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Inspired by the story in The Gospel at Colonus of an ancient city that welcomed an outcast refugee, Avant Bard’s Saturday afternoon Unscripted Afterchats will feature four special guests who, through their work, connect people by lifting them up in affirmation and esteem. These speakers come from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds, but all share in a spirit of community building that welcomes and unites the best in everyone.

The Gospel at Colonus plays at Gunston Arts Center, Theatre Two, 700 South Lang Street, Arlington, VA 22206. The Afterchats will begin right after a 2 p.m. Pay What You Will matinee and last about 20 minutes. (Pay What You Will means you can name your price at the door, or reserve a ticket online for a $10 minimum.) For more information, go to avantbard.org/tickets or contact Quill Nebeker, quill@avantbard.org, 703-418-4808.

ALERT: Due to the popularity of THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS, advance online PWYW reservations are recommended to guarantee a seat.

Saturday, March 17, 3:30 p.m.

Nina Tisara (Photographer of the “Converging Paths.” “United in the Spirit,” and “Sanctuary” series exhibited in the lobby during The Gospel at Colonus). Meet the heart behind the lens, and chat about what it’s like to bear witness to more than 70 places of worship, all in our own backyard.

 

Saturday, March 24, 3:30 p.m.

Minister Marcellus Hartsfield (Founder of Anointed Hands Sign Interpreting Ministries). Meet the sign interpreter for the March 23 performance of The Gospel at Colonus, and chat about what it takes to unite hearing and Deaf cultures in love and understanding.

 

Previous Afterchats

Saturday, March 3, 3:30 p.m.

Kenton Rogers (Singer Oedipus, ordained preacher, and gospel music recording artist). Meet one of the newest additions to The Gospel at Colonus cast, and chat about the intersection between theatre, theology, and uplifting song.

 

Saturday, March 10, 3:30 p.m.

Minister Becky Sanders (Executive Director of the Women’s Ecumenical Choir). Meet the director of the choir for The Gospel at Colonus, and chat about what it’s like to unite six denominations and more than 50 women in one voice.

 

 

Meet the amazing cast, choir, and creative team behind the revival of this powerful and uplifting gospel musical.

The Gospel at Colonus is a soaring celebration of transcendence and the fragility of life. The music is an inspiring fusion of Black church gospel with blues and Motown. The show’s message of redemption and hope is sorely needed right now.

CAST

A.J. Calbert (Theseus) hails from the cornfields of Illinois and is excited to make his debut with Avant Bard. A.J. studied acting at the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory and holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Yale University. His previous shows include: Romeo & Juliet (Capulet), Prince George’s Shakespeare; A Christmas Carol (Young Scrooge and others), Chesapeake Shakespeare Company; Oedipus the King (Creon, Teiresias), Lean & Hungry Theatre;  DC State Players present: Agamemnon (Agamemnon), Barrelhouse Theatre.

Jessa Marie Coleman (Ismene), a native of Ellicott City, MD, began her journey with music from early childhood. Graduating from Stevenson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Film/Theatre/Video, she began performing professionally regionally at Toby’s Dinner Theatres in Columbia and Baltimore. Soon after, she joined Royal Caribbean cruise lines as a lead singer. In addition to travelling the world through song and dance, Jessa has performed as a backup dancer for the artist M.I.A at the 2010 Oktoberfest at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Also in 2016 she was featured in the FKA Twigs Baltimore dance documentary. Her credits include ArtsCentric: Sister Act (Michelle), Memphis (Ensemble, Felicia u/s), Snapshots (Natalie), For Colored Girls… (Yellow); Royal Caribbean: Majesty (Lead Vocalist), Grandeur (Lead Vocalist); Toby’s Dinner Theatre: The Color Purple (Nettie), Hairspray (Dynamite), Buddy Holly Story (Apollo Singer), Ragtime, All Shook Up, Beauty and the Beast, Cats (Syllabub), Phantom of the Opera, Sophisticated Ladies (Ensemble). Jessa is thrilled to be a part of such a talented cast and incredible project! She gives infinite thanks to her mother, father, Todd, and all those friends and family who have continued to support her toward her destiny! Shine on!

e’Marcus Harper-Short (Creon), who is also Musical Director of The Gospel at Colonus, is a performer with extensive recording, touring, and television credits. Among the artists he has worked with as keyboardist, vocalist, or conductor: Carlos Santana, MC Hammer, Lionel Richie, David Murray, Davey Yarborough, Walter Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Li’l Richard, Aretha Franklin, Billy Preston, and Michael Jackson.

