Southern Utah University’s student-run theatre company, Second Studio, will open the final show of their 2024-2025 season on March 20. The Ancient Greek tragedy, “Medea,” written by Euripides, is directed by Second Studio Artistic Director Micah Cajilig, who took a modern approach to the classic tale.
“Medea” follows the wife of Jason the Argonaut, famous for his quest to find the golden fleece. Jason leaves Medea for Glauce, the daughter of Creon, the king of Corinth. After Creon reveals plans to exile Medea and her children, she is sent on a spiral of revenge and grief, as fueled by the gossip cycles in Greece.
“She is someone who’s been tricked by the gods and has been screwed over many, many times, and we see that in the story,” said Sam Mayor, who plays Medea. “She’s screwed over by the people that she thinks are supposed to love her, and that’s really tough for her to accept, so she does everything that she can to change that or to fight against that.”
Cajilig has put a unique spin on this production of “Medea,” using the classic language but setting the show in the early 2000s.
“The idea came from, how do we make this story approachable? I was really trying to find a way to make the language read for today’s audiences,” said Cajilig.
Cajilig saw parallels between the discussions had by the characters in Medea and the way the tabloid and paparazzi operated in the early 2000s. Much of the concept is stylistic, but the actors also treat the characters as people in the early 2000s rather than in Ancient Greece.
“I think it becomes a bit more introspective, just in the way that not only we view celebrities, but also view each other, especially in a digital age where everything is so on display,” said Shay Wilkey, who plays Creon.
The concept also features audience involvement in the form of fourth-wall breaks, allowing audiences to feel like they are a part of the show without having to put effort into it themselves.
“It makes it more palatable, more exciting, and more immersive because you feel like you’re really part of the crowd who’s watching this whole thing go down,” said Austin Fronk, who plays Jason.
The team behind “Medea” hopes that the concept will create excitement among potential audiences, but inside and outside of the theatre department.
“They’re excited to see something that they’ve probably had to study and look at in a way that is more modern and fun, without deriving it of any of its theatrical integrity,” said Wilkey.
The team behind “Medea” has been hard at work for the past five weeks putting the show together, and hopes to see their efforts pay off through the audience’s reactions.
“The real question that I want them to leave thinking is, how far are you willing to go?” said Cajilig. “Because if something happens to you, what do you do? How do you react to that?”
“Medea” has performances on March 20-22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium Black Box, with an additional matinee March 22 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $5, and are available online and at the door.
“I hope people come and they just are able to experience and appreciate the art that it is,” said Wilkey. “I think the team, especially the creative team, has put in a lot of work and a lot of thought into its overall conception.”
Author: Tessa Cheshire
Photographer: Tessa Cheshire
Editor: Heather Turner
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