"OEDIPUS REX"
by Sophocles
"Oedipus Rex" play is about Oedipus who, in attempting to flee from his fate, rushes headlong to meet it. My interpretation of this play begins with analyzing, why to kill the father and not the mother.
So if we move away from the true meaning of words mother and father and give them symbolic meaning, we can say that mother is something, that is in us, our true nature, because we develop in the womb and are born from our mothers, and the father is alien concepts, because we actually meet him after we are born.
So a Man has to kill things that are foreign to his personality, making him non-individual. The alien concepts are not the real you. And we need to recover the "mother" - the true, authentic self.
Scene design consists of verticals that blend with each other as the gaze slides horizontally into a scene that has no end and no beginning (as it continues in reflection and rises above the stage window). It Forms a grotto image that captures not only Oedipus but every human being surrounded by prophecy, or destiny. The verticals break through the mirrors, creating a dual image - the idea that Oedipus, having discovered himself, will destroy the present world, which is holding him and he will break out of untruth. So it seems that the action takes place several times (casting on the idea that Oedipus's story could end in many different ways, destiny is not irreplaceable if you know how).
The big platform behind the grotto is especially for choir. Choir plays a very important roles at Antique plays, so i wanted them to stay in one place through the whole play.
There is no big transformations in my scenography, just the moving light and flashes of red light in the background during the climax of the play (Oedipus learns the truth).
Costumes for the play are simple, straight, with no curves or weird shapes, because the scenography is so minimal. I was inspired by long dark coats and hoods. The hood can become a very interesting detail, as it covers the face. So when someone is plotting something, the hood shows it in very delicately way. In my interpretation of the play I'm talking about one person , whose destiny is already planned as it was done by someone.
In this last picture Oedipus gets to wear this giant cloak, which makes him smaller. It shows his sorrow and blindness.
