The Karen Medea

4m, 5w, 3 either
2m 50-70, 2m 30-40; 1w 70s, 3w 30-40, 1w 20s; 1 either 25-65, 2 either 2-10

The Karen Medea relocates the ancient Greek tragedy of Medea to post-World War II London, with Medea (here called "Maddie") a Shaw Karen woman who rescued and wed Jason in Burma. The plot follows Euripides' action closely.

The role of the Chorus is split up among a variety of characters: an elderly, infirm next-door neighbor; that neighbor's nurse; a grocery delivery person; and a ghostly ancestor of Maddie's. The other characters interacting with Maddie are similar to those in Euripides, just renamed and given more current biographies. Maddie's children have no spoken lines; nor does Jason's intended wife, who appears in one of the mimed/danced scenes in the play.

The unit set of The Karen Medea shows the street outside Maddie's and the neighbor's houses, with a terrace area at the neighbor's place accessible through French doors. Mimed/danced sequences are performed on an unlocalized area of the stage.

The Karen Medea mixes the tragedy of child murder with Karen animist beliefs and some humor. It provides a tour-de-force role for an Asian lead actress and a number of neatly etched supporting roles.