Elektra Problematika

by Emilio Williams

This is a reinvention of Sophocles' Elektra for an all-Latinx cast and director. It is a tragedy with moments of absurd, queer comedy. Early drafts of this play were developed with Studio Luna in Los Angeles, in collaboration with director Alexandra Meda. Studio Luna would like to find partners for a rolling world-premiere.

The play received a Fellowship Award at The School of the Art Institute. The award was...

This is a reinvention of Sophocles' Elektra for an all-Latinx cast and director. It is a tragedy with moments of absurd, queer comedy. Early drafts of this play were developed with Studio Luna in Los Angeles, in collaboration with director Alexandra Meda. Studio Luna would like to find partners for a rolling world-premiere.

The play received a Fellowship Award at The School of the Art Institute. The award was judged by poet Prageeta Sharma who stated: "... I found it to be an extremely compelling and risky play. I was intrigued by its premise of a retelling of Elektra that updated itself to “examine myths of the House of Atreus for an all-Latinx cast.” I appreciated how it negotiated trans-generational social activism and social practice: themes of feminist agency, identity, trans and non-binary identity, culture, etc. in particular examining how difficult activism, politics, and discourse can be on the stage (figuring out the didactic discourse of politics alongside dramatic structures), I think. It seemed to invite us to see what contemporary theatre can hold and refresh when approaching Classicism and ancient theatre and in doing so revising its sense and scope. Overall, I liked how timely, bold, spirited, comedic, and chancy it was. At times, I wasn’t sure it was able to pull off its self-interrogation but then it was full of surprises and gestures that I realized were the point and thus artful and intentionally provocative. It was very fresh and innovative."

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Elektra Problematika

Development History

  • Type Commission, Organization Teatro Luna West, Year 2021
  • Type Residency, Organization Chicago Dramatists, Year 2020
  • Type Reading, Organization School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Year 2019

Awards

  • MFAW Fellowship Awards (SAIC)
    School of the Art Institute of Chicago- Writing Program
    Winner
    2019