Buntport Theater opens their 13th season with their latest original creation, Electra Onion Eater, a comic retelling of Sophocles’ classic Greek tragedy Electra. The play is set in the 1970s, and interacts with a televised soap opera that two of the characters are watching, but somehow still manages to keep most of the basic plot elements. This is vintage Buntport — taking an existing story, twisting and reinterpreting it, infusing it with silliness and irony, but staying true to the essence of the original.
Electra Onion Eater is a play about revenge and onions. Electra is (understandably) upset that her mother, Clytemnestra, has killed her husband Agamemnon, father to Electra and Orestes. Like any good Greek tragedy, oracles and gods direct the action, and not much makes rational sense. Suffice to say that Electra impatiently awaits Orestes return, anticipating that he will then kill Clytemnestra and her lover. In the midst of all this, Electra engages in conversation with the characters in the soap opera she watches every day, getting their advice and perspective on things. The script simultaneously pokes fun at the ridiculousness of the original story and honors it, a strange contrast reinforced by individual incongruous juxtapositions scattered throughout. Electra wails and cries frequently, usually blaming it on the onions that she chops and cooks into pies, with an actual oven onstage, using smell to bring the audience more into the action.
As usual, the Buntport collective directs the show. They have made the blocking formal at times, with characters slowly striding downstage in parallel, each in their own “lane.” The set imposes restrictions on movement that force a lot of upstage-downstage movement, further enhancing the overall formality. Throughout the show, everything consistently combines the classic and the contemporary, but does so in a way that fits together.
Erin Rollman is quirky and disturbed as Electra, incessantly preparing onion pies, beating her chest in anguish. She opens the show by herself, building the context and her character clearly, covering a wide range of emotions credibly. Her preparation of onion pies sets a new level for “stage business” that may not soon be equaled. Hannah Duggan is Clytemnestra, the superficial mother, clearly impatient with Electra’s constant wailing. She is also a flirt, trying to seduce poor Bruce, played by temporary Buntporter Drew Horwitz. Horwitz’s Bruce tries (unsuccessfully, of course) to bring sanity and a voice of reason to the story, questioning whether there really needs to be still more killing. Orestes, played by Erik Edborg, is unable to act on his own, following the oracle’s instructions to the letter. The recorded voices of an impressive group of local actors, including Karen Slack, Michael Morgan, Jessica Robblee, and Brian Colonna deliver just the right amount of melodrama for the soap opera.
The set design combines formality with a 1970s period look, including a functional kitchen for preparing onion pies. The stage is split into three lanes, allowing for some fun formal movement. The costumes are delightful, hitting just the right tacky 1970s look. The lighting is basic but sound, providing good illumination throughout. The sound, by frequent Buntport collaborator Adam Stone, particularly the recording of the soap opera, is detailed and accurate, making the interaction between those on stage and the soap opera characters both more real and surreal. The design elements are well integrated into the overall production, something that Buntport, with their comprehensive collaborative approach, does consistently very well.
Electra Onion Eater is a lot of fun. It constantly juxtaposes opposites, is filled with comedy, and still stays true to the original. Each time I go to Buntport, I expect comic and creative brilliance, and even these high expectations are often exceeded. While Electra Onion Eater was not quite to the level of genius that some of their shows have been, it is still very entertaining and creative, and well worth seeing.
— Craig Williamson, November 7, 2013, North Denver Tribune