NASHVILLE, Tenn. ñ A Greek tragedy about the sacrifice of an
innocent for the sake of winning a war is the first show of the 2004-05
season of Vanderbilt University’s Department of Theatre.
Iphigenia, written by Euripedes and adapted by Irish writer Edna
O’Brien, will debut at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1. Performances will
follow on Oct. 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 ñ all at 8 p.m. Tickets are available
at Neely Auditorium on the Vanderbilt campus. Admission is $7 for
members of the general public, $4 for graduate students and free for
undergraduates.
"It’s very timely," said Terryl Hallquist, associate professor of
theatre and director of Vanderbilt’s production of Iphigenia. "Theatre
people usually bring out the Greek tragedies when we’re in the middle
of a war. It helps us to look at this view of war and judge if things
have changed, or if we’re doing what we always do for the same reasons.
"It’s also interesting because of the adaptation by Edna O’Brien, which informs it with her sensibilities as an Irish woman."
Iphigenia begins another diverse season for the Vanderbilt
University Department of Theatre. Company, the classic musical by
Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, debuts Nov. 4.
The first production of the spring semester will be the witty and
slapstick The Barber of Seville by Beumarchais, translated by Bernard
Sahlins, which begins on Feb. 18. Steven Dietz’s Handing Down the Names
debuts on April 8. It tells a sprawling tale of a family who struggles
for two centuries and over several continents to find a homeland.
"We always strive for a balance between contemporary and the
classics and between serious plays and comedies," said Jon Hallquist,
associate professor of theatre, who will direct the production of
Handing Down the Names.
The seats in Neely Auditorium have been replaced for the new season,
which will make patrons more comfortable and allow more flexibility for
stage settings.
"It’s a small, intimate venue," Terryl Hallquist said, "and the
shows are a real economical value, too. Where else can you see quality
theatre for seven dollars?"
Media contact: Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS
Jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu