Prometheus Bound, the central play in the trilogy by Aeschylus in which the defiant hero is punished by Zeus for teaching man how to use fire, fits perfectly into the Yulman Theater's “Season of Science.”
In fact, the 400 B.C. tragedy may be the original play about the man's empowerment through science, according to director William Finlay.
“In many ways, this was the first play about science,” Finlay said. “Prometheus gave fire to mankind, and it also touches on medicine and the healing arts, farming, mathematics and the ability to write one's thoughts ('the-all remembering skill').”
The play runs Thursday, Feb. 22, through Saturday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m.; March 1 through 3 at 8 p.m.; and March 4 at 2 p.m.
Ardelle Striker, artistic director of the Blue Heron Theater in New York City, wrote the contemporary adaptation.
Yulman Theater's three-part “Season of Science” began last fall with a Commedia Dell' Arté production, The Big Bang. It concludes next term with Electrifying Acts, a commissioned play by Jon Lipsky about the relationship of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.
“The Season of Science has given us the opportunity to work closely with our colleagues in the sciences, particularly physics,” Finlay said. “Combining the two is a hot topic in both the arts and the sciences,” he added, noting several popular plays that deal with the themes: Copenhagen, Proof and Arcadia.
Tickets are available at the Yulman box office, ext. 6545.