The story of Jason and the Argonauts is a staple in Greek mythology. The fearless leader, aided by his band of testosterone laden men, seeks out the Golden Fleece, encountering lusty sirens, a formidable sea monster, menacing harpies and a fierce dragon along the way. While many retellings portray our protagonists as courageous men with nary a blemish, Mary Zimmerman’s Argonautika, playing at Berkeley Rep’s Rhoda Theatre, paints a more human picture, using a palette filled with deceit, love and betrayal to paint on a canvas of humor and adventure. The result is a complex masterpiece that tells us a bit about mythology and a lot about human nature.
Zimmerman’s Argonautika is a triumph on multiple levels. Using creative yet relatively simple puppets and a talented cast of 14, many playing various roles, the audience is successfully transported to a world of gods and mythical creatures. Once that reality is established, the individual actors do an amazing job of fleshing out the characters, recreating them with distinct personalities with unique quirks and attributes. The fact that the several actors successfully play multiple characters with differing personas is a testament to the high caliber of their ability. One of the most striking examples is Søren Oliver, who plays both the strong yet dense Hercules as well as the conniving antagonist King Aieetes. The characters are diametric opposites, yet Oliver plays both perfectly.
The source material already makes the story a classic, but the nuances woven into this production make it a worthy retelling. For one, this is one of the most human renditions of the tale. The protagonists are portrayed as a ragtag group of competent yet somewhat bumbling he-men who growl and beat their chests. Jason, meanwhile, is their charismatic yet ultimately self-serving leader. We see their blemishes and realize they are human (or at least half-human, half-god). Even the gods are anthropomorphic: Manipulative, nepotistic and meddlesome as they are, they hardly seem the detached entities that watch from above. Instead, they abet their favorite humans through complicit interventions to the harm of others. The most onerous example is Aphrodite and Eros’ role in influencing Medea to betray her father and her countrymen. Somehow we are able to forgive the likable characters and hope they make it home to their families with the Golden Fleece. Despite their flaws and shortcomings, the audience finds itself rooting for them in the face of danger and trouble.
But perhaps the most entertaining aspect of this extremely entertaining play is the adventures and exploits of the Argonauts. It is always curious how one can relay the epic scope of the story in a medium as limited as a play. Zimmerman’s staging and direction keeps the story majestic and sweeping. Even when using miniature scale props, the magnificence and grandeur of the scene is apparent to the audience. Zimmerman shows why she has won numerous accolades, including the 2002 Tony for Best Director.
The humor is yet another layer of this production, keeping the story from becoming too heavy or serious. And still, Zimmerman adds yet another layer by cleverly pointing out a few similarities between our current president’s foray into Iraq and Jason’s quest, which brings him to the unwelcome shores of Colchis.
Human, humorous, exciting and timely, Argonautika is another feather in Berkeley Rep’s exciting 40th anniversary season. Take some time to see it before it closes on December 23.
Originally published: www.ucsf.edu/synapse/articles/2007/Nov/29/argonautika.html
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