A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Iphigenia in Aulis (Washburn)

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  3any gender (adult) plus ensemble

by Euripides
Transadapted by Anne Washburn

This dynamic rendering of an ancient story returns us to a world where a father is challenged to sacrifice his daughter to appease the gods.

Iphigenia in Aulis (Washburn)

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3any gender (adult) plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Stage & Screen), Fable/Folktale
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
Anne Washburn's dynamic rendering of Euripides' rarely-seen final play returns us to a world where a father is challenged to sacrifice his daughter to appease the gods. This intelligent transadaptation of Iphigenia in Aulis is largely faithful to its source material, with a fresh and irreverent edge.
History
Iphigenia in Aulis premiered as part of Classic Stage Company's Greek Festival on 10 August 2015. Directed by Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812), the production featured music by The Bengsons.
Keywords
Performing Groups

This play should be performed by three actors, double/triple cast like so:

AGAMEMNON – General of the army of the Greeks
ACHILLIES – Soldier, son of Thetis and Peleus, leader of the Myrmidons

MENELAUS – Brother of Agamemnon, aggrieved husband
CLYTEMNESTRA – Wife to Agamemnon, mother of Iphigenia

OLD MAN – A Slave in Agamemnon's service
IPHIGENIA – Daughter of Agamemnon
MESSENGER – Just that

CHORUS – 5-7 chorus members are a set of vibrant married ladies (mid-to-late teens) on a day trip from the non-Greek nation of Chalcus just over the creek. Played by a mixture of men and women of any age.

  • Time Period Greek/Roman/Biblical
  • Setting

    Outside of Agamemnon's tent. Aulis, Greece. 8th century B.C.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes, Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“If the Greeks feel over-the-top to modern audiences, surely no one is more qualified than Washburn to find the incidental in the epic.” – New York Times

“The play may hinge on ancient concepts like gods and filicide, but at its core is the timeless anguish of making a decision when any outcome would be catastrophic. If the Greeks feel over-the-top to modern audiences, surely no one is more qualified than Washburn to find the incidental in the epic.” – New York Times

“Iphigenia in Aulis is one of the most infamous stories, retold with supreme dramatic skill... it is received by its listeners not as reverent homage to any past, but as shocking news, only as old as the last hour.” – New York Theatre Guide

“Anne Washburn’s transadaptation is a mesmerizing, groundbreaking update on Euripides' final tragedy... The brilliance of Washburn's universe is the subtlety of her historical and mythological revisionism.” – StageBuddy

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Anne Washburn

Anne Washburn
Anne Washburn’s play's include Mr. Burns, 10 out of 12, Antlia Pneumatica, A Devil At Noon, Apparition, The Communist Dracula Pageant, I Have Loved Strangers, The Ladies, The Internationalist, The Small, Little Bunny Foo Foo and transadaptations of Euripides' Orestes and Iph ...
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