Eugene O’Neill

Mourning Becomes Electra

Mahen Theatre / Drama Dates and tickets

The drama of the Mannon household, reset in the 21st century, is a classical play reflecting today’s world. Provocative food for thought, wrapped in a grandiose visual design with commentary by the rap duo P/\ST – live at the Mahen Theatre!

 Set in the sumptuous residence of the Mannon family towards the end of the American Civil War, a daughter and her mother are impatiently awaiting the return of the male members of the family. While the first is full of hope, the second is fearful. What kind of future can the family expect after such a long separation?  The father and the son are not easy in their minds either. In an atmosphere of estrangement concealed affections are smouldering under the roof of the ostentatious manor house, threating the upcoming moment of reunion. Every member of the family longs to take their destiny into their own hands. The question is who will do so first and at what price.

In his play Mourning Becomes Electra Eugene Gladstone O’Neill (1888 –1953) – one of America’s most important playwrights of the 20th century and the 1936 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature – retells the story of classic tragic characters in order to expose the indomitability of the human desire for love, which can easily turn into hatred and a craving for vengeance. This family tragedy is also a universal account of the complexity of relationships, namely those between parents and children, which can often verge on the edge of a guilty conscience for fear of repeating mistakes. In his most famous play O’Neill shows us that if the ancient world is distant in time, it is anything but distant in the way we experience fundamental human emotions.

Premiere: at Mahen Theatre on  June 24th, 2022

 

Show more

Production team

Jan Grossman Translation
Michal Dočekal Direction
Hana Hložková Dramaturgy
Dragan Stojčevski Stage design
Eva Jiřikovská Costume design
P/\ST Music

Cast

When do we play?

Photogallery