek section of Branford, is offering a production of the classic, and rarely produced, Greek tragedy “Oedipus Rex.” The ancient play was written by Sophocles and this translation is the work of Ian Johnston.

Despite the fact that the play is set in Ancient Greece in 429 BC, the story bears some similarities with the present day. This is a civilization living through a plague that is looking to those in leadership roles to navigate an uncertain future. The production features a live cast of ten, choral movement, and projections, and is a creative retelling of one of the first pieces of literature that entered dramatic history.

The play is directed by Guilford resident Keely Baisden Knudsen, the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of The Legacy Theatre. She notes: “It is such a joy to be working with this cast of professionals so willing to delve into this degree of storytelling - finding a way to make this ancient story accessible with such beauty, symbolism, and texture of thought.”

The translation itself is quite accessible, especially when it is mixed with the symbolism of the visuals and the fine performances of the cast members. The members of the chorus, addressed by Oedipus as “my children,” remind the audience how ill the citizens of the community were during the ancient pandemic.

Mitchel Kawash, who plays the title role, credits the director with using the modern tools in the beautiful new theatre to tell a clear story, as well as capturing its mythic energy in ways that contemporary audiences may find relevant. The actor, who is a Yale graduate and has appeared frequently with the Valley Shakespeare Festival, does well with the heavy role.

Mariah Sage takes on the role of the ill-fated Jocasta. The actor feels that what is exciting about watching a classic play like this one is to realize that the questions about life and destiny that challenged the people of that century still mystify us today. “Fate versus free will is a timeless argument that has fascinated humans for centuries. Oedipus is right at the heart of those spirited discussions.” Sage is on the theatre faculty at Quinnipiac University.

Michael Sayers effectively portrays the blind prophet Teiresias and New York actor and director Tom Schwans gives a strong performance as Oedipus’ brother-in-law Creon.

F. Liam Devlin, a young actor that I remembered from his work in “Red Speedo” at Quinnipiac, is a member of the chorus in his Legacy debut. Now a rising senior at the university studying theater with a minor in film, Devlin hails from Somerville, New Jersey. Tyrell Latouche, a recent graduate of Quinnipiac, steps up to play a priest.

Jessica Breda, a Hamden native, opens the show and is a standout member of the chorus.

This production is visually riveting on the Legacy Theatre stage. Jamie Burnett, a founding member of The Elm Shakespeare Company, designed the beautiful set, a masterpiece of an ancient marble temple, as well as the lighting design that illuminates it. Slim doors on both sides of the stage open up the space a bit. Costumes by Katya Vetrov, who teaches theater at Quinnipiac, remind us of Ancient Greece and move well; her props include red ribbons printed with phrases pulled from the script. I was not able to figure out why red fabric was used to cover the stairs stage right and the floor in front of the door stage left for the final scenes; thankfully no actor slipped on it.

Projections designed by Lauren Salatto-Rosenay, the Stage and Company Manager, add a technical touch that manages to dovetail with the classic lines and the lighting.

“Oedipus Rex” is presented without an intermission and runs approximately 90 minutes. The play through Aug. 22, Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m., Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

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