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The Killing Fields by Anya Pearson

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Recommendations

  • Blyss Cleveland:
    2 Aug. 2023
    “ This is a great modern adaptation of the tragedy of Agamemnon. Set in East Oakland after the Reagan Administration's brutal policies have decimated Black communities, the play forces us to confront drug addiction not as an individual failing, but as a social problem that has community-wide and intergenerational consequences. ”
  • Cate Cappelmann:
    15 Mar. 2023
    “ An adaptation with real purpose and voice. As explicitly called for in the rich stage directions, this work can be both grounded and surreal as it melds ancient and contemporary worlds. The themes are classical and urgent. I can think of few analogies more suitable for an inescapable family curse than addiction and political injustice. Ambitious, and each divergence from the original text proves enlightening. ”
  • Giulianna Marchese:
    15 Mar. 2023
    “ This is one of my favorite Greek tragedies. The original Iphigenia feels like a play about women trying to feel like they have agency in a world where they clearly have none. I love how this adaptation plays with the same ideas of free will and where our destiny ultimately comes from. It's a story about a family, but you get constant reminders of the policy decisions that lead this family here. I highly recommend giving this script a read! ”
  • Dana Macel:
    15 Mar. 2023
    “ This is a deft adaptation that makes the heightened tragedy feel very personal. I was a little intimidated prior to reading because I know very little about the context of the setting and about the source material, but I was very impressed with the translation of fate to systemic oppression. I appreciate how the dialogue tackles the themes without losing the urgency or reality for the character actually speaking it. ”
  • Skyler Tarnas:
    15 Mar. 2023
    “ A haunting recreation of Greek tragedy, THE KILLING FIELDS brilliantly recasts the Reagans and their war on drugs as the "Gods" directing the fates of this play's characters, who can never be sure how much control they have over their own destinies. From an enigmatic and somewhat sinister Cassandra to an exhausted and misjudged Clytemnestra, the cast is rich and their relationships are layered intricately onto the existing family dramas of Greek myth. Needs to be staged. ”
  • Zach Barr:
    15 Mar. 2023
    “ An elegiac and worthwhile mediation on the nature of fate, transplanted into a community and time period where the people had little freedom to escape the cycle of violence and addiction. Pearson weaves classical and modern language together into a play where being understood is nearly as difficult as saying the right thing. ”
  • Playwrights Foundation:
    9 Jun. 2021
    “ The community of national & local readers for the 44th annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival enthusiastically recommends THE KILLING FIELDS as a Semi-Finalist this season at Playwrights Foundation out of 755 plays. We were deeply moved by the artistic merits of the structure and character development. We're compelled by the play's promise, as it draws parallels between intentional oppression in Greek mythology and our current world. We hope this play is widely read, finds dedicated collaborators, and moves swiftly towards production. #BAPF2021 ”
  • Rachael Carnes:
    4 Jun. 2021
    “ A heartbreaking re-envisioning of the Iphigenia cycle, juxtaposing the Reagan-era "War on Drugs" with deeply-felt family drama. Pearson combines comedy, tragedy, story, song, dance - using the Greek form to great effect - twisting it tightly with our current incongruities. Language breaks away into lyrical poetry and swings into easy vernacular with breathtaking facility. Deft pacing and a driving plot leave us few outlets, driving us to an inevitable outcome. A beautiful, challenging new work, creating a dynamic ensemble for the ages. ”
  • Nick Malakhow:
    7 Nov. 2020
    “ An absolutely gorgeous, wrenching piece that just beautifully combines the heightened ethos of Greek tragedy with lyrical poetry and dance and everyday naturalism. The way that Pearson echoes, plays with, and subverts tropes of ancient tragedy (scene structure, poetry, use of the chorus) is absolutely brilliant. Every single character is so distinct and well-rendered, and the relationship between Cly and Iphi is particularly complex, nuanced, and, ultimately, gutting. The oppressive atmosphere of the Reagan era war on drugs is seamlessly threaded through with poignantly chosen voiceovers and soundscapes. How I would love to see this live! ”
  • Conor McShane:
    4 Nov. 2020
    “ A beautiful retelling of the Greek legend of Agamemnon transposed to the War on Drugs-era, a different kind of history story whose effects are still felt today. The play conflates history and legend, realism and lyricism, to moving, heartbreaking effect. ”