"This searing production at the Getty Villa in Malibu, could not be more compellingly contemporary in its emotions and themes."
— The Hollywood Reporter
World Premiere
September 5–28, 2013
Presented by the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa
Produced by CalArts Center for New Performance in association with Trans Arts
For this production, envisioned by director Travis Preston and scenic designer Efren Delgadillo Jr., the Outdoor Theater at the Getty Villa plays host to a five and a half-ton steel wheel to create a bold and brutal visual centerpiece for one of the most profound and theatrically unique ancient dramas.
Featuring poet Joel Agee’s heartfelt and faithful new translation, Preston’s forceful Prometheus Bound places the drama at the edge of civilization—and at the border between ritual and artistic expression—to explore injustice and man’s relationship to the eternal order of the cosmos. Composer Ellen Reid and celebrated jazz multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia provide an original score, performed live by Golia.
In the mythic tradition, the Titan Prometheus, progenitor and champion of humankind, steals fire from Mount Olympus to give to mortals. In this play, he also teaches them crafts and skills essential for human civilization. As punishment, Zeus dooms him to an eternity chained to a mountaintop, where Prometheus spends his days and nights railing against the gods and their injustices.