William Thomas Newman Jr.  (Preacher Oedipus) is a busy and familiar stage, screen, TV, and voiceover performer. He most recently played the title roles in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Shakespeare’s Othello with Lean & Hungry Theatre. He won critical acclaim as Jack in The Winter’s Tale. His theatre credits also include starring roles in Plaza Suite, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, and Let’s Get Sanctified. On network TV he played the role of Hal Johnson on the daytime serial Somerset, and his motion picture credits include Suspect and Lee Daniels’s The Butler.

Ayana Reed (Antigone), a native Washingtonian, graduated from Duke Ellington School of the Arts and obtained her BM in Vocal Performance from George Mason University. Her versatility is showcased through performances such as an opera debut in Italy and a starring role in the Helen Hayes Awards nominated blues musical Blackberry Daze. She loves bringing meaningful stories to life on stage. www.ayana-reed.com

Kenton Rogers (Singer Oedipus), native of Paterson, NJ, presently residing in Baltimore, MD, is an accomplished recording artist, actor, and ordained preacher. He has performed Off-Broadway (in God’s Creation and Black Nativity) and on stages across America and internationally. Kenton made his recording debut on Melvin Williams’s project Live! In Living Color performing the duet “Time Is Running Out.”  He then signed with Blackberry Records and released his freshman project, Just Look at Me, which yielded the classic and still popular “God Has Never Failed Me.” In addition, he released his sophomore project, Alive & Pressin’ On, featuring gospel superstars the Williams Brothers, Paul Porter, the late Willie Neal Johnson, and the late Albertina Walker, who blessed him with standout selections “Jesus Will Fix It,” “Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand,” “Help Me Lord,” “I Wanna Go,” and “God Is.”

Rafealito Ross (Balladeer) is a lyric tenor and a Washington, DC, native. metropolitan area. He is a graduate of George Mason University (B.M., Vocal Performance) and Catholic University of America (M.M., Vocal Performance). Currently Rafealito teaches choral music in the Prince Georges County school system and private voice at Falls Church Music Conservatory, and he serves as the Director of Music at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Herndon, VA. As an emerging artist, Rafealito has performed the roles of Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte; The Conductor in Pasatieri’s La Divina; King Kaspar in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors; Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi; Eisenstein in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus; Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro and Tamino in Die Zauberflote, both by Mozart. In December 2003 Rafealito made his debut with the Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra as the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah and was invited to return for the 2004 performances. Rafealito has also had the opportunity to perform as a featured soloist in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Salzburg, Austria. More recently Rafealito has performed the roles of the Tin-Man in an Off-Broadway production of The Wiz, a leading soloist in Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, Goro in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Camille in Lehar’s operetta The Merry Widow, Romèo in Gounod’s Romèo et Juliette, and Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. When Rafealito isn’t singing he enjoys exploring new restaurants and activities in DC; spending time with his dog Rocco, family, and friends; and watching marathons of A&E’s The First 48.  http://rafealitoross.weebly.com Twitter: @R2Tenor YouTube channel: Rafealito Ross

Greg Watkins (Polyneices), a born and bred Washingtonian, is a well-respected artist: singer, pianist, musical director, composer and arranger, actor, voice talent, and a brilliantly-pure entertainer. He is a graduate of The Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Howard University (BM, Music Education), and a former graduate student of Catholic University, where he pursued his masters in vocal performance. Greg is the recipient of the ASCAP Foundation/Cherry Lane Foundation/Music Alive Award in Honor of Dr. Quincy Jones (2008) for his outstanding work in production, composition, performance, and musical direction. He is also the recipient of the Coalition for African-Americans in the Performing Arts’ Emerging Artist Award (2015) for his exemplary work with children, his service to the community, and his many accomplishments as a rising performing artist. He has appeared in several operas including Steven M. Allen’s The Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadows for which he sang the original leading baritone role of quintessential novelist and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and garnered media attention in the new PBS documentary Beyond the Mask, which chronicles the life of Mr. Dunbar. He has also appeared as an extra on Season 6.2 of the hit television series House of Cards. Effervescent renaissance man that he is, Greg has appeared as an actor in Avant Bard’s 2017 productions of The Gospel at Colonus  and King Lear, both of which were Helen Hayes Award Recommended. Some of Greg’s other theatrical credits include The Amen Corner, Black Nativity, Blues for a Royal Flush, Dreamgirls, and Sister Act. He has worked as a musical director locally and nationally on a number of productions including The Poet Warriors, which won the Capital Fringe Festival Best Musical Award in 2010. Additionally, he has worked in tandem with prolific Broadway and Sundance Film Composer Kathryn Bostic and Tony Award Winner Phylicia Rashad as co-music arranger and musical director for the nationally acclaimed staged reading of Christina Ham’s Four Little Girls. Greg’s talents as a singer and pianist have even taken him from the White House and John F. Kennedy Center to international soil: Germany, Russia, Italy, China, Antigua and Barbuda, and Colombia. Greg serves as the artistic director of The MusicianShip Washington Youth Choir and resident musical director and instructor of the Children’s Theater Workshop.

