Students may forget much of what transpires during four years of high school. However, a bucolic voyage into the rustic beauty of Spring Green to enjoy the immensely talented American Players Theater performance of Sophocles’ Oedipus will never fade, never die. Senior AP English Literature and Composition students, along with a few juniors, made just such a journey on September 30.

The theater’s auditorium features outdoor seating, a highlight for senior Zach Cornell.

AP Literature students await the opening of Oedipus, a Greek tragedy, during their visit on September 30. The students felt the outside elements of the space added to the engaging atmosphere.

“It was really beautiful,” he said. “You look above the set, and there’s just this horizon of trees and all sorts of nature sounds that really added to the play. It was really cool and made it feel more immersive.”

The location truly set the stage for a magical day, and it wouldn’t have been the same for senior Patrick Gannon if it had been staged anywhere else.

“The ambiance of the spectacle was an added element because it was outdoors,” he said. “When the birds were chirping in the background, it made it seem more realistic. You’re actually outside, and the situations in the play wouldn’t be happening indoors.”

The tragedy follows Oedipus, leader of the city-state of Thebes, as he navigates a dark prophecy placed on his family. Eventually, he discovers some sickening truths.

“Oedipus is described as a good ruler but his kingdom is under a plague so he goes to the Gods for an answer,” Cornell said. “They tell him to find the person in their kingdom that killed the previous king, Laius. Spoiler alert, that was his father. Oedipus learns he is the one that killed his father, and the lady that he married is his mother.”

For English teacher Trent Scott, Oedipus was a unique play compared to shows he has seen at American Players Theatre in the past.

“Seeing Oedipus is a very different experience because it’s a Greek tragedy as opposed to a Shakespearean comedy,” he said. “A tragedy is driven much more by three people talking back and forth and delivering speeches. The chorus also has a very important role which makes it different from a Shakespearen experience.”

Cornell appreciated the chorus in Oedipus, which provided interpretation between bouts of drama from the main characters.

“The chorus, which is these actors that play the common folk, fits more with the traditional Greek theater,“ he said. “They also take breaks from the dialogue between the main royal characters. They discuss what’s going on and how the audience should think about it. I liked it because the whole play is so intense and dramatic, and the chorus was a break in between to reflect.”

Classical tragedies such as Oedipus, created with the intention of giving the audience a vicarious experience, lead viewers like Scott to feel many emotions throughout the course of the show.

“The idea of a prophecy, especially one as dark and tragic as what Oedipus, Jocasta and Laius all had to go through, is there so the audience can feel a sense of pity, dread and horror at what’s going on,” he said. “They can then expel those negative emotions through what’s called a catharsis. Aristotle would tell us that it’s healthy to go through an experience like that because afterwards you feel lightened and lifted above your current circumstances. That’s what art does.”

Senior Anders Larson was able to put himself in the shoes of some characters in the play.

“I think Oedipus himself is very relatable,” he said. “Him and Jocasta, they’ve done this terrible thing and they tried to avoid their fate which is understandable. They’re human, and like them, we all want the best for ourselves.”

Senior Sydney Butz enjoyed the actors walking in between the rows and getting up close and personal with the audience.

“I thought it was a great call by the director,” she said. “It kept the audience on their toes, and created a more immersive experience.”

Most of the actors in Oedipus played multiple roles in the show, which junior Sunny Wolf admired.

“It was really impressive how quickly the actors would change to become different characters,” they said. “Not only costume-wise, but you have to completely change your mindset when you’re playing a different character to get you into character.”

The ideas and emotions presented in the play were relatable to Gannon.

Junior Abby Furcy and senior Lily Fournier enjoy the rare privilege of standing on stage of the American Players Theater. A few members of English 3H were lucky enough to tag along for the performance.

“It’s the situation where you’re looking at politicians and you see this whole scandal arise,” he said. “You hold them in such a high regard, and then they just fall. Not even politicians, but anyone you hold of high regard. Just seeing them fall from this precipice that you put them on.”

Oedipus, being a historic Greek tragedy, has many differences compared to theater performed on stage today.

“They handled a lot more taboo subjects than modern-day plays would,” Wolf said. “I don’t think modern plays would be that successful or survive if they were talking about the things they did in Oedipus. I think the reason Oedipus is able to still be so popular is because it has a whole storyline and it’s a classic.”

A life lesson Gannon took away from the play is that everybody can make their own decisions in life.

“There was a whole prophecy for Oedipus, but he had a choice. There was a prophecy for Jocasta but she had a choice,” he said. “They didn’t have to throw Oedipus into the mountains. Oedipus didn’t have to kill Laius. It illustrates that nothing is concrete in your life. You could take it the other way, that you can’t escape fate, but I like to think that humans actually have choices they can make.”

Wolf found a different message woven into the storyline.

“You can’t run from your problems,” they said. “They’re always going to catch up to you. Oedipus tried to run away from the inevitable, but it’s inevitable. It’s going to catch up to you no matter what.”

There are many messages viewers can take into their own lives from watching live theater. Scott finds comfort in the theme of not being in control.

“I think that would remove an awful lot of pressure if we would just stop and let go of the things that we cannot control,” he said. “Once you realize there’s nothing you can control, some of the anxiety that we feel as human beings begins to drift away a little bit. Seeing a play is a good way to gain a sense of that understanding.”

Wolf had a good experience and recommends American Players Theatre to others.

“Since I’ve never read the play before, I didn’t know anything about it which made it so much more shock-inducing and interesting,” they said. “It’s just such a unique experience. I’ve never been to an outdoor theater before and it completely exceeded my expectations.”

by Abby Furcy

Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 2

November 1st, 2021

AP Lit students take in Sophoclean sights at APT