Court Theatre presents “Theatre & Thought Series ” a 4 week seminar- Julia W Rath

The University of Chicago’s Court Theatre announces its “Theatre and Thought Series” beginning with a four-week seminar on Euripides’s work “The Bacchae” and its adaptations through the present-day. Once a week for four weeks during the month of October (beginning on October 7th), noted scholars will explore the meaning and relevance of this classic and its variations in modern drama, opera, music, and film.

Nicholas Rudall’s translation of the script from Ancient Greek into English provides the basis for the online staged reading, directed by Monty Cole and featuring cast members Adia Alli, Atra Asdou, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, McKenzie Chinn, Stephanie Diaz, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Jennifer Latimore, Karissa Murrell Myers, and MJ D. Rawls. Among those discussing the work is renowned author and faculty member Dr. Sarah Nooter, of the Department of Classics and the College at The University of Chicago, who provides thoughtful insight on topics ranging from theatrical imagery and ancient religion to gender relations. Dr. Clifford Ando and Dr. Christopher A. Faraone round out the experts from the university’s Classics Department.

Written in 405 BC, “The Bacchae” is considered not only one of Euripides’s greatest plays but one of the greatest tragedies ever written. Dionysus takes revenge on his human relatives, the House of Cadmus, when they fail to recognize him as a young god worthy of honor and respect. Particular venom is meted out to his cousin King Pentheus, who has not only doubted Dionysus’s divinity but has banned his worship throughout Thebes. “Your name points to calamity; it fits you well,” says Dionysus of Pentius (whose name in Greek means “grief”).

The set of four sessions will take place on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. on October 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th. Each session builds on the next, with the virtual staged reading taking place during the third week of the course, that is, on October 21st.

Individual enrollment for the online/remote series is $85.
To register for the seminar or for more details, call the Court Theatre’s Box Office at (773) 753-4472, or visit CourtTheatre.org.

Note that three-, four-, and five-event subscriptions to Court’s 2020/21 season range from $96 to $300 and are on sale now. For more information, see CourtTheatre.org.

Court Theatre’s digital programs are produced in partnership with the Graham School’s Arts@Graham series. The University of Chicago’s Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies is “dedicated to promoting a liberal arts education… to a wider audience… in Chicago, and beyond.”