Berkeley Rep Presents Argonautika - The Story of Jason and the Argonauts
Berkeley Repertory Theatre (2025 Addison Street Berkeley, CA 94704)
- Full Price:
- $37.00 - $61.00
- Our Price:
- FREE - $30.50*
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The last date listed for Argonautika was Sunday November 11, 2007 / 7:00pm.
22 Goldstar Member Reviews
Goldstar Member
Great show, but it was a bit hard to hear in the balcony. Most of the "roll call" was unintelligible.Written on Nov 10 2007
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annie hayes
This play was painful to sit thru. Way too long and the worst acting I've ever seen at the Berkeley Rep.Written on Nov 13 2007
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John Navas
Fantastic, imaginative theater with great production values -- highly recommended!Written on Nov 09 2007
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Ken Ralston
Visually thrilling, often funny, occasionally thought-provoking, Argonautika is a multi-dimensional theatrical experience. I had not seen any of Mary Zimmerman's productions before; I knew of her only by reputation. So, of course, hovering in the background for me was the question: "Will I see signs of the extraordianary artistic originality--of "genius"--that Zimmerman, with the recent award of a Macarthur grant, has been officially certified as having?" The short answer is, "Yes, there are definitely signs here of an amazing talent at work."Written on Nov 10 2007
A bit of advice for theatergoers: It is very helpful for you to have read beforehand a several-page retelling (i.e., not a one-paragraph plot summary) of the Jason story. That's because the play depicts a series of episodes which, with the various, often unfamiliar Greek names and the imaginatively suggestive (i.e., not conventionally realistic) depictions, can be somewhat difficult to follow. I was glad I had read Edith Hamilton's version beforehand. Do note: There is no such summary given in the program guide.
Finally, a note regarding the acting: I've often been disappointed with the quality of acting in Bay Area theater (including ACT), but not this time. With one exception, all the performers were excellent. The exception: Jason himself, who did not seem to have the kind of grasp of his role that the other actors had of theirs. His performance is acceptable--it doesn't greatly diminish the overall impact of the play--but it is, in my opinion, rather flat. I learned afterwards that this particular actor had the thankless task of stepping in only three days before for the actor who had been originally cast in the role, who unexpectedly left to take a part in NYC. Given that context, one would have to say Jason's performance is not bad at all. Two cast stand-outs: Hera and Hylas.
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More Information About Argonautika
Quotes & Highlights
- “Zimmerman has the kind of transforming theatrical touch that reconnects audiences to what live theater is all about. Mystery, magic, a heightened sense of awareness of the physical presence of the actor in space and time—all these form the defining grammar of her work.” —San Francisco Chronicle
- “A production of great beauty, wild imagination, goofy humor and emotional heat. The show is classic Zimmerman—a seamless meeting of actors, designers and episodic text…the crowning installment in a long series of her works.” —Chicago Sun-Times
- “A spare, lucid, elegant show…it’s so remarkably ambitious, enjoyable and meaningful overall that pointing out small weaknesses would be pointless.” —Variety
Description
Mary Zimmerman received the 2002 Tony Award for directing Metamorphoses. Like her other hits—Journey to the West, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci and The Secret in the Wings—that show made its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Rep. Recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant, Zimmerman will direct Lucia di Lammermoor to open the 2007/08 Season at New York’s Metropolitan Opera.
About the Ticket Supplier: Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Known for its amazing and adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a home for emerging and established artists since 1968. With two stages and a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Berkeley Rep premieres exhilarating new plays and reimagined classics. In the last five years alone, the company has helped send five shows to Broadway: Green Day's American Idiot, Bridge & Tunnel, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), Passing Strange and Wishful Drinking. Come see tomorrow's plays today at Berkeley Rep.
Berkeley Rep operates two performance spaces: the Roda Theatre, a state-of-the-art 600-seat proscenium theatre, and the intimate, 400-seat Thrust Stage. The Theatre is located in the heart of downtown Berkeley's arts district, just a half block from the Berkeley BART station, near lots of restaurants, cafe, pubs, and cool retailers.