L.A. theater ensemble Poor Dog Group is unleashing Satyr Atlas, a re-imagining of ancient Greek satyr plays, at the Getty Villa this weekend. What are satyr plays, you ask? Neither tragedy nor comedy, but a dramatic universe of their own… More»
Breathing life into ancient tales is both a challenge and an art. Master storyteller Daniel Morden, who performs this weekend at the Getty Villa, has perfected it. His passion and zeal for classic stories—at the Villa, selections from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and… More»
Sophocles’ Elektra—which concludes its run at the Getty Villa this Saturday—is the story of a woman’s thirst for revenge: Elektra rages and plots against her mother (and her mother’s lover) for slaying her father. But Elektra’s brother, Orestes, is the… More»
Pamela Reed rips into the role of murderous queen Clytemnestra in Sophocles’ Elektra with gusto. She creates a character that reviewers have described as despicable, divalike, suave, snarky, and imperious—in short, a perfect and delicious villain. In this video, Reed… More»
“I will not participate in that patriarchy!” That was Olympia Dukakis’s reaction, almost 25 years ago, when director Carey Perloff approached her about starring as Clytemnestra in Ezra Pound’s translation of Elektra. Today’s production—with a text by acclaimed female playwright… More»
“A living, pulsing world” is what composer, cellist, and vocalist Bonfire Madigan Shive set out to create with her music for the Villa’s outdoor production of Elektra. Though it’s been described as haunting and subtle, the sound is also a… More»
What is it like to perform Greek tragedy in an outdoor theater setting? The director, the composer and musical director, and cast members of the sold-out new production of Sophocles’ Elektra—which premieres tonight at the Getty Villa—gave us their take… More»
A 2,400-year-old comedy. One week to work on it. Oh yeah—and it’s a musical. The Getty Villa is a hotbed of new ideas about very old theater. In the new Villa Play-Reading Series, translations and adaptations of classical plays are… More»
Remarkably realistic for medieval illuminated beasts, which were often fabulous admixtures of fantasy and fur. The unicorn is clearly drawn from life, for example.