Word: pentheus
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...from outright negation to the most grudging and unsettling sort of affirmation. In The Bacchae, the gods are gods indeed, but their order is--besides whimsical--cruel and misguided. And Mayer's willingness to portray Dionysus as an effeminate, self-absorbed individual, worthy of nearly every label the unbelieving Pentheus attaches to him, brings this side of Euripedes out into the open. The modern costumes, particularly the policemen's garbs in which Pentheus's men are clothed, suggest the further metaphor of entrapment: Dionysus himself seems to have unleashed the chain of events leading to Pentheus' death...
KEVIN O'CONNOR blends as smoothly into Mayer's conception of Dionysus as the conception does into the play. And as Pentheus, Leon Russom is the perfect physical contrast to O'Connor, while at the same time an exceptionally able and disciplined actor. In his characterization, however, lies a failure of definition that badly undercuts the action of the play. Pentheus must metamorphosize somewhere along the line from a hyper-rationalist into a pathetic, obsessed figure; and Russom, or Mayer, has chosen the wrong moment for the metamorphosis. When Pentheus emerges from the ruins of his palace, razed...
...Euripides' The Bacchae. The libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman rang out with eloquent pathos. The cast struck a perfect balance of harshness and lyricism under Composer Henze's baton. Perhaps best of all, though, was the spectacular scene depicting the burning palace of Pentheus. Smoke billowed and red lights flickered. Once again flames soared at Santa Fe-but this time they were just part of the show...
Where The Bacchae is less than successful, it is because of a few uncomfortable performances. The Bacchae themselves--Asian women who follow Dionysus--are a mixed lot. As Pentheus, Jim Shuman gives an uneven, never quite powerful enough performance; but he does convey the weakness of mind and irritability of Thebes' mortal ruler...
...Babe has directed the part, however, Pentheus is more than irritable--he is mad. So it means very little for him to fall under the spell of Dionysus as he has no rationality to be deprived of. At the start Pentheus should provide a sane, if angered, resistance to the god. In the Agassiz production he can only spit inanities...