BACCHAE by Euripides

So, the technicality of the text is well-handled, and the cast is comprised of highly talented and effective players. However, whether we look at producing "Bacchae" as an artistic challenge or as a ritual act of observance to the god itself, the vital — and necessary — feeling of pleasure is woefully missing. "Bacchae" may talk a big game, but this production feels undeniably prudish. If you're looking for Bacchic revelry, sorry, you'll have to settle for academia.

SITI Company has brought its production of Euripides' “Bacchae” to the Getty Villa outdoor amphitheater, where this vibrant evening reminds us that the ancient Greek playwrights put human behavior downstage center, and that human behavior hasn't changed much since ancient times. Several other factors make this production immediate and engaging. In large part, Aaron Poochigian's new translation and Anne Bogart's direction feel contemporary but are based in classicism.

Everyone is truly excellent. There is a beautiful variety of humanity on stage in all their glory, bringing individuality to the chorus and subtle uniqueness to every synchronized chant and harmonized line. There is a syncopation to the performances and a clear separation of god and everyone else that just works. It's very much “us” vs “god.” A kind of “be careful what you wish for” mixed with “do as you would be done by” and a dash of “The Shining.” ...I absolutely loved and highly recommend “Bacchae” at The Getty Villa. I may even go again…It's only on for a few weeks so I urge you to get your tickets right away and to take in the beauty of the museum before the show. We are so lucky to live in a city with such incredible performance spaces!

In the play, Euripides skillfully interweaves the titular Bacchae with the Greek chorus. They are mostly unattractively, unappealingly clad by Eleni Kyriacou and Lena Sands in black skirts and jackets - there is not a toga to be seen. I keep complaining about these mostly toga-less revivals of Greek classics and am beginning to suspect that contemporary showrunners feel a compulsion about needing to “update” ancient plays to make more “relatable” to 21st century auds.

Through the direction of Anne Bogart from the New York-based SITI Company, one cannot help but be gripped. Euripides' Bacchae is heavy material, but Bogart skillfully unearths comedic gems, Bacchanalian beats, and horrific depths so that within 90 minutes, the audience is at turns highly entertained and terrified.

Anne Bogart is an ideal auteur to take on this formidable masterpiece. Her combination of directorial freedom and formal elegance is exactly what's required to make “Bacchae” live again. The new production at the Getty Villa's outdoor Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater, a collaboration with Bogart's SITI Company, might not satisfy purists. But it's by far the most theatrically assured rendition of the play I've encountered. The fluid translation by Aaron Poochigian is as mercurial as the staging.