Posted August 8, 2024
By Patrick White Jul 19, 2024
“Medea: Re-versed” is an idea whose time has come. Marrying a hundred words a minute of furious rapping and street beats with the grandeur and epic emotions of Greek tragedy makes perfect sense in this production by Luis Quintero which was 2,000 years in the making.
The production is co-conceived and directed by Nathan Winklestein and presented at Hudson Valley Shakespeare as a co-production with the off-Broadway companies Red Bull and Bedlam. It will start a NYC run at The Sheen Center on Bleecker Street in September.
Under the vaulting tent and across the sand stage Siena D’Addario on guitar and Melissa Mahoney on bass tune their instruments in their imposing and sleek black outfits with gold accents and Grecian trim. The clever, sharp costumes are by Nicole Wee. Mark Martin is also there at the top of the show, tall with a bucket hat and a thick gold chain. He is the human beatbox who will thrillingly provide most of the beats tonight and even enter the action. I frequently was left wondering whether there was recorded assistance or whether all the music was coming out of these three. The music is a dark and ominous accent laden soundtrack to the street rap battle that’s about to commence. Sound design and composition by Matt Otto. Well done!
In Euripides fifth-century BCE play. “Medea” after she assisted her husband Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece, she married and lived with him in his home of Corinth until she was abandoned for political purposes when Jason married King Creon’s daughter. What follows is one of the most frightening acts in dramatic literature.
Luis Quintero (a HVSF and personal favorite) takes the role of Chorus Leader and from the top he works the crowd and rides his rhymes triumphantly. So many phrases come with a huge smile like “ Turn off all your phones and devices, cuz you don’t want to disrespect Dionysus.”
The combatants are Sarin Monae West who is muscular, enraged and flawless as Medea. Her entrance; backlit, dressed in white is otherworldly and prepares you for the extraordinarily powerful performance to come.
Stephen Michael Spencer who is scrappy and slightly seedy with his porn star mustache wrestling into his fur wrap. The actor is a natural clown and easily gets laughs while never losing Jason’s heroic stature. After one disparaging rap, Jason apologizes which struck me as to whether you would ever see that in a rap battle. It was endearing though.
Finally Jacob Ming-Trent takes on double roles as King Creon and Aegeus. Ming-Trent is a very busy actor indeed, just over a week ago we saw him on the Packer Playhouse stage at Shakespeare & Company tearing it up in their Shakespeare cabaret. He does not stint nor disappoint here, his battle with Medea is exceptional. Not a syllable was wasted by anyone onstage, the use of the language and poetry was phenomenal.
“Medea Re-versed” takes a classic tragedy and injects it with pulsing, throbbing life which will excite you to no end. It’s a great books smack down that will rock your world!