At the Mirror Studio (5th floor) in Poblacion this weekend, there’s an interesting adaptation of Elecktra, the Greek tragedy by Sophocles. Electra is one of the rare surviving plays of Sophocles, and it’s an example of classic Greek theater.

If you recall your literature classes, the tragedies, along with the comedies and satyr plays, were the three types of plays that existed in Ancient Greece. They’re reputed to have a great influence on the theater of Ancient Rome, and on to the Renaissance.

The concepts of mimesis (imitation) and catharsis (cleansing), as well as the three core unities of tragedy, find their origin in these Greek plays. Adapted and directed by Nelsito Gomez, the play we get to watch this weekend is a thesis defense of Dippy Arceo, who plays Elecktra.

And what Nelsito has nimbly done is break down the tragedy to ‘scenes of confrontation’, and update the language and context so that the audience of today can better appreciate the motive, action, and underlying sentiment of the classical tragedy.

As with most Greek tragedies, which dramatized myths and flawed heroic figures, Elecktra has to do with murder, grief, adultery, incest, matricide, and revenge. So yes, it’s your everyday dose of Greek tragedy, but made more palatable to a contemporary Filipino theater-goer. Dani Roque is Chrysothemis, the younger sister of Elecktra; while Ysh Bautista plays Orestes, their younger brother. Lending a hand and weight to the cast are Issa Litton as Clytemnestra, mother of Electra, and Tarek El Tayech as Aegisthus.

For those trying to tease out what they remember of Elecktra and Sophocles, all one needs to know is that Clytemnestra had her husband, Agamemnon, killed by Aegisthus, Agamemnon’s cousin. Then as wife and husband, they ruled, imprisoning Electra, who was her father’s favorite.

There’s the imaginative use of lighting and a drum set that accompanies the spoken word. And as someone who normally dreads how serious and indulgent Greek tragedy can be, I enjoyed the 65 minutes or so of this adaptation.

It stays faithful to the source material while picking up the pace and inserting random shafts of humor. There are four performances, 7 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, plus a 3 pm matinee on Sunday. Let's support independent theater and straight dramas.