Peter Feno will portray Asterion the half-human, half-bull Minotaur in ‘Bulls: The Tragedy of Phaedra of Crete.’ He will also portray Phaedra’s stepson, Hippolytus. Intrepidus Theatre Lab photo Phaedra is a queen, but that doesn’t mean she gets everything she wants.
Far from it.
“I desire strength, I desire power, I desire glory,” said Marcie Herman Riebe, who portrays the title character in “Bulls: The Tragedy of Phaedra of Crete,” an original play written by Justin Costello from Intrepidus Theatre Lab.
Oh, yes, Phaedra also desires her stepson, Hippolytus, whom she sees as a younger, improved version of her husband, Theseus.
And in this version of the story, which is rooted in Greek mythology, it’s not a trick of the goddess Aphrodite that makes Phaedra fall for her stepson. Phaedra simply wants him; never mind the age difference or the fact that she’s married.
“My opening monologue is a lamentation that I’m a woman, I’m a queen and I must play my part,” Riebe said. “Men can do whatever they want, but I’m not allowed to do what they’re doing.”
The play, which is designed for mature audiences, is set for 8 p.m. July 26 and July 27, and 6 p.m. July 28 at The Olde Brick Theatre, 126 West Market St., Scranton.
“We’re honored to be at the Olde Brick,” Costello said in a telephone interview. “We’re bringing a whole new kind of character-based, movement-based theater. We’re hoping people in Scranton will have a new experience.”
When Costello talks about the play being movement based, you might remember Intrepidus Theatre Lab’s May 2023 production, “Equus,” in which actor Peter Feno called on his athleticism to portray the horse deity. He’ll be doing something similar in this play as he portrays the Minotaur, Phaedra’s half-brother who happens to be half man and half bull.
“He’s very good with movement,” Costello described the actor. “He’s very skilled at being ferocious yet captivating.”
Due to a recent change in casting, Costello said Feno also will portray Hippolytus in this play which blends elements of ancient and modern times.
“It’s a timeless play,” Costello said. “One of the main themes is the dangerous nature of lust.”
“People think lust is just lust for the flesh,” he continued. “But people lust for freedom, for glory, for recognition and validation. When lust overtakes your life, as it does for every single character in the play, you can see why this is a tragedy.”
Inspired by plays about Phaedra written by Seneca, Euripedes and Jean Racine, Costello said, “I wanted to really do a character study of a woman of a certain age whom history views as a villain, or as someone to be pitied, cursed by the gods. I wanted to show that she’s complex, she’s multi-layered, and give a view of the character they’ve never seen before.”
“Her nurse, Oenone, is the first wife of Paris of Troy. I’m taking these major feminine figureheads of mythology and putting them into a boiling pot, a simmering pot. Then you have the men. Hippolytus is greater than his father ever was. People love him. He is the next big thing. When we talk about bulls (bulls loomed large in the culture of ancient Crete) he represents the best of all the bulls put together. He is on his A game and the heights he could reach are limitless. Phaedra sees this.”
Phaedra has aspects of a bull in her personality, as well, Costello said, and audiences will see her feminine and masculine natures at war with each other as she slips toward madness.
For reservations, email [email protected] or message the Lab on Facebook. Tickets are $20 cash at the door.
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