Gregory K. Wright (Choragos), a native of Alexandria, VA, graduated from T. C. Williams High School, attended Howard University, and graduated from The University of the District of Columbia with a bachelor of arts degree. He  teaches in the Special Education Department at Francis C. Hammond Middle School, coordinates Counselors in Training at Burgundy Farm Country Day School, and is director of music and fine arts at Woodlawn Faith United Methodist Church, all in Alexandria, VA. Married for 26 years, Gregory and Barbara M. Wright have three children, Michael, Marissa, and Matthew Wright. Gregory loves to sing and offer outreach services to those in need, and he is thankful for new opportunities to fellowship with others.

GOSPEL CHOIR

Minister Becky Sanders (Founder and Director of the Women’s Ecumenical Choir) is a native of Alexandria, VA. She is also a remarkable minister and vocalist who has traveled extensively in various countries fulfilling the great commission of the Word of God. She has ministered throughout the United States and has traveled abroad to France, England, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Austria, Holland, and Norway. She has performed as a background singer for such legendary and stellar award-winning artists as Richard Smallwood, Edwin Hawkins, Walter Hawkins, Yolanda Adams, Jennifer Holliday, Tramaine Hawkins, Twinkie Clark, and Michael Jackson. She has also been a vocalist with such nationally acclaimed gospel groups as “The Wesley Boyd Gospel Music Workshop Choir,” “Jeremiah Murphy and Judah,” and “El Shaddai.” She has appeared on the dramatic stage with world-renowned actors such as Morgan Freeman, and Carl Lumbly and was part of the cast of the 1984 production of Gospel at Colonus presented at Arena Stage. She is a much sought-after music clinician, workshop facilitator, and motivational speaker.

The Women’s Ecumenical Choir of Alexandria, VA, was divinely inspired by God and placed on the heart of Minister Becky Mays. The initial purpose of the group was to provide music for the Women’s Day Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in March 2007. Approximately 40 women, representing various churches throughout the faith community came together for the single purpose of lifting up the Name of Jesus through song. Since then the choir has traveled to Bear, Delaware; Edwardsville, Virginia; Albany, New York; Buffalo, New York; West Virginia; Hardeeville, South Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Atlanta, Georgia, ministering God’s Word through song. They were the featured artists at the City of Alexandria’s Mayoral Inauguration, the Alexandria Branch of the NAACP Officers Installation, and in August 2011, they ministered for the Tuskegee Airman’s Gospel Luncheon. The choir is the first Gospel Choir to be included in the Alexandria Performing Arts Society’s yearly calendar. There are currently more than 65 women from the Baptist, Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal, and Christian Methodist Episcopal religious backgrounds throughout the Washington, DC, Metropolitan area represented in the group. We are grateful for the support of all the Pastors of the churches represented. We are willing vessels with a strong desire to do God’s will. We are committed to carrying the Word through song and letting the lives we live speak for us.

Members of the Women’s Ecumenical Choir performing with The Gospel at Colonus are Angela Adams, Angela R. Gray, Sandy Taylor Hawkins, Robin Walker Shanks, and Kimberly A. Young.

MUSICIANS

Jabari Exum (Percussion)—born Jabari Kibwe Jawanzaa Ibyn Yaha Exum (“Brave Honorable Dependable Son of John”)—is an electrifying performing artist born and raised in Washington, DC. He is a skilled percussionist in the West African / Latin tradition and is a prolific writer and performer of Hip-Hop music. He recently worked on the film Black Panther as tribal dance and movement coach.
www.jabariexum.com

e’Marcus Harper-Short (Keyboard).  See his performing bio above under Cast and his musical direction bio below.

ABOUT THE CREATORS OF THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS

Lee Breuer (Book and Lyrics) is one of America’s most innovative avant garde theatre artists. He is a founding co-artistic director of Mabou Mines, where his adaptations and direction have received critical acclaim. Notable works include Mabou Mines’ Dollhouse, J.M.Barrie’s Peter and Wendy, and Samuel Beckett’s The Lost Ones. He has directed 14 Obie Award–winning performances; won Obies for writing, directing, and sustained achievement; and has been nominated for Pulitzer, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy awards. He has also been the recipient of a Chevalier Des Artes et Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture and the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship, among others. He has held positions at Yale University School of Drama and Stanford University.

