by Ashley Steed~

“Tonight I have seen that I have been the fool, just a bit player in a story you all know too well.”

The story is that of a man prophesied to kill his father and marry his mother. That bit player is, of course, Oedipus. Luis Alfaro’s Oedipus El Rey, playing at Boston Court, is a modern-day adaptation of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Corinth is replaced with the North Kern State Prison; and instead of Thebes, Oedipus (Justin Huen) is king of the L.A. barrio Pico/Union.

In this adaption we are shown Oedipus’s life from beginning to end. After his birth his father Laius (the robust Leandro Cano), in order to thwart the prophecy that his son will kill him, cuts the baby’s feet and gives him to his subordinate Tiresias (Winston J. Rocha) to kill. Taking pity on the child, Tiresias raises the child himself. Oedipus grows up in and out of juvenile facilities and eventually is incarcerated. Tiresias, el papá, lands himself in prison too, just to watch over Oedipus. Oedipus is a sympathetic convict who’s merely a victim of his circumstances. After all, he has dreams – although he admits, “it’s not too good to dream in [prison].” It seems those dreams come true when he meets Jocasta, played flawlessly by Marlene Forte. Huen’s rugged and explosive youth is complemented by Forte’s deep and sensual sadness. Their chemistry is disturbingly electric, so much so that when Oedipus and Jocasta succumb to their painfully desperate need for connection we forget, for a brief moment, that they are mother and son.

Their honeymoon, however, is short lived. The Greek classic is driven by fate; this adaptation, however, is driven more by the need to believe in it. Here the Greek deities and the Catholic God are fused together, creating a belief system bound by guilt and inspired by myths – and yet there is hope for redemption. Oedipus, in his hubris, declares himself a god – thus believing himself above the myths of the gods and guilt of the sinners, and thereby, beyond redemption.

This egomaniacal trait is a gift from his father Laius as evident in the patricide scene. The two men confront one another due to road rage, which escalates into a fistfight culminating with Oedipus pounding Laius to death. And like father, like son – once he puts on that gold chain with the crown, he becomes the very person he killed.

There’s a lot to appreciate in Alfaro’s adaptation. His poetic prose evokes the classic and yet is very much rooted the contemporary. Especially poignant is the humor, which delicately balances the tragedy. Director Jon Lawrence Rivera masterfully choreographs the jumps in time and space as transitions are fully played out and scenes are elegantly overlapped. The rhythm of the language is never rushed, nor does it lag on.

El Coro (Michael Uribes, Carlos Acuña, Daniel Chacón, Cano and Rocha) seamlessly shifts from prison inmates to mythological creatures, and other characters. Most salient is the three-headed Esfinge (Uribes, Chacón and Acuña) who is destroyed and vanishes into thin air when Oedipus answers its riddle correctly.

The production’s simple and stark design complements the rich and heavy material. John H. Binkley’s set has a modern Japanese feel with its solid colors and sleek lines. Other than the red stage and sloped prison bars, the only other real set pieces are five stools and two chairs. Jeremy Pivnick’s lighting design is dark and focused as it accentuates the play’s themes. Especially memorable is the sound design and music composition by Robert Oriol, whose mournful and exquisite guitar melody serves as the perfect underscore. Sound plays a crucial role in evoking mood and place. Whether it’s whistles, dogs barking, birds chirping, or the wind blowing – there always seems to be some sort of ambient noise. And when there is no noise, it makes the silence all the more deafening.

The costumes by Dori Quan are also simple. With Oedipus in a wife-beater that showcases his muscular body and tattoos, the Coro in button down jail uniforms and jeans, and Jocasta’s black wrap dress. Her other dress, however, is a bit noisy next to the muted colors of the others and clashes with the red stage. The masks and props by Shannon Dedman are nicely understated as they offer just enough to evoke a character transformation while leaving the rest to the imagination.

If this play were to be done in true Greek fashion – sans sets, lights, and sound – the story would still be just as memorable. That is due to the tremendous abilities of the ensemble and the delicate staging by Rivera. The finals moments are frightfully stunning as we witness the blind leading the blind, thus leaving us to question our own beliefs in fate and destiny and whether or not we have the power to change it.

Oedipus el Rey, a National New Play Network World Premiere, is performed Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through March 28, 2010

The Theatre @ Boston Court is located at 70 N. Mentor Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106, just east of N Lake Ave., just north of Colorado Blvd.

Ticket prices: General admission $32.00, Student/Seniors $27.00

Reservations on-line at www.bostoncourt.org or by phone at 626-683-6883