Classics Expo features student research
June 14, 2019
The Department of Classics introduced a new format for its end of the year celebration with the Classics Expo and Awards Ceremony on June 5, which showcased research by undergraduate students that fell under the categories of PERFORMING GREEK DRAMA TODAY, RE-IMAGINING MEDIA, and THE POLITICS OF CLASSICS THEN AND NOW. Eight individuals or teams presented the following works, then the audience voted on best presentation. While it was close call, Doermann and Gordon's performance of a scene from Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis took the prize.
PERFORMING GREEK DRAMA TODAY
She-Wolf, by Alexander Barnett and Lauren Loesberg: A pitch for a feature
film adaptation of Aeschylus’ Agamemnon set in 14thcentury England.
Camilla, by Rose Genaris and Christina Melehy: An adaptation of a scene from Aeschylus' Agamemnonin the context of a Latinx community.
Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis: a scene performed by Abby Doermann and Andrew Gordon.
RE-IMAGINING MEDEA
Iason Medeae, by Andrew Hinchberger: A 71-line Latin poem written from the perspective of Jason in response to Ovid’s Heroides XII.The piece explores how Jason would respond to Medea’s letter, what he would say to justify his misdeeds, and how he would function as an author.
A dramatic Monologue for Medea, by Andrew Gordon: A dramatic speech drawing form and style from Senecan tragedy, Ovid’s Heroides and Metamorphoses, and Euripidean tragedy. It could have been climactic, before Medea’s murder of her children, and fit within the lost Ovidian tragedy.
Creusa Iasoni, by Skye McCoy: A letter in the style of Ovid's Heroides meant to mirror and expand on Medea's characterization in Epistula XII and Seneca's play Medea. It is written from the perspective of Creusa, the only one of Jason’s lovers who is not assigned a letter in the Heroides.
THE POLITICS OF CLASSICS THEN AND NOW
"Aeschylus’ Eumenides– A Patriarchally Promotional Play,” by Rose Genaris: An analysis of the representation and performance of gender in Aeschylus’ Eumenides. Through an exploration of Aeschylus’ depiction of various forms of womanhood as well as his discussion of paternalism, dialogue choices, and the outcome of Orestes’ trial, the paper argues that the play as a whole
functions to affirm the status quo, a world of gender inequality and patriarchal domination.
"Art Deco Brings the Ancient Near East to Chicago,” by Elena Karras: A digital project on the history of the Intercontinental Hotel, an iconic Magnificent Mile hotel located in the heart of Chicago and formerly known as the Medinah Athletic Club. The video describes how the architecture of the building combines Moorish, ancient Near Eastern, and classical motifs to convey elegance and extravagance. Some highlights include the hotel’s Moorish dome, the three bas-reliefs in ancient Assyrian style on the façade, and the grand swimming facilities on the inside.