Bob Telson (Music) has had a career as a composer and musician that has earned him an Academy Award nomination for his song “Calling You” from the movie Bagdad Café, as well as Pulitzer, Grammy, and Tony Award nominations for The Gospel at Colonus and Chronicle of a Death Foretold, an adaptation of the Gabriel García Márquez novel. Telson has composed soundtracks for American, French, German, and Argentinian films, as well as a ballet score for Twyla Tharp (Sextet). His songs have been recorded by many international artists, such as Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, George Benson, Joe Cocker, Celine Dion, Etta James, k.d. lang, Shawn Colvin, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, and George Michael.

CREATIVE TEAM AND PRODUCTION CREW

Sandra L. Holloway (Director and Choreographer) is delighted to work with the artistic team and cast of Gospel at Colonus!  Some of Sandi’s choreographic credits in musical theater include: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enough for Theater Alliance , Eyes at Howard University, I, Too, Sing America for the Howard Players, Alexander’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, tigertigertiger at Theater of the First Amendment, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Guys and Dolls for the GMU Players, among others.  Some of her concert dance works have been featured at the Lincoln Theater Black Choreographers Showcase, Dance Theater of Harlem’s 40th Anniversary Celebration, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Hi-Arts Hip-Hop Theater Festival, Hollow Dance In Concert at Howard University Cramton Auditorium and Ira Aldridge Stage, The 45 Degrees Project (a partnership between Joy of Motion DC and Deeply Rooted Dance Company in Chicago, IL), New World Dance Company in DC and is currently working with Hill Dance Academy  in Pittsburgh, PA.  Her work has been included in concert dance seasons for Collage Dance Company in Memphis, TN.  Sandihas worked with directors and choreographers including Mike Malone, George Faison, Diane MacIntyre, Kenneth Daugherty, Linda Gravatt, Nick Alcott, Ed Gero, Tom Prewitt, and other really interesting and influential artists. Sandi is the Artistic Director of City at Peace, a youth development organization that uses the arts to effect social change, and is the founder of the holloway arts project (the hap).  She is the recipient of the National Association of Regional Ballet Choreographers Conference Award, Mayor’s Arts Award in Arts and Education for City at Peace, GAEA Foundation Sea Change Artist Award for Arts and Activism, the 2015 Paula Giddings Arts Award and was a 2014 Presenter at Alternate ROOTS Festival Week.  Sandi is a graduate of the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA.

Jennifer L. Nelson (Original Direction) is a Washington, DC-based theater professional committed to principles that value human dignity, justice, and compassion. She is Resident Director of Mosaic Theater Company and brings more than 40 years of experience as an actor, playwright, administrator, professor, director, and two-term president of the League of Washington Theatres. She is Senior Advisor for Programming at Ford’s Theatre, and previously served for 11 years as the Producing Artistic Director of the African Continuum Theatre Company, where she directed more than 20 full productions and readings. She is a 26-year veteran of Living Stage Theatre Company, the former community-outreach program at Arena Stage. Locally she has directed productions at Ford’s Theatre, Round House, Woolly Mammoth, Theater of the First Amendment, Theater J, the Kennedy Center’s Youth and Family Programs, and more. Among other places, she has directed at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore; Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY; the Fulton Theatre in Lewisburg, PA; Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul, MN; and several Universities. As a playwright, Nelson won the Helen Hayes/Charles MacArthur Award for Most Outstanding New Play for her play Torn From the Headlines. She has taught at UCLA, the University of Maryland, George Washington University, and American University, most recently teaching “Theatre for Social Change” as an adjunct lecturer at Georgetown University. She is not able to be with us for this remount due to a commitment at Cleveland Public Playhouse.

e’Marcus Harper-Short (Musical Director/Keyboard/Creon) received the Helen Hayes Award (2015) for Outstanding Musical Direction for Black Nativity by Langston Hughes (Theater Alliance); a Grammy Award nomination (1998) for Best Traditional Gospel Recording as Conductor for Love Alive V: Walter Hawkins and the Love Center Choir; and a Hollywood NAACP Theater Image Award Nomination (2004) for Best Musical Direction for Da Kink in My Hair by Trey Anthony. Other credits include Musical Arranger for Three Mo’ Divas (PBS Special National) conceived by Marion J. Caffey, and Musical Direction for Invisible Life (Apollo Theater, New York) based on a book by E. Lynn Harris.In 2017 he was named a United States Arts Envoy by the U.S. Department of State.

