2002. Two acts. Flexible cast (minimum 3M, 3F, maximum 5M, 5F). Produced February, 2002 by The Madrid Players, Madrid, Spain Directed by the author Characters: ELECTRA ORESTES IPHIGENIA CLYTAEMNESTRA AEGISTHUS AGAMEMNON CASSANDRA PYLADES ANDREAS KORIOTIS EVANTHIA PAPANASTASSIOU   (The play can be produced with a cast of six if the following double-casting scheme is followed: Iphigenia/Cassandra/Evanthia; Agamemnon/Andreas; Orestes/Pylades.)   Not a direct adaptation of any previous version, Children of Argos is a new take on the Electra story, using it to explore the question of what happens to children who grow up in an environment of violence. Although essentially serious, the play includes plenty of black humor, anachronisms and (for those who know their Greek tragedy) in jokes.   The first act traces the story from the sacrifice of Iphigenia at the hands of her father, Agamemnon, through his return from Troy and murder at the hands of his wife Clytaemnestra and cousin Aegisthus, all seen through the eyes of Electra and Orestes, whose modern adolescent speech and worldview is contrasted with the exaggeratedly formal verse of their elders. Exiled from Argos, Orestes perceives the opportunity to escape the cycle of atrocity and revenge that has dogged his family. Electra, however, is raped by Aegisthus, now her stepfather and determined to demonstrate his power by whatever means possible.   The second act takes place in a curious time warp: Orestes’ friend Pylades reports his death in a fiery automobile accident; Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus marry Electra off to Andreas, a kindly self-made millionaire; and the wedding is covered by television gossip reporter Evanthia Papanastassiou and accompanied by glossy Europop. It seems possible that the hatchet has been buried and that the family has finally escaped its curse, advancing as Orestes had hoped into a more civilized age, until Orestes himself arrives, alive after all, and his and Electraís intentions become clear. Whether or not they will be able to kill, or to keep themselves from killing, is left in doubt until almost the end.   excerpt Two Monologues from the play: pylades and andreas lyrics and music to a song from the playArgos_excerpt.htmlPylades.htmlAndreas.htmlLyrics.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3
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