MOSCOW.PSYCHO

Ancient Greek myth about Medea by Euripides, Seneca, Jean Anui, Heiner Muller 

School of Modern Drama, Moscow/Russia


(1:12)

             The theme of love, passion and betrayal has been repeatedly addressed in myths, novels, drama and film. The genre-breaking theme has been revamped in Moscow, Psycho. The instability, fear, and madness of wife and mother, Medea, in modern society, slowly grow to the point where her presence overshadows the stage. Scenes in the drama are closely intertwined with scenes from Alfred Hitchcock's film, Psycho. Combined, they form a focal point that allows the director, Andriy Zholdak, to employ an effective use of stage techniques that creates a concentrated relay of information. Through the private space offered on stage by the cameramen and the close-up shots of the actors relayed in real-time, the audience is given vast amounts of information compared to other existing forms of drama.

          The emotions of each individual are expressed powerfully through the interaction with various objects. In the scene where the abandoned and fearful Medea is left trembling, she is holding a glass chandelier. The clinging sounds of that moving chandelier serve to accentuate her sense of despair as it reaches a climax. Paper dolls instead of real children, real snakes, and the poisoned cake delivered to the wedding all coincide with the desperate motions of Medea ensnared by a sense of insufferable revenge and madness.

        Andriy Zholdak, transforms a mythical space of tragedy into an ordinary space in contemporary Moscow. He has narrowed the psychological distance with the audience by both reducing the inherent message embedded in the mythical text and composing a drama about a tragic incident-taking place within a modern household. The passionate performances by actors including the Russian actress, Elena Korneva, along with the sensational music, lighting and sound effects, and action-packed drama are more than enough to set the hearts of the audience on fire. 

Dramatic Script                       Andriy Zholdak

Direction and light concept        Andriy Zholdak

Scenography                          Andriy ZHoldak, Tita Dimova

Costumes                              Tita Dimova

Music                                    Vladimir Klykov

 

Reviews
"The production Moscow. Psycho is developed using the same formula as Zholdak's previous Moscow plays: Phedre. The Golden Collossus, and Carmen. The Outcome. The universal plot - in this case the ancient Greek myth Medea – is taken in its archetypical composition. The central heroine carries a vital, barbarian emotion and destructive energy, enchanting and subordinating everyone at the same time. Deliberate quotations, the interpenetration of different cultural epochs and the eclectic style are characteristic features of Zholdak's directorial thinking."
- Olga Roginskaya, Nezavisimaya Gazeta

2008

— 23 September 2008


87

 

2h 50 min

with a break


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