Oedipus el Rey

by Luis Alfaro

¿Quién es este hombre? MacArthur Genius Grant winner Luis Alfaro adapts the “mother” of all tragedies and the ultimate story of forbidden love. Amid the sizzling rhythms of the LA barrio—the gang capital of America with the highest recidivism rate—a juvenile delinquent rises to be a king… But his passion for one woman will violate our most sacred law.

Genres: Plays, Read For School, Theatre

156 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2011

Reviews

[max theodore · Rating 5 out of 5]

things this has in common with the original oedipus: claustrophobic, feels like eating glass, made me foam at the mouth like a rabid animal. the ending. holy fuck

updated 2022 review:
OEDIPUS: You don’t have to be dead no more.
JOCASTA: Stop talking to me like you know me.
OEDIPUS: I look at you, and I feel like a sentence just got finished. I don’t know why. It’s not a feeling. It’s right here.

THIS IS THE ONE. THIS IS THE STANDOUT PLAY OF THESE THREE. I’VE READ IT BEFORE AND I’LL READ IT AGAIN AND IT ALWAYS MAKES ME FUCKING INSANE. what do i even say about this. the story is told in a prison yard with the inmates forming the chorus. the gods/fate/the trap of destiny is recast as the predatory prison-industrial system. jocasta gets so much more space than in the original oedipus play, to the point where she’s almost the second main character. THW FACT THAT TJEY DO IT TO EACH OTHER AT THE END. THE FACT THAT KISSING TIRESIAS’S BLIND EYES TURNS TO LETTING JOCASTA TEAR HIS OUT. THE FACT THST TO GET HER TO DO IT HE BEGS HER WITH “MAMA, PLEASE”. THIS FUCKING QUOTE

OEDIPUS: Can’t you see? I wanted to make a new story. Something no one had ever seen. I wanted to tell it my way. And I wanted to be able to control my own destiny. But I never had the chance. All of this was decided way before I got here. Isn’t that right? Am I the way the lesson looks? Am I? AM I THE WAY THE LESSON LOOKS?
TIRESIAS: I don’t know. I can’t see…

[Imane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like watching a car crash happen, at full speed, from inside the car. A lot of wincing, flinching and oh my god... But also, great modern take on the myth, touching on race, the way odds are stacked against you from birth. Touching on the carceral system. Quoting Lemon Andersen "It can't be from prison to the house. It has to be from prison to freedom".

[Mckayla Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flinched when I read “mama”

[Octavia]

Hm.

Almost Snow White & the hunter-esque.

To have oedipus start in prison, end in prison. Hm. Debating with myself: Does oedipus end at the same place he began?

[Eva St. Clair · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5/5)

Favorite play I’ve read for class so far!!

[Manon Scart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok I struggled with this one but a third of the way through I started to understand what the re-write was about and why it was written. In the end, it kind of felt like a whole new story in and of itself.

[Marian Urteaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What’s the point of all these damn stories?… To pass the time… They keep us alive.”

“This growing success has to do with Alfaro’s skill and ability to connect the larger concerns of the ancient play to urgent modern political and social questions about life in the U.S.” Yes.

“A father is a made of sweat—running to keep up in your youth, and praying that you’ll survive when you’re older. A father is made of bruises—from taking your punches, and then kicking himself for the things he never did. A father is made of breath—from blowing into your lungs the ideas of life, and gasping in fear at what you’ll do with them.”

“Can’t you see? I wanted to make a new story. Something no one had ever seen. I wanted to tell it my way. And I wanted to be able to control my own destiny.“

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an interesting play, but honestly, I feel as though it does not add anything that Oedipus Rex does not already say. The setting was offputting in the context of the play, an oracle and the idea of having a "King" in LA is simply out of place. The themes of Greek mythology were better suited to the original play and would have worked better in Oedipus el Rey had they been completely adapted to the context of the setting. Instead of simply taking a famous play and plopping it into a modern context I wish things had actually been changed to reflect a realistic modern story that pays tribute to Oedipus Rex. Additionally, there is more death in this play than in the original *spoilers*......with the death of Creon Oedipus el Rey plays more into stereotypical tragic tropes, completely messing up the unique format of Oedipus Rex, where the tragedy comes from living with one's horrible mistakes. Instead, Oedipus el Rey relies on death as its tragedy and therefore calls itself a version of Oedipus while simultaneously being a generic tragedy that does not do any justice to the unique horror of the original.

[jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"JOCASTA. It's just that, challenging God– it's a little boy thing. When you get older, you're going to beg for him."

Luis Alfaro is by far the greatest modern playwright we have the privilege of experiencing. His way of building worlds, spinning grief and pain into a tangible space, and use of stage direction is genuinely so undefeated. The use of the CORO and JOCASTA's characters... perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect...

[Colby Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCREDIBLE PLAY. As a fan of Greek tragedies like Oedipus the King, Oedipus El Rey is an amazing re-imagining of this tragedy en el barrio, and I am super in love with it. Luis Alfaro is a true scrivener, and I'd love to see this on stage!

[Morgan Kail-Ackerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and cool adaption of Oedipus. Would love to see this live and in person.

[Stella Grimaldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy s***

[Nanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fresh look at the age-old story of Oedipus.

[Gavin Leahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super unique modern take on a classic story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and there is a great staged reading filmed on youtube!

[AG · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO much better than the original, actually. The ending...wow.

[Michael Aragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luis Alfaro’s retelling of the Greek tragedy is current, relatable as hell, and provides an honest look at the justice system in America.

[Rene · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 read for class

[Gg · Rating 3 out of 5]

funny but not impressive

[Luiz Campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

we need more spanish in greek plays

[Lola Anaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting adaptation of the original story. i liked it. read this for class!

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good

[kale · Rating 4 out of 5]

luis alfaro does it again ladies and gents.

[Lottie]

wtf was this book

[Maia L · Rating 3 out of 5]

For World Theatre class
Well written, yet more uncomfortable and nauseating than the source material

[DexterityEmma · Rating 4 out of 5]

a car crash you can’t look away from

[Jessica Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soooo freakin good. Loved that Oedipus and Jacosