A Jungian Approach to Iphigenia in Aulis: Developing a creative vision

Abstract

Recent collaborative productions developed by myself as director and colleague, and by Dawn Mora as movement director, have been greatly influenced by our shared interest in classical drama, physical theatre, and Jungian psychology. In our quest for material which lends itself to the integration of all three areas, we find ourselves inevitably drawn to Greek drama, with its archetypal subject matter and its formal structure involving music and dance. These interests came together especially well in Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis. During a ten-week rehearsal process, we developed a creative vision based on exploring Jungian principles in relation to Euripides, and on actualizing these in physical staging. Our production of Iphigenia, adapted from several translations, was presented as part of the international symposium on Greek drama held at Northwestern University in May, 1993.