Riverside Theatre presents an epic illustration of a well and specifically designed arrangement meant to accommodate the diverse activities. The range of events of events from concerts conferences, speaker presentations, ceremonies and graduations clearly highlights the importance attached to the theatre itself.
The stage management and the latest lighting effects bring the epic presentation that reveals a dramatic revelation of opportunities. The lighting effects feature an operable wall that perfectly attaches the audience to the centre stage. This helps in the staging techniques that help in the live performance. The artistic paintings on the stage help in the communicating of diverse specific messages to the audience.
The picture below is a clear illustration of how the lighting effects and the stage arrangement of the Riverside theatre.
The theatre has permanently installed Theatre audio system with powered projectors and the modern Motorized ceiling drop down screens that helps explains how the stage is well presented to the audience. This further explains the attachment that they have to the centre performance stage. The Pre-programmed dimmable house lighting on the stage helps to capture the Audience in the plays being presented.
The Medea play is a story of an exasperated woman, Medea, who avenges her husband's infidelity in a ruthless, inhuman manner. Jason, her husband, brought her at Corinth after the Golden Fleece escapades. Jason driven by greed threw hands at Medea and was willing to marry. King Cleon's daughter, Glauce is also known as Creusa in Latin. The play commences with Medea weeping over the abandonment of her husband. Her nurse becomes very much concerned, desperately wonders, and takes pity on the children involved. In fear of the repercussions of Medea's fury, Creon comes in ready to send Medea packing. Medea was not ready to leave Corinth. She sorrowfully request for a day's holdup, and the king willingly grants her wish. One day would do no harm; anyone could argue.
It is in the second scene that uncaring Jason comes to his senses and is ready for reconciliation by explaining his evil deed. Jason meets her head-on and determined to make her understand and win her back. He bears in mind that it would be next to impossible trying to win the princess while his wife was a barbarian. Jason was greedy, irresponsible, and desired to marry, Glace, the princess while he still loved Medea his wife. His wish is to keep the two families united though with the mistress being Medea yet she was the first wife. That was so unreasonable of Jason, and it only created disparity and distance between him and Medea.
Jason's plead for understanding from Medea was futile, and he really deserved it. Medea and a group of three Corinthian women, who were sharing her sorrows, found it hard to lay their trust in him. Medea used all her might to painfully remind him that she had abandoned her people for his sake yet he turned her down. She also claims that she saved him by slaying the dangerous dragon that had attacked him. Jason tried to justify his uncouth actions by promising to provide her with support, but she declines. Despite Jason's pleas, Medea was not ready to give in.
The next scene Aegeus, King of Athens pays Medea a visit. It was so honorable of a king to pay an ordinary citizen a visit. This is a significant implication that he was in dire need of assistance from a woman whose heart was full of vengeance that was, unfortunately, unknown to him. He was saddened by the fact that he had no children and claims to be confused of the oracle that was intended to offer him guidance. He had finally resolved to meet Medea. She pleads with him to offer her security, and she would aid his wife to conceive in return. Aegeus, king of Athens, unaware of her intentions in Corinth, he promises her refuge on a condition that she would elope to Athens afterwards.
With great satisfaction, Medea embarks on her heinous plot to revenge infidelity of her husband. She intends to kill both Glauce and Creon and eradicate their existence. Bearing in mind that the bride, Glauce, would have her ornaments worn Medea exterminates the golden robes which were a family's inheritance from their gods. In the hope to hurt Jason, she resolves into murdering her own children though it was so painful for her, but she could not back up in her revenge at whatever cost. She calls upon Jason and fakes her apologies to him. "Forgive what I said in anger! I will yield to the decree, and my children may stay. They shall take to the princess a costly robe and a golden crown, and pray for her protection." Additionally, she sends her innocent children to deliver the poisoned robes and acquits them the title the gift bearers. Unfortunately, they all falls into her trap and with open hands accept the gifts. They assure her that her plea had been heard and acknowledged. She must have been a very good pretender and plays her card excellently to her favor. None of them suspected that it would all have been a drama that would cost them their dear and worth living lives.
Medea meditates over her actions while at offstage, not that she regretted a bit of it but rather enjoyed, on the other hand, demises catches up with Glauce from poison that was applied to the robes. Her caring and loving father faces his death too in an attempt to save her from the poison. It was a sorrowful event as the messenger narrated it that no sooner had the bride put on the robe that was Medea's gift than she succumbed to death. As the king, Creon, relentlessly rushed to save his dying daughter, he also dies from the poison in the robes. Medea is satisfied with her revenge so far but is not contented. She decides to take it a notch higher where she believed it would be the last blow to Jason. Angrily, she grabs a knife and runs offside to stab her own children to death. This illustrates how insensitive, inhuman and a wild heart Medea had.
On the other hand, it can be well observed that she was relentless with her revenge. She did not compromise anything unlike many women who fall short of prowess when it comes to matters involving their lovely children. She depicts the character of a jealous woman in all aspects that had no limits. The chorus of the three Corinthian women is heard lamenting the Medea's decision as the children desperately wail with the hope that a savior may emerge. It was so devastating for Jason to find out that Medea had crossed the border with her revenge to an extent of assassinating her own beloved children. It was such a horrible and heartbreaking scene. She then appears over the stage in the sun god Helios chariot trying to irritate Jason more. She challenges him to contend grieve of not being in a position to spend time with his beloved children. Not only did she murder the kids but also took their delicate bodies with her for burial in Athens. This implies that she adhered to the conditions they had put forward with the king of Athens, Aegues. Despite her cruelty, she always kept her word. It is so ironic that, after all the evil deeds she had performed in the name of revenge, she had the audacity to implicate a case on all those who had wronged her.
The play is very intriguing as well as educative as the revenge story is vividly outlined. The music and effects applied brings out the message as the author of the play desired. It transpires the message out rightly to the target group. The greed of Jason did not yield any good or admirable fruits but rather resulted to endless tears. Medea who was his first wife attributed greatly to his sufferings with her burning desire to take revenge on him for the unforeseen betrayal. It is well illustrated that she was a caring and loving wife before Jason had turned his back on her. Instances in the play have been clearly brought out of her reminding him of rebellious act against her own people just to be with him. She had also risked her worthy life for him when the dragons attacked him. This is a clear indication that she had a heart of gold.
The play, however, depicts the message of her transformation from the pure loving wife and mother to a despicable murder. Bitterness engrossed her heart and revenge were all she desired following her husband's betrayal. She developed the character of hatred and pretense. She used her charm to play cards properly to foresee the deaths of all the concerned persons in an attempt to hurt Jason. She was so ruthless in her revenge that involved cutting short the lives of her sons who were innocent in the situation. Medea turned to be so inhumane such that she misused her prowess to make women conceive children by blackmailing the desperate king of Athens. People should not let jealousy be part of their life as it can lead to hazardous and fatal actions such as death. This was well depicted by Medea while Jason who had wronged her out of greed only earned himself sorrow and loneliness.