Keta Newborn (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be joining Avant Bard for her third production, having been the Stage Manager on King Lear and last year’s The Gospel at Colonus. As a freelancer, Keta has worked in the world of theatre for over 10 years. She has held several titles including Stage Manaager, Assistant Stage Manager, Venue Manager, Production Assistant, Light & Sound Board Ops, and now Production Manager. Her past credits include The New Play Festival (Young Playwrights’ Theater), Little Thing, Big Thing (Solas Nua), Yellowman (Anacostia Playhouse), Black Nativity and Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea (Theater Alliance), Leto Legend and Failure: A Love Story (The Hub), Disgraced, Secret Garden, and Gidion’s Knot (Next Stop), and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, How We Got On, and Gidion’s Knot (Forum), The Flick and How We Got On (Company One). Keta would like to thank the whole WSC Avant Bard cast, crew and the Gunston Theatre for being apart of an amazing shows!  She thanks G_d for the opportunity to be used as one of His vessels, working to bring His work of art into the hearts of many while doing what she loves. www.newbornketa.com

Tim Jones (Scenic Designer) is presently the Props Shop Supervisor and an instructor at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland.  He has also worked as a freelance Scenic and Props Designer throughout the Washington, DC, area.  His design work has been seen on stage at African Continuum Theatre, Theater J, Kansas City Rep, Morgan State University, and Everyman Theatre, as well as the Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences.  Tim is a native of Prince Georges County, MD, but has lived and worked throughout the United States.  He holds an MFA in Scenery and Properties Design from the University of Memphis and a BA in Communication from Salisbury State College.

John D. Alexander (Lighting Designer) is excited to make his debut with Avant Bard. His recent designs include the national tour of The Migration: Reflections of Jacob Lawrence presented by Step Afrika!, Yellowman by Dael Orlandersmith, Blackberry Winter by Steve Yockey, Darius and Twig by Caleen Jennings, and the national tour of Anne and Emmett by Janet Langhart Cohen. http://www.johndalexanderdesign.com

Clare Parker (Costume Designer) is a freelance costume designer newly located in Washington DC. She recently graduated from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts with an MFA in Costume Design. She has designed for theatre companies in DC and North Carolina including The In Series, Peppercorn Children’s Theater and Triad Stage. Her credits include Jacques Brel: Songs from his World (The In Series – Costume Designer); Having Our Say (Triad Stage – Costume Designer); Maisy and Sprout (Peppercorn Theater – Costume Designer); The Italian Straw Hat (A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute – Costume Designer). Education: MFA candidate in Costume Design, University of North Carolina School of the Arts; BFA in Costume Design and Technology, Southern Oregon University. clareparkerdesigns.com

Ralph Derbyshire (Technical Director) is an Arlington native. He has worked throughout the DC region for the last 15 years, though most notably with The Smithsonian Folklife Festival (2002-08, 2010-15), GWU’s Lisner Auditorium (2007-12), as well as many local crewing companies setting up special events. He has held the titles Master Carpenter, Master Flyman, Assistant Stage Manager, and Shop Foreman. He also works and volunteers with the National Folk Festival as well as several other festivals locally and around the country. This is his first show with Avant Bard, and he is excited to bring his skills back to real theatre.

The Gospel at Colonus plays February 22 to March 25, 2018, at Gunston Arts Center Theatre Two, 2700 South Lang Street, Arlington, VA. Tickets are available online or by calling 703-418-4804.

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A hero in search of home, a classic story retold for today.

‘WHERE SHALL I FIND SANCTUARY?’

A Note from Tom Prewitt, Avant Bard Artistic and Executive Director

The Oedipus story has many meanings, but at its core lies the concept of home. Oedipus thought he had found his home — the place of his highest triumphs, of his greatest wealth and esteem — only to suffer the harshest fate and the most terrible fall from grace that the cruelest gods could devise. As Sophocles tells it, in the course of one, hubris-filled day, he tumbled from the heights of fortune to the depths of terrifying self-recognition, and in the process lost everything, including the place that he called home. Condemned to a life of wandering, accursed in the eyes of all who met him, he spent the rest of his days trying to find a place of shelter, a sanctuary where he could live and die in peace.

And this is where the real drama of The Gospel at Colonus begins — not so much in the story of Oedipus or the daughters who guide him through his years of darkness, but in the reactions of those he meets along the way. Some view him as a living reproach, a pariah to be scorned; others summon the generosity of spirit to welcome him and give him comfort. These great-hearted souls are the true heroes of the play. The real test of a culture, the play suggests, lies in how it treats the weakest and most vulnerable in its midst. As a great thinker long ago preached, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

For over 27 years Avant Bard has presented the best of world drama, in productions that challenge audiences to see the plays’ meaning and relevance in a new light. The musical you are about to see fits firmly in that tradition, combining elements of African American and Greek culture in a bracing mix that allows us to see this ancient tale with fresh eyes. The story of a blind, homeless old man and his family — scorned by many, but welcomed by a few — takes on new urgency, especially at a time when so many from all over the world, fleeing from the horrors of their past, seek shelter in our midst. Sophocles suggests that the test of our own or any other civilization lies in how we respond to the challenge of outsiders among us. Will we reject them out of fear or prejudice? Or will we, in the words of another great thinker, hearken to “the better angels of our nature,” and give them the sanctuary they long for, the home that we all deserve?

