[.ca] Aeschylus: The Complete Plays : Oresteia : Agamemnon, ... (ISBN 1575253127)

An Aeschylus for Today:
In the two volumes of Aeschylus: Complete Plays, Mueller and Denard give the director an inspirational gift. These translations soar to the heights one expects and needs from the world's oldest tragedies while retaining a currency of feeling that is sometimes unnerving. These collected works of Aeschylus (Vol. 1: Oresteia, Vol. 2: Persians, Seven Against Thebes, Suppliants, and Prometheus Bound) strike the ideal balance between the demands of a literary translation and a script suited for contemporary production. The literary demands of the ear are met in a verse translation of syllabic and rhythmic patterns which echo that of the original Greek. Simultaneously, Mueller's translation is visually stimulating as well-something any script must have if it is going to inspire directors and designers. After all, the seating area of the ancient Greek theatre was called the theatron which means "seeing place." A good translation must, as it were, give sight to the blind. With the insights provided by Denard and Mueller in their essays and with translations that echo the past while brazenly embracing the present, Aeschylus' ancient triumphs can again win the laurel crown on today's stages. For those who want their Greek tragedy alive and kicking (and screaming and bleeding), these translations of Aeschylus' extant works will serve as a vital and exhilarating read. But more importantly, they will serve as superb acting texts of the world's earliest known playwright for today's directors and designers. Teresa Choate, excerpt reprinted with permission from the PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art, Sept. 2003