A Dreadful Prophecy

The Good and the Bad in Oedipus Rex (Being an Actor in The Drama Guild):

What is interesting  about the Drama Guild is the amount of fun and hard work that goes into the plays we are doing. Being an actor, it gives you a lot of responsibility to memorize lines and being able to act them out in a certain way to portray your character. It is interesting that the play we are doing is Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, translated by Don Taylor. The only thing I new about it was the quick synopsis I was given by Mr. Berger when we were reading the book Antigone which was the life of Antigone who was one of Oedipus' children. I really thought we were doing a comedy or something PG or at least PG-13. However, when I got the 52 page script and we did a reading the second week in, I was disgusted by the events that happened in the book and it still makes me sick up until now. I can't really explain what was so disgusting to me without giving away the plot and ending. I can see why it was preserved  for so long as it portrays a perfect case of irony at its most tragic and finest. My favorite part of Drama Guild is the laughter and jokes we make off stage with one another. Whether it be about the play or what happened in class. It's very hard to be given a play written so long ago and remember sentences that may be ungrammatically incorrect for this time period. Overall, I love the play and atmosphere, even though things keep changing, as people are given different lines and Ms. Flynn is introducing us to new things to make this play more interesting to the audience. Hopefully it's the best 1 hr 30 min to 2 hours you could have spent. I recommend joining the Drama Guild as it is fun and inspiring to me and others who have joined whether they have been in zero plays before like me or a Drama Guild veteran. Just before you join, take a little advice from me. Make sure the play isn't over a thousand to two thousand years old. It saves you the pronunciation trouble!

Your Fellow Drama Guilder,

Carlos Almeida 

Gloria Regem

Hello it's Dakota again!

The last time I did anything related to Oedipus was in Freshmen year English, and I said to myself "I hope I never do this play." Low and Behold two years later here we are doing it for the 2013 fall play. Speaking of freshmen year, when I started my acting career here at Benedict's, with TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD, which is the only play I can relate to OEDIPUS REX, meaning in both plays, the entire cast was always on stage and all our movements had to be very stylistic and recognizable. But unlike TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD, we all have worked in some way with Oedipus, and we're no stranger to the play and its plot. The hardest part other than learning lines is figuring out how to convey stylistically, abstract themes, without looking too realistic.
On another note, I am the music supervisor again and now I am trying to figure out the best way to gain this "Ancient Greek" sound using the Dorian mode and instruments that could give a "legit sound." I am going to do this by having the company use woodwinds, small and portable percussions and  vocals.

Gloria in fatis regem et malum!

Chorus

The chorus lines in Oedipus Rex are a struggle. Its fine when you have your part and you can improvise and tweak the words and no one will know but with chorus you need to get it down word for word and stay on tempo with the rest of your fellow actors. If you dont do those two critical thinks and nail each word you will be left behind while everyone is proceding with the play and you'll stick out like a sore thumb. And another thing with chorus is they are very stylized with their poses. Chorus needs to strike a over done pose on specific words and if you dont then again everyone will know you have messed up because you stick out like a sore thumb. And nobody wil stop and wait for you to get yourself on track.

But I Haven't Conspired Against You!

Developing your technique as a young actor is challenging enough, but playing a major role in a Greek tragedy only adds to the challenge. Creon is difficult to decipher, his motivations are obscure (Thank you Ms. Flynn). It's strange because Creon does not really have a definite objective in the play, his mood appears to be all over the place, and he has a variety of attitudes towards the main character, Oedipus. Honestly, I still haven't figured out what to make of this guy, I don't even know what he would look like. More analysis and reflection on the script should bring the character around in time.

Now in rehearsal: OEDIPUS THE KING

Welcome to the fall production of the Drama Guild:  OEDIPUS THE KING by Sophocles, with a translation by Don Taylor.  OEDIPUS REX, as it is also known, was originally produced at the City Dionysia Festival around 420 BC, a period during which it was considered the duty of every free male to attend the theatre!  Theatre was not only entertainment, but it served a civic and religious purpose as well.  Productions for the festival were funded by wealthy citizens appointed as patrons by the state, and playwrights and actors competed for prizes.  Three actors played all the individual roles, surrounded by a chorus.  Actors wore masks to help differentiate their roles.  Our company consists of ten actors, (plus two children), with everyone taking a turn in the chorus, as well as playing solo parts.  We have artist Zach Green guiding us in the creation of papier mache masks.  We also have Benedictine volunteers Nick Crowley and Michael Carandang working with us.  Today, alumnus and classics scholar Danny Kane '03 came to talk to us about the history and social context of the play.  We hope you join us throughout the rehearsal process, as we face the challenges of a different theatrical tradition - choral speaking, acting in masks, and ritualized movement and chant.  We look forward to reading your comments, and of course, we hope to see you at one of the performances!  Our production dates are Nov. 21st-23rd at 7pm and Nov. 24th at 2pm.