Aeschylus Bound

EACH YEAR, a few ambitious directors summon the spirit of the Greek amphitheater to the dark, boxy Ex. Occasionally and remarkably, the Ex production of Prometheus Bound, directed by Brian Powers according to an eclectic translation, flashes with this spirit of intense, exalted suffering. The drama is powerful only as a ritual, though: incredulous at the old myth of Prometheus, we feel no surge of pity and terror, but only detachment.

Because he has not aimed at grandeur, Powers has created an impressive spectacle within the confines of the experimental theater. The precise articulation which he has demanded from his cast makes the elaborate, lyrical speeches welcomely clear. By having two Prometheus figures -- one a dummy -- Powers escapes the problems of sustaining audience interest in an immobile actor and effectively makes incarnate the idea of a free, rebellious mind in a fettered body.

As the vital Prometheus, Christopher Kennedy communicates his suffering with sufficient strength and sincerity to hold the play together. Yet constantly craning his neck and turning his Roman profile to the light, Kennedy seems a little too arrogant: his sneers make the Titan's earlier compassion for man incomprehensible. With the exception of Liz Tyler, the chorus leader, and Louise Claps, the supporting cast too often tends toward melodrama or sing-song declamation. Tyler is adequate in a role comparable to the straight man in a comedy team; like a kindly next-door neighbor, she foils the cries and anguish of Prometheus and Io. The madness of Claps's Io just touches the edge of hysteria.

Even at its most eloquent moments, however, this Prometheus Bound is no more than good acting and clever staging, and the reason for the drama's failure lies in the nature of the Prometheus myth itself. The idea of an indifferent God whose supposed wisdom seems more like folly is familiar today; the words of those who urge the rebel to conform ring true. What is incredible about an expression of the Prometheus myth today is the concept of a savior of mankind. About the Titan's successful defiance of tyranny the play revolves; upon the distance of this idea from our own experience, the production sinks into a dramatic rite.