In a time of great strife and civil unrest, the answers to such questions may well determine whether our nation — conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal — can long endure.

WHY THE MYTH OF OEDIPUS CALLS TO US

A Note from Jennifer L. Nelson, the Original Director

Mythologies are timeless, finding their origins in the need to understand how both extraordinary and mundane behaviors influence temporal realities that may otherwise seem to be out of human control. Providing stories of success and failure, they give us models for our own aspirations and frailties. They offer stories of women and men who rise to meet daunting challenges, often — but not always — unaware of the inevitable perils that will accompany whatever choices are made. Dragons, giants, sorcerers, ogres, fire pits and angry gods are timeless symbols of what may be encountered on the hero’s journey. Yet our classic myths (and our daily lives) also demonstrate how we humans are oddly immune to warnings: we fail again and again to heed prophecies and danger signs. We set common sense aside for pleasure and self-aggrandizement. We believe it is the individual hero’s divine task to overcome challenges — including peril and fear — and we believe it is possible.

The Gospel of Colonus is a hero story. It brilliantly pairs the classic Greek story of Oedipus with contemporary gospel themes and music.

Oedipus is the figure in Greek mythology who was fated by the gods to kill his father, then marry and bear children with his mother. When adult Oedipus becomes aware of what he has done, he falls into despair, abandons his throne, puts out his own eyes, and sets out to roam blind and alone through the land, seeking the forgiveness of death. The play invites us to witness and share the king’s suffering from our contemporary perspective — perhaps to find our own sense of peace.

For me, theatre always has the potential to transform the viewer. It invites us to step out of our daily lives and through the gift of imagination, experience what it might be like to be someone else; what it’s like to be part of events we might not ever personally encounter. We might, for example, imagine what we might do under the same circumstances as Oedipus. Through such imaginative interaction, we not only are engaged and entertained but are also hopefully enlightened.

THE BACKSTORY OF THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS

Oedipus was born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. The Oracle at Delphi told Laius that any son born of his union to Jocasta would be their downfall, so upon Oedipus’ birth, they instructed a shepherd to dispose of the child. The shepherd instead brought the young Oedipus to the court of Corinth, where he was adopted by King Polybus and Queen Merope.

Upon learning that the king and queen were not his biological parents, Oedipus consulted the Oracle at Delphi, who prophesied that he would kill his father and marry his mother. In order to protect his adoptive parents from this fate, Oedipus fled from Corinth.

On the way, he encountered a charioteer who, unbeknownst to Oedipus, was his biological father, Laius. Their quarrel escalated into a duel, which resulted in Laius’ death — and fulfillment of the first part of the oracle’s prophecy.

Oedipus next encountered the dreaded Sphinx, who besieged the city of Thebes and killed all travelers who failed to answer the riddle: “What goes on four legs in the morning, two at midday, and three in the evening?” Oedipus quickly realized that the answer was man — who crawls as a baby, walks on two legs in midlife, and walks with a cane as an old man — and therefore vanquished the Sphinx and entered Thebes a hero. There, Creon rewarded Oedipus with the title of king, and gave him his sister, Jocasta, to be his wife — thus fulfilling the second part of the prophecy. Oedipus and Jocasta had four children: sons Eteocles and Polyneices and daughters Antigone and Ismene.

Sophocles’ classic tragedy Oedipus the King, the precursor to Oedipus at Colonus, opens as a plague overtakes Thebes. Oedipus sends Creon to the Oracle at Delphi for help, only to learn that Thebes has been cursed because Laius’ killer had not been brought to justice. Oedipus sends for the blind prophet Teiresias, who reluctantly admits that Oedipus himself murdered the former king and that he is unaware of his true parentage. After Jocasta recounts that she and Laius abandoned their son because of a prophecy, Oedipus realizes the horrifying truth, and Jocasta hangs herself. Oedipus takes a brooch from her gown and blinds himself. Creon and the citizens of Thebes banish Oedipus for his sins and the bad luck he has brought to the city, and he is forced to wander for the rest of his days with his daughter Antigone as his guide.

