Jason, Medea and the Tragedy at the PS19 Talent Show
Written & Performed by Mark Blane
Adapted from Euripides’ Medea
UNDER St. Marks at 94 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009
November 22nd - December 7th
Mark Blane’s spin on Euripides’ Medea is told from the perspective of Jason. For those not familiar with Medea – not Tyler Perry’s - Medea is a loving wife and mother whose husband decides to replace her. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned starts with her. Medea murders her husband’s new wife as well as her own two children by him. In productions I’ve seen, Medea appears driven to madness by the men who have power over her life as a wife from a foreign land.
But have we suffered by only seeing the play from Medea’s perspective?
Is Medea a victim or a monster?
Blane’s retelling not only gives us Jason’s perspective, but brings the play to modern day NYC. Jumping (literally) between characters, Blane portrays Jason, Medea, Jason’s new lover, Jason’s lover’s father. Jason and Medea are both actors though Medea is the more successful of the two, and Jason’s love’s father is her CAA rep. The dysfunction of Jason and Medea’s relationship all comes to a head at their son’s 4th grade talent show. And that is about as far as I can go without revealing too much!
The production, exquisitely structured and paced, moves smoothly under the guidance of director, Dante Fuoco. Jumping back and forth in time, or between the stage and video, this play has exactly what it needs to the tell the story – nothing more, nothing less. Coming in at around 55 minutes, there is never a dull moment - particularly the denouement.
You may think I’m being too vague in the name of not revealing too much, but the creative team even decided to only hand out programs after the show was over. The fact is, it’s smart retelling and revealing too much would deprive you of the joy of experiencing it for yourself. No spoilers here.
Just when I thought my perspective of Medea couldn’t be changed, this play came along. It will have you questioning everything you believe you knew about the story – like Medea herself.
Reviewed by Nicole Jesson.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on December 10th, 2024. All rights reserved.