Iowa State Theatre is currently preforming ‘Iphigenia’, and two more showings are available to see. Tonight at 7:30 p.m, and tomorrow at 2 p.m. 

I attended the Friday evening performance and was not disappointed. 

Moments before the show began, the crowd was excitingly chattering about what was to come. The show began with an exciting and powerful start. 

As the play preceded one of my favorite things was how the performers used the scenery and props. The audience got introduced to each new character through the use of masks being passed to the actor who was playing that character. The masks were held slightly away from the face, and the actor acted as if the mask was the character, looking at other characters and showing certain emotions, such as looking down when sad, when necessary. 

Back in Ancient Greece, actors used this technique to distinguish themselves from their characters for the audience.

I thought it was an excellent touch to the play, and the masks were all different looking, depending on the character. 

Throughout the play the actors also used the use of shadow play. They were able to depict certain scenes, other actors on stage were discussing, by standing off stage, and behind and wall, that could reflect their shadows.

Sounds were also an essential part to this play. The chorus played a large role throughout the performance, and were very entertaining to watch and listen to. In one scene where Agamemnon and his brother Menelaos were having a heated discussion, the chorus were patting on the ground, and the patting grew more intense and the argument thickened. 

And one cannot forget to mention the music throughout the play, a small band of three people, preformed beautifully fitting songs that Ben Schrag and his wife Amanda Petefish-Schrag wrote, and preformed. 

Another component of the play I enjoyed was how throughout the performance the actors were always in motion, someone was always moving or changing position, the chorus and other actors were always very expressive, and that always makes a performance more enjoyable to watch. 

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this performance. It was a rollercoaster ride of excitement, shock, sadness, and pondering what was to come next.

The show ended with what I felt as a wave of shock throughout the audience. The ending left me wanting to see what would unfold next, and that is the best kind of ending…

I highly recommend taking some time this evening or tomorrow to go see an excellent adaptation of ‘Iphigenia’ at Fisher Theater.