Why Not Greek Tragedy? Some Thoughts from our Pylades

When planning the production of any Greek play, the question will invariably be raised, ‘Why?’. What need have we for Greek drama nowadays? What is the significance of this play to a group of people so far removed from the original text? Beyond Greek drama, this question is now immediately being raised about the production of any play which dates from before a time period which we seem to have unanimously, wordlessly agreed to be our own. It is a question which bothers me to a certain degree. It is presented as though to say, ‘Why bother with this play which may as well have been written by a race from a distant galaxy, operating on an entirely different set of morals and interests to those with which we are familiar?’ True, Aristotle maintains the notion that the primary purpose of Greek tragedy was Catharsis, so that we may all know just what is expected of our behaviour upon leaving the theatre, lest we diverge from the path which society has drawn. Certainly, I am of the opinion that Aristotle’s writings are the root of this terrible ‘Why?’, so taken are we by the notion of free will and expression. If we could all just ignore the Why, however, we may begin to see Greek drama just as it is: a relic of one of mankind’s greatest creations, which has persisted for thousands of years; and is that not so exciting, that we may stop trying to rationalise its production in a modern setting, and instead, just be content that we are constantly contributing to this ever-changing canvas which the Greeks have given us?

Roisín Egan as Chrysothemis and Annie Clery as Electra during the first run-through of Electra on 15/2/14

Before being offered the role of Pylades, my primary function was that of being the understudy for all the male characters of the play. I believe this to be what may be defined as ‘mixed emotions’. The first was of delirious apprehension at the sheer number of lines which lay before me. This was somewhat diminished, however, upon seeing the task which lay before the woman to play the part of Electra. The second emotion was that of the excitement which may only be found when I find myself entirely rapt in awe of the artistic brilliance of any piece of work. It was not long before I found myself pacing from one end of my bedroom to the other, trying to shake the association with learning essays for Leaving Cert Irish, speaking to the ether which surrounded me, ‘Son of Agamemnon, this is your father’s land, the ancient city of Argos…’ and so on. The excitement of learning cannot be forced, but it can absolutely be found in Frank McGuinness’ masterfully crafted adaptation of Electra. The text carries such a familiar note throughout, that I would often find myself repeating the same line of Orestes’ for the simple sake of digesting its poetry.

                  

Frank McGuinness’ words manage to effortlessly translate the electricity of the play, which is at the root of my anti-rationalisation stance on approaching a Greek tragedy. Through this text, I feel so much excitement to be taking part in this production, knowing that the Pylades who performed in the first showing of the Sophoclean text is the same Pylades whom I now portray. As with any language or a copper structure which gradually turns from brown to green, Electra is a play which is in perpetual motion, and its winding up in our hands is indicative of little more than the brilliant force of human curiosity. So far during rehearsals, our Electra is shaping up to be one which taps into the terrifyingly animalistic elements of the characters’ behaviour, which is, to me, a step in the right direction. Of course, the adaptation which we are using facilitates our being able to move away from the intimidatingly rococo style which is synonymous with classical tragedy in many people’s minds. It is truly thrilling to see our production take shape over the mould which has been passed down over thousands of years, so that, ultimately, people like us and the audience who will see it will be transported to our unique Electra. Although academia would frown upon me saying so, there is an obvious answer to the question of ‘Why produce Electra nowadays?’, and that answer is simply: For the thrill of creativity and artistic evolution taking place before our eyes. I feel privileged to be so closely connected to this evolution, and it is an experience which I will take with me far beyond the final showing. I am very confident that the impact of our collaborative journey will be a hugely rewarding experience for the audience as well as us.

Mark Leahy