theaterfanaticnetwork

One of our Theater Fanatic colleagues, Steven  Johnson starred in the 2012, summer version of the Faux-Real Theater company’s Oedipus. In this video, Steven Johnson interviews Oedipus

Driven by the notion that what was traditional in 429 BCE is radical today, The Faux-Real Theatre Company performs Oedipus exactly as Sophocles intended… sort of. Utilizing bouzoukis, drums, platform shoes, an ecstatic chorus, and an all-male cast, Faux-Real reincarnates the revelations of the ancients. Only, this all-male cast is spearheaded by a woman. What happens when Oedipus is played by a woman and Jocasta is a man? Searching beyond the Freudian interpretation (boy loves mom) Faux-Real re-examines Oedipus with modern eyes and ancient techniques, uncovering fearful truths and grotesque ironies that Sophocles presented audiences 2000 years before the birth of psychology. Building upon their previous works, FUNBOX and Shakespeare’s Haunted House, Faux-Real apply their boundary-breaking aesthetic to the ancients. “…the company balances an extreme avant-garde approach in their texts and staging with a ripping good show that’s accessible to even mainstream audiences.” - The Village Voice “…the actors are almost frighteningly possessed by real and impressive powers of concentration.” - Back Stage Magazine