WTAMU Theatre to Stage Emotionally Complex Tragedy ‘Phaedra’

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A centuries-old Greek tragedy with lessons that still resonate today will be streamed as the next production from West Texas A&M University Theatre.

On-demand streaming of “Phaedra,” written by Jean Racine and translated by Richard Wilbur, will be available Feb. 12 and 13.

“This is a play I have always wanted to stage, dating back to my own years as an undergraduate,” said Callie Hisek, assistant professor of theater and director of the production. “I love that it centers around a woman — not a weak woman, but a strong one, despite the tragic circumstances of her life.”

Based on figures from Greek mythology as passed down by the poets Euripides and Seneca, “Phaedra” tells the story of the titular queen (played by Lauren Landtroop, a junior music theater major from Lubbock), who is married to Theseus (Isaiah Johnson, a sophomore acting major from Lubbock), the king of Athens, though she is actually in love with the king’s son, Hippolytus (Jared Bartley, a junior theatre performance major from Lubbock).

“She’s complicated. She’s strong through her weakness,” Landtroop said. “Everything is going on because she has been cursed, not because of anything she’s done herself, so she is trying to find a way to challenge her destiny. She wishes she could die, but only as a way to break the curse and to protect her children.”

When Theseus is believed to be dead, Phaedra’s nurse Oenone (Sophia Johnson, a senior acting major from Lubbock) encourages her to pursue Hippolytus, who is himself in love with Aricia (Abbi Roe, a senior musical theatre major from Roswell, N.M.).

“If there’s a villain in the show, it’s probably Oenone,” Johnson said. “She’s definitely a troublemaker, but she’s motivated by love.”

Such recognizable characteristics help make sure the play is still relevant, Hisek said.

“The emotions — whether in the original Greek text, or in Racine’s script, or in Wilbur’s translation — they’re all very universal,” she said. “These characters, male and female alike, are unabashedly emotional, as in all classical Greek works, and that will hook the audience.”

As with other WT Theatre productions this season, the show is being staged with COVID-19 safety precautions in mind, including masks during rehearsals, testing and social distancing measures, in addition to being filmed in advance to stream on-demand over two days.

“In some ways, we do depend on the audience, so it can be hard to keep our energy up without one,” Johnson said. “But what I really like about this format is that it’s so accessible. I have family in New York, and before this season, they had never seen me perform. That’s pretty exciting.”

The cast also includes Jalen Barrera, a junior theatre performance major from New Deal, as Theramenes; Kaitlin Wampler, a junior theatre performance major from Wichita Falls, as Ismene; Maggie Connick, a senior theatre performance major from Spanish Fort, Ala., as Panope; and Kyle Gentry, a junior acting major from San Antonio, and Kendall Carnahan, a sophomore theatre performance major from Amarillo, as guards.

Tickets, which can be purchased online, are $15 for individual viewing or $30 for family viewing. Tickets are free for WT students, faculty and staff but must be reserved in advance. For information, call the WT Box Office at 806-651-2804.

A commitment to the arts is a key component of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. With enrollment of more than 10,000, WT offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 40 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 15 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WTAMU—