The Bacchae

Northwestern’s spring production was translated by William Arrowsmith, with choral odes translated by Herbert Golder, and adapted by Northwestern Master of Fine Arts candidate Jonathan Mazer, who directs the production, and Paul Thelen. The Bacchae is one of the greatest Greek tragedies ever written. It tells of the clash between the vengeful god of wine Dionysus and his brash, mortal cousin, Pentheus, who refuses to acknowledge Dionysus’ divinity. As the young king of Thebes struggles to suppress the Dionysian promise of ecstasy and retain control of his city, the story reveals how fanaticism and fundamentalism ultimately transform the most positive of human forces into self-destruction.