Love takes on new meaning in 'Medea'

Year after year, people celebrate Valentine's Day by organizing some sort of schmaltzy candlelit dinner date, or even worse, unfortunate singles often drown their suppressed bitterness in a Blockbuster five-night-rental syrupy love story marathon.

This Valentine's Day, dare to break with tradition. Instead of reveling in romantic happy endings, venture to see Evren Odcikin's senior thesis production of "Medea." A classic by Euripides, it is the tale of a fierce, manipulative woman intertwined with vengeful jealousy, ruined love, and horrific murders. "When Harry Met Sally" has nothing on this show.

Bibiane Choi '03 takes on the title role of the Greek heroine. She is flanked by a three-woman chorus of Stephanie Greenberg '04, Natasha Badillo '03, and Aliza Kennerly '04, and provoked by her husband, Jason, played by Jeff Kitrosser '03.

This talented (and rather large) cast confronts a play dealing with mature issues of covetous marital strife and gut-wrenching maternal struggles and also a play which was written over two millenniums ago. Choi was initially startled at the show selection. "Who thinks of pulling this show off in a college production?" she asked incredulously.

The director, Evren Odcikin '02, is no stranger to tussling with daunting theatrical productions. Last year, his production of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" with a Brechtian flair stirred audiences at Theatre~Intime. But Odcikin notes that his senior thesis differs in direction from last year's Shakespeare classic. "Unlike Macbeth, I did not want to come out with a new interpretation," he said. "I just wanted to do this show right."

Odcikin, a native of Turkey, was initially drawn to the show after the Turkish earthquake of a few years ago; his mind was imprinted with the news image of a bereaved grandmother mourning for her lost children and grandchildren who remained trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building.

"I was drawn to the image of the mourning Middle Eastern woman," remarked Odcikin, explaining why the costumes of the show also have a Middle Eastern style. "And, being a Greek tragedy, this also coincides with the Balkan, Middle Eastern geographic area."

Because "Medea" is such a well-recognized Greek tragedy, the cast was originally concerned that the show's reputation would serve as an obstacle for their production. But after viewing the play, this was an obstacle easily hurdled by the cast and director. The emotional level in the play is horrifying and deeply impacts the audience. Choi's deep, gravelly voice haunts, as do the menacing, rhythmic chants of the chorus and the chilling violin strings playing in the background during the show.

Emotion mounts rapidly as the play barrels for a continuous hour and a half, not allowing the audience to even take a deep breath, much less notice the absence of an intermission. Even the set is massive, extending to all edges of the performance space and towering above to a second level.

A daring and quality performance, Odcikin's "Medea" may not fit into the typical Valentine's Day routine, but its allure is compelling. The emotionallywrenching themes stay with the viewer more than any flighty romantic comedy movie one might rent amid the flourish of red and pink this February 14th. Spend the weekend of the holiday of love counterintuitively — by experiencing the classic story of an ardent and ferocious woman who "kills to prove her love."