The musical The Gospel at Colonus is adapted from Sophocles’ classic tragedy Oedipus at Colonus. As our story begins, Oedipus arrives at Colonus seeking solace and sanctuary in his last days.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF OEDIPUS AT COLONUS

Sophocles (c. 496 – c. 406 BCE) was, along with Aeschylus and Euripides, one of Athens’ three great tragic playwrights. A respected public figure, musician, athlete, and actor, he won his first accolades as a writer at the Dionysian festival in 468; he went on to write 123 plays, none of which won below second place in competitions. Seven of these works survive in full, including Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone, and Electra. He is widely credited with such theatrical innovations as introducing a third actor to the traditional two, expanding the chorus from 12 to 15 players, and replacing the trilogy form with self-contained tragedies — all allowing for more complex, character-driven dramas.

The Gospel at Colonus plays February 22 to March 25, 2018, at Gunston Arts Center Theatre Two, 2700 South Lang Street, Arlington, VA. Tickets are available online or by calling 703-418-4804.

 

The shocking relevance to today of a legend about a noble city that welcomed an accursed stranger

By Maegan Clearwood, Resident Dramaturg

Avant Bard is bringing to life an ages-old story of a sanctuary city at a moment in which America’s own sanctuary cities are under attack. The Gospel at Colonus—the transcendent musical by Lee Breuer and Bob Telson—is an adaptation of Sophocles’ ancient play Oedipus at Colonus, using African American musical traditions to underscore the catharsis and joy of the final chapter of Oedipus’ journey.

The result is an astoundingly timeless story of universal themes, as Sophocles questions society’s basic ability to care for the individual, no matter how small or afraid, in times of unrest.

Breuer and Telson follow the same plot as Sophocles: the now-blind Oedipus, exiled from Thebes after fulfilling a tragic prophecy, wanders into Colonus with his daughter, Antigone. Colonus—a sacred grove guarded by the Furies just outside the walls of Athens—is teeming with life, a land that is described in the musical as one “Where leaves and berries throng  / and wine-dark ivy climbs the bough.” It is the perfect refuge for the weary and desperate Oedipus and Antigone, but the wanderers are not immediately welcomed with open arms. First, there is the almost knee-jerk skepticism from the chorus (or choir, in Gospel’s case) of residents, who viciously interrogate this poor and ailing stranger:

Who is this man?
What is his name?
Where does he come from?
What is his race?

This instinct—to distrust anything or anyone whose presence seems to threaten the status quo—resonates centuries forward, but it is especially interesting when examined through a historical lens. Athens took pride in its reputation as a sanctuary to refugees, and a popular reading of the play sees it as a celebration of the city’s generosity and compassion. Although there is no evidence that Oedipus at Colonus was based on any specific moment in history, Sophocles wrote the play as the great city of Athens was on the verge of destruction. Colonus was considered a sacred, transitory space, and Athens’ precarious political situation perhaps explains why, in Sophocles’ story, its citizens react to Oedipus in a manner contradictory to their city’s promises of sanctuary: Oedipus’ mere presence in this hallowed space violates their sense of security.

Oedipus tries to elicit sympathy from the choir in the song “A Voice Foretold,” asking merely for a place for his soul to find rest: “Where the pain unending ends for me, where shall I find sanctuary?” It is a simple, desperate plea, but is met with no sympathy from the members of the choir, who have just learned of Oedipus’ accursed past.

Ultimately, it is the leader of this community, Theseus, who has the voice and power to determine the fate of this exiled king. Theseus recalls his own past as a refugee, using empathy as a reason to give this former king sanctuary. As he declares in Gospel:

I feel sorry for him. I too was an exile. Therefore no wanderer shall come to me, as he has done, and be denied.

In Sophocles’ original text, Theseus goes further, telling Oedipus that “I’m also mortal, like you, with no greater assurance than you that I’ll be alive tomorrow…. I’ll settle him in our land with the rights of a citizen.” His appeal for empathy dictates his decision, leading to widespread compassion on the part of his followers.

Today the tension between fear of the unknown and entreaties for empathy is at the forefront of the political climate. As Americans unite in protest against recent anti-refugee policies—hundreds of thousands in our very own backyard—the strange dichotomy of our national ideals are thrust into the spotlight: as long as we have been a country of immigrants and diversity, we have also been one of fear and rejection.

A 2015 Slate article cites this phenomenon as dating back to the mid-nineteenth century, when political upheaval and famine brought the first major wave of immigrants to American shores. The subsequent “Know-Nothing Movement,” which called for “the sending back of all foreign paupers,” eventually fizzled out, but only marked the beginning of a centuries-long pattern that continues to this day: refugees seek American sanctuary; nativist Americans claim that these foreigners are uprooting their country’s ideals (or bringing with them dangerous ideologies or practices); and eventually, this new immigrant population establishes itself as a valuable part of America’s vast and diverse history.

There are few Americans whose history does not trace back to one of these movements, but the pattern continues, winding its way from hate speech and violence against refugee communities all the way to the White House.

He has asked for grace! And offers no small favour in return. As I value this, I shall not refuse this man’s desire.

Theseus’ words about Oedipus are no far cry from chants heard lately in streets and airports across our country:

No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here.

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Maegan Clearwood is a dramaturg, teaching artist, and arts journalist who has served as the Director of Audience Engagement at Avant Bard, Literary Associate at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, and Dramaturgy Apprentice at the Olney Theatre Center. Selected dramaturgy credits include: TAME., A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Holiday Memories (Avant Bard); Lizzie: The Musical (Pinky Swear Productions) A Bid to Save the World (Rorschach Theatre); Static (Source Festival); World Builders (Forum Theatre); I and You, The Piano Lesson, The Tempest, Colossal (Olney Theatre Center). As a critic and columnist, her work has appeared in On Stage Blog, HowlRound, and DC Theater Scene. BA in Drama and English from Washington College.

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The Gospel at Colonus plays February 22 to March 25, 2018, at Gunston Arts Center Theatre Two, 2700 South Lang Street, Arlington, VA. Tickets are available online or by calling 703-418-4804.

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By Brett Abelman
Assistant Dramaturg

The Taming of the Shrew is often considered one of the most troubled works in the Shakespearean canon—a misogynistic, painfully outdated “comedy” that is nearly impossible to play straight today. Consider its plot:

• Suitors wish to marry the sweet and beautiful Bianca.
• Bianca’s father will not allow her to be wed until her “shrew” of an older sister, Katherine, is married.
• The suitors convince their friend Petruchio to “tame” and marry Katherine.
• Petruchio and Katherine trade insults.
• Katherine slaps Petruchio in response to a sexual innuendo, at which point he threatens to “cuff” her if she strikes him again.
• (Most productions insert a spanking scene at around this point, although nothing in Shakespeare’s text mentions Petruchio spanking Katherine.)
• Petruchio refuses to let Katherine eat, doesn’t let her keep a wonderful dress that is made for her, and generally wears her down.
• Petruchio forces Katherine to pretend that the sun is the moon, a man is a woman, etc.
• Once Bianca’s hand has been won, Petruchio and the other men getting married have a contest to see whose new wife is more obedient; the formerly independent Katherine is the only one who comes when called.
• Katherine scolds the other wives for their disobedience, saying:

Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee…
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks, and true obedience…
…place your hands below your husband’s foot,
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready, may it do him ease.

In this light, we should not be surprised that Taming has left a history of alternative interpretations and adaptations in its wake. In order to make sense of the apparently abusive relationship between Petruchio and Katherine, some have staged their courtship as a mutually shared joke. Others have played Katherine’s final submission to Petruchio as a façade. And still others have seen the play as itself critical of the sexism that it portrays. Conall Morrison, who directed the play in 2008 for the Royal Shakespeare Company, had this to say in its defense:

By the time you get to the last scene all of the men—including her father are saying—it’s amazing how you crushed that person. It’s amazing how you lobotomised her. And they’re betting on the women as though they are dogs in a race or horses. It’s reduced to that.… It is so self-evidently repellent that I don’t believe for a second that Shakespeare is espousing this.… It’s very obviously a satire on this male behaviour and a cautionary tale.

Critics and other playwrights began wrestling with Taming almost immediately after the play’s first production circa 1594. Shakespeare’s contemporary, John Fletcher, wrote The Woman’s Prize, or the Tamer Tamed, in which Petruchio gets his comeuppance at the hands of his second wife, mere years after the original’s debut. Jonelle Walker’s TAME. takes this revisionist tradition as its starting point—though to treat this play like a direct adaptation would be a grave mistake.

There are similarities: both plays feature a “Cat” who behaves in a way considered inappropriate in her society (1590s Padua in Taming, and 1960s Texas in TAME.). Both are handed off by their families to men who aim to mend their ways: Petruchio then, Patrick now. Both have a younger, sweeter sister (Bianca and Bea) who is doted upon.

But Shakespeare’s play does not feature a mother for Kate and Bianca, only a father, while Walker’s has both; the older play has a trio of additional characters trying to woo Bianca, while the newer one excises them; and while Petruchio is brought in to tame Katherine as a husband, Patrick is brought in as a Christian savior and a minister-in-training.

And, perhaps most crucially, unlike Walker’s Cat, Shakespeare’s Kate was not a lesbian poet.

 

 

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