Medea [Paperback]

Alex S. Defazio (Adapter), Euripides (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2000

In 'Medea', the latest work from verse-dramatist alex s. defazio ('Mirror of Monsters', 'The Nightmares Desire Kept for Me'), Euripides' classic Greek tragedy is reborn in a guttural, passionate, & audaciously contemporary new adaptation.

Following the myth of Medea, a powerful sorceress, and her desperate plot for revenge against her treacherous husband Jason, defazio takes inspiration from Euripides' tragedy as well as source mythologies, stressing the parallels between ancient myth & our own age, & the timeless compulsions for love, acceptance, dignity, & power that drives the drama towards its tragic end.

The result is a vivid & accessible fusion of drama and poetry, one that aims to "cut the heart out of Euripides' tragedy & transplant it into a new body not merely the body of a different language, but a different age" (the author, from Production Notes').

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A searching look into a woman's life...," Julius Novick, formerly of 'The Village Voice' -- Praise for 'The Nightmares Desire Kept for Me'

"His is a theatre of talismans & symbols that initiate us into the mysteries of self-transformation & rebirth... -- Praise for 'Mirror of Monsters'

"Zany & high-minded...," Lenora Champagne, performance artist & playwright -- Praise for 'The Nightmares Desire Kept for Me'

About the Author

alex s. defazio, a member of the Dramatists Guild, received a B.A. in Literature and Drama from SUNY-Purchase. His first book, a collection of poetry and short stories, was published when he was seventeen. Since then, he has written several novels, numerous uncollected poems, and critical studies of, among others, D.H. Lawrence, Leo Tolstoy, and Mark Twain. 'Medea' is his fourth work for Elixir Productions; the others being 'Christine,' 'The Nightmares Desire Kept for Me,' which recently completed its Off-Off Broadway run, and 'Mirror of Monsters,' which earned him the Frank Wadsworth Drama Prize for outstanding original work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 55 pages
• Publisher: Elixir Productions (June 28, 2000)
• ISBN-10: 0967628237
• ISBN-13: 978-0967628233
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,304,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a MUST for MEDEA fans, July 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Medea (Paperback)

It came as a surprise to me that someone who openly admits to not speaking or understanding Greek (let alone ANCIENT Greek) would undertake something like translating (or, in the author's words, 'adapting') a powerhouse tragedy like 'Medea.' I am a huge fan of Medea's story: the princess of Colchis who murders her children and her husband's new wife and father-in-law to avenge his betrayal. It all faithfully appears in this version -- Defazio follows Euripides much closer than the description of his adaptation suggests. And without much tinkering, it all comes to life... more than in the other, more scholarly-correct translations that Defazio consulted for his own take on the tale. If there's any fault with this 'Medea,' it's that it is not (and makes no claims to be) scholarly correct... not the kind of thing one would consult for a high school book report, etc. But this fault is also its major strength. By giving himself some freedom from the staunch rules of translation, the result is just as gut-wrenching as any other version and much more so in several areas (particularly in the word-fights between Medea and Jason, where Defazio uses anything at his disposal -- shining language, four letter words, and all -- to really make you feel the heat).

If you're a fan of 'Medea,' this book is a must. For me, it was an fantastic impulse-buy (smart, diligent, and beautiful) and though I'm not a theater person, it seems to me that it's very dramatic as well. I guess speaking Greek isn't THE most important thing for a translator. In this version, it's passion.