Oedipus el Rey, a powerful play by Luis Alfaro, is at Woolly Mammoth Theatre until early next week. It takes the ancient Greek play Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) and transfers it to Los Angeles. The Greek chorus becomes a coro of Mexican men, hardened by life in the streets. The dialogue incorporates Spanish in a seamless way so that it is true to the characters but not a distraction for those who don’t know Spanish.

While the Greek Oedipus is adopted by the king and queen of a neighboring kingdom, this Oedipus is the son of a gang kingpin who orders his son killed when he learns that the baby boy is fated to kill him. The other “kingdom” that takes Oedipus el Rey is prison. Both Oedipus and his father’s attempts to evade the fate that has been decreed for Oedipus help that fate to come to pass and bring disastrous results.

In the original story, Oedipus and his parents’ determination to avoid fate is an affront to the gods because it denies the gods’ sovereignty. This notion holds up in the modernization because of the mystical beliefs that are a part of Chicano culture and because of the power of a community that dares you to defy its norms. Alfaro, however, emphasizes a new dimension to explain how Oedipus runs into his fate by trying to avoid it: machismo. The machismo and masculine codes of the streets and of prison entrap the characters as much as any decree from the gods.

I studied Oedipus Rex in high school and was amazed at just how well Alfaro was able to transfer not only the themes, but also the plot points of this play to the present day. So many people grow up not knowing one or both of their parents that it is entirely possible to encounter them as an adult and not know who they are. Not  knowing who he really is causes problems for Oedipus.

Performed on a stage that extends into the audience, the play is intended to get inside your head and not just to be passive entertainment.

Woolly Mammoth is committed to community engagement. The play programs ask audience members to consider the play through different lenses (family, community, individualism) and include interviews with the playwright and local activists to discuss issues the play presents (recidivism, homelessness). Woolly has also held talk-back forums after selected performances to give the audience the opportunity to discuss the play with people who work with former prisoners and at-risk youth.

One forum participant, who is not a regular theatre-goer, observed that he felt at home with the violence and nudity that he saw onstage. Think what you will about that statement, it is a testament to the fact that this a play that will resonate with audiences who are not normally drawn to plays. With that in mind, Woolly Mammoth offers theater patrons the chance to to “Share the Show” by donating a ticket to a community organization. So if you can’t see it yourself before it ends its run on March 6, you can help someone else to see it. And if you've seen it, then you know that it is something that should be shared.

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Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
641 D Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004