The Croatian National Theatre, Varaždin

A play written by Lada Kaštelan, relying on the motifs of Sophocle’s Electra

Čekajući Oresta (Waiting for Orestes)

Direction: Livija Pandur

Dramaturgy: Lada Kaštelan

Set design: Marko Japelj

Costume design: Leo Kulaš

Music for the play: Tamara Obrovac

Cast: Nina Violić, Dea Presečki, Filip Eldan, Nikša Eldan, Beti Lučić, Elizabeta Brodić

#An eye for an eye# Death for death

Does it make any sense to get even? When it’s all said and done, does it bring one piece or, contrastingly, an even greater misery?

Written in accordance with the Sophocles’ Electra, “Waiting for Orestes” by Lada Kaštelan, the direction of which fell upon Livia Pandur, is unique in many ways. The ambiance of the play is illustrated through the usage of the Roman site of Aquae Iasae in Varaždinske Toplice as the center of it.  In an innovative and completely different way, the play recounts a tale each and every one of us can identify with. In one of the greatest and most terrifying conflicts the history remembers, a mother and daughter Clytemnestra and Electra try to survive in each other’s orbit while at the same time striving to stay true to their principles. What we have here is a timeless thriller, the tale of which was set off for Electra’s family the moment her father sacrificed the oldest daughter for fame and power. In an instant, it set in motion endless cycles of hatred and destruction.

Are we always supposed to be led by an eye for an eye principle? If the answer is affirmative, the question which poses itself is “Does anyone truly have the right to commit a murder”. This is only just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems the two main protagonists are burdened with, during long days and even longer nights. However, this ignites in them a surge of the most terrible thoughts that find a way to verbalize themselves. The hitherto mentioned thoughts also reflect in their environment.

The hashtag “Followers”, replacing Electra’s ancient chorus, serves as a sort of a mirror for the modern society that tends to blow various kinds of conflicts out of all proportion instead of trying to defuse them. The play represents a parable for the world we live in nowadays, and the inability of certain parties in it to find common ground.