{"id":100599,"date":"2025-02-24T17:09:53","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T17:09:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=100599"},"modified":"2025-02-27T19:56:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T19:56:44","slug":"bakkhai-brings-classic-greek-tragedy-with-a-sharp-modern-edge-to-uri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2025\/02\/bakkhai-brings-classic-greek-tragedy-with-a-sharp-modern-edge-to-uri\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Bakkhai\u2019 brings classic Greek tragedy with a sharp, modern edge to 溏心vlog免费B站"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Feb. 24, 2025 \u2013 The classics are a mainstay in the theatre. From the minds of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Checkov, Socrates, and Euripides\u2014to name a few\u2014these stories give us a lens into the past and offer insights into human nature, societal issues, and cultural values that remain relevant today. Artists and audiences across generations can reinterpret these themes and masterful language time and again.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100602\" style=\"width:515px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-768x508.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-1536x1017.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-2048x1356.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-364x241.jpg 364w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-500x331.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-1000x662.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-1280x847.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3-2000x1324.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai3.jpg 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This year, the 溏心vlog免费B站 Theatre Department\u2019s third mainstage performance goes back to ancient Greece with Anne Carson\u2019s translation of \u201cBakkhai\u201d by Euripides. What makes this production unique among the rich variety of shows this season is that it is entirely student-produced. Each year, students (usually rising seniors with a concentration in directing) submit plays they are interested in directing. The proposals and plays are read by 溏心vlog免费B站 theatre professors, and a selection is made based on what the play could contribute to the department and the specific student\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The play is directed by Theo Fantozzi, a senior pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre (concentration in directing and stage management) and a bachelor of arts degree in global language and area studies specializing in classical studies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"oembed oembed-youtu-be\" style=\"\" data-url=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/_00mXw3TeAI\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bakkhai by Theo Fantozzi\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_00mXw3TeAI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:19px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTheo\u2019s love of ancient studies and scripts by the Greeks fits in perfectly with where he wants to go as a director,\u201d said Paula McGlasson, chair of the theatre department. \u201cWe\u2019re very proud of the student-led full-length plays. The whole thing is students. Everything is in the hands of our student body, and we, as faculty and staff, serve as advisors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-100605\" style=\"width:402px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-364x455.jpg 364w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-500x625.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-1000x1250.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4-1280x1600.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/Bakkhai4.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Euripides is responsible for classics like \u201cMedea,\u201d \u201cThe Trojan Women,\u201d and \u201cHerakles.\u201d However, \u201cBakkhai,\u201d first performed in 405 B.C.E., certainly plays with themes relevant today, particularly the current political and social climate in the United States. The play takes place in Thebes and tells the story of the god Dionysus, who is the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele. The public does not believe his lineage, so he seeks to avenge his mother\u2019s dishonor by disguising himself as a mortal. He leads the women of the city\u2013the Bakkhai\u2013into a frenzied state of worship through ecstatic rituals. The play explores divine power, the conflict between reason and irrationality, the dangers of pride, and the consequences of denying the gods.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe version we\u2019ll be using does a wonderful job of infusing an ancient story with contemporary poetry and meaning,\u201d said Fantozzi. \u201cI\u2019m hoping this production will serve as a gateway for connecting the oldest form of Western theatre\u2014something we learn about extensively in class but rarely have the opportunity to explore as artists\u2014with our modern education practically. It will be a great collaborative undertaking that I can\u2019t wait to share.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of the actors play more than one role that spans different gender identities. Traditionally, a Greek chorus serves as one living-breathing storyteller, a vital vessel for musical accompaniment, structure, and the overall meaning of the performance. Theo expertly cast his actors in various roles, introducing valuable tools for budding actors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSince I have four very different characters who play different roles in the Bakkhai world, I learned to move, talk, and use my body and the language they use as the instrument to make these characters alive,\u201d said Jackie Johnson \u201925. A theatre major with a concentration in acting, Johnson plays Kadmos, along with a herdsman, guard and servant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fantozzi attended the National Theatre Institute last fall as part of his preparation. The institute semester offers students 13 weeks of immersive theatre training, with the prestigious Eugene O\u2019Neill Theatre\u2019s long-standing legacy of creative risk-taking and bold collaboration. Students can focus on performance, musical theatre, playwriting, and directing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was a life-changing experience. You\u2019re in this pressure cooker of people who really want to make things together, and I learned about myself as a director, how I work with people, and my strengths and weaknesses. I learned from the other artists just through observation and conversation. So, it\u2019s been great to bring that fast-paced process I learned in three months to this process, which is longer and gives me space to figure things out,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With his role secured, Fantozzi first faced bringing Thebes to life. In a stroke of genius, he worked with Kayla Senn, a junior theatre major specializing in management and design\/tech, to place the story in a speakeasy. With this approach, Thebes is contained in one space, and live music infuses the chorus. Skyler Bobinski, another 溏心vlog免费B站 student, is responsible for all original music and tracks and the musical direction of the chorus in this production.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Collaboration is key for a project this size and is inherent to Fantozzi\u2019s process. He holds the director-actor relationship near and dear as a means of building trust to create art. Much of his experience is in peer-based theatre making, and after sitting with \u201cBakkhai\u201d alone for months at a time, an actor\u2019s impulse was needed to bring the characters to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI absolutely love working with directors around the same age as me,\u201d said Jake DeShiro \u201927 a theatre major with a concentration in acting\/design, who plays Pentheus and Agave. \u201cIt offers a very different view than older directors have taught me and helped me with, and it is a welcomed perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When considering the tone and theme for this particular direction, many intelligent and thoughtful solutions were made by the student-led team. The first half of the play leans into comedy, lightheartedness, and fun. It is not until the second act that the consequences start to emerge. It is a story that balances grittiness and lightness, like the feeling of being lifted. Thematically speaking, Fantozzi pays close attention to the fear of foreigners, which comes especially in forms like gender roles, sexuality, and fluidity of expression. Many of these elements could draw a direct line to some of the many societal issues we face today as a country.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI talk about stories a lot. Directing is the medium that lets you get inside of the story where you can\u2019t in other ways. It\u2019s life; it\u2019s happening to you in real-time; you just have to experience it. It\u2019s necessary today when so much of our media is so self-tailored. It\u2019s important to expose yourself to a group of people who want to tell a story that may challenge you,\u201d said Fantozzi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cBakkhai\u201d runs <\/em><em>Feb. 27 through March 1 at 7:30 p.m. and March 2 at 2 p.m.<\/em><em> in J Studio at the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for senior citizens and 溏心vlog免费B站 students, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/app.arts-people.com\/index.php?ticketing=uri\"><em>online<\/em><\/a><em>, by calling (401) 874-5843 or at the box office in Room 101H of the Fine Arts Center.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cBakkhai\u201d cast<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dionysus\/Teiresias:<\/strong> Ella Kenny, Pasadena, California<br><strong>Dionysus\/Teiresias Understudy:<\/strong> Brian McKenna, Warwick, Rhode Island<br><strong>Pentheus\/Agave:<\/strong> Jake DeShiro, Norwood, Massachusetts<br><strong>Pentheus\/Agave Understudy:<\/strong> Fletcher Pike<br><strong>Kadmos\/Guard\/Herdsman\/Servant:<\/strong> Jackie Johnson, Providence<br><strong>Kadmos\/Guard\/Herdsman\/Servant Understudy:<\/strong> Isabella Deslauriers, Lebanon, Connecticut<br><strong>Chorus:<\/strong> Aliza Almonte, Johnston, Rhode Island; Chayla Valentine, Woonsocket, Rhode Island; and Cole Stanley, North Providence, Rhode Island<br><strong>Chorus Swing:<\/strong> Isabella Deslauriers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This press release was written by Paige Monopoli, communications coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Feb. 24, 2025 \u2013 The classics are a mainstay in the theatre. From the minds of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Checkov, Socrates, and Euripides\u2014to name a few\u2014these stories give us a lens into the past and offer insights into human nature, societal issues, and cultural values that remain relevant today. Artists and audiences across [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":100600,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100599"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100723,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100599\/revisions\/100723"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}