"The Seven," Temple University, Mon., Feb. 16

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"The Seven," Temple University, Mon., Feb. 16

POSTED: Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 5:09 PM

Filed Under: Arts Theater

temple.edu

Illuminated brick walls with “Oedipus Rex” written in graffiti greet you at the door. The ancient Greek character is the last thing you expect to see tagged, but after experiencing The Seven, it only makes sense to commemorate him with spray paint.

Will Power’s award-winning hit places a hip-hop spin on the 2,500-year-old tragedy Seven against Thebes, and it’s sure not to leave any elements out. This highly energetic drama/comedy entertains the crowd through rapping, singing, spoken-word verses, choreography, preaching, beat boxing and even stepping. Through all this, Oedipus’ curse becomes clear — the sons will pay for their father’s sins.

A loud, foul-mouthed, hilarious pimp named Oedipus (Craig Bazan) busts in the show early, which begins the comedic rollercoaster. Decked out in a flashy outfit straight from the ’70s and followed by his equally cheeky female “companions,” he makes way for the introduction of the DJ (Dishona Tatuem) and Aeschylus (Kenneth J. Williams), who double as narrators. Throughout the play, the DJ chimes in to explain the scenario with hip-hop attributes, while Aeschylus stays true to the original rhetoric by telling the tale in more complex terms. The play continues to follow Oedipus, who was once the king of Thebes, but is banished by his two sons Eteocles (Aaron Moreland) and Polynices (Maurice Williams) for killing his own father and later accidentally marrying his mother. Oedipus decides to take revenge by cursing the two brothers to kill each other over the leadership of Thebes, which leads to a series of events that begin compassionately, but later turn ugly and ultimately end in tragedy.

While The Seven is closely adapted from the original play, Power manages to use hip-hop fundamentals to convey the message clearly for all to understand. Lovers of theater hip-hop and will enjoy the skillful acting of Temple’s young cast, as well as the way Power incorporates all four main elements of hip-hop: Eteocles and Polynices as emcees, music from a DJ, break dancers popping and locking to the beat — and, of course, the Oedipus graffiti on the walls.

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