lassical Greek theater can be difficult—difficult both for the actors performing it and the audience watching it. The performance style, with its lengthy speeches, chanting choruses and actors addressing the audience simply differs so much from what modern-day viewers are accustomed to seeing that they sometimes have trouble relating to the action or characters.

This year's Greek Festival, however, succeeds in its difficult task rather well, making the ancient script of Sophocles' “Oedipus at Colonus” a bit more accessible to its modern-day viewers.

The production owes credit for a big part of the success to Richard Scharine, who plays the title role of Oedipus. Scharine, a professor in the U drama department, vacillates between rage and regret as he infuses his character with a great deal of emotion.

In fact, all the members of the cast seems to be making an effort to make their lines sound more like dialogue and less like a series of speeches. All of them still perform more or less in a formal style, facing the audience most of the time and striking dramatic poses, but their speech feels natural—almost conversational in places.

The bare sets, simple costumes and stripped-down background music also add by not adding. They give the audience room to focus solely on the story at hand. In fact, the only real misstep made comes in the dancing, which feels far too modern, out of place with the rest of the production.

Josephine Wilson and Richard Scharine's performances help communicate the emotions and story of "Oedipus at Colonus."

In “Oedipus Rex” (last year's production), the title character killed his father, married his mother and had children by her. The play ended as he discovered his crimes and gouged out his own eyes in grief.

“Oedipus at Colonus” picks up a few years later, when, exiled from his city, the former king and his daughter Antigone (Josephine Wilson)—remember her?—wander through the wilderness. They come upon a sacred spot outside of Athens where the Oracle has told him to go to die. But the area’s surrounding inhabitants are hesitant to allow Oedipus to remain there. He secures the protection of the king of Athens, Theseus (Sean Kazarian), after promising blessings to be bestowed upon the city after his death and burial.

Soon, Oedipus receives news that the current King of Thebes, Creon (viciously played by Jeff Drown), plans to kidnap him and keep him just outside of the city until his death in order to secure those blessings for himself. Not only that, but Oedipus’ other daughter arrives on the scene to beg his help in stopping his two sons from going to war against each other.

Surprisingly little action takes place during the course of the play, leaving it plenty of time for meditations on regret, honor and redemption. The script clearly notes the honorable and dishonorable characters.

Oedipus bemoans those who have betrayed him, including his two sons. He gives vitriolic speeches about the city of Thebes for forcing him to remain when he wanted exile and then exiling him once he decides to stay. He rails against fate for damning him before he was even born. It's an interesting idea, that of the powerlessness of human beings against fate, and the script—and the U theater department’s production—explores it faithfully.

Two more traditional morning performances of Oedipus will take place on Sept. 20 and 21 at 9:00 a.m. on the lawn by the Dee Glen Smith Athletic Center (530 S. Guardsman Way on the U campus). Get your tickets in advance through ArtTix. Call 581-7100 for the Kingsbury Hall office for more information or visit www.ArtTix.org.

bobbi@red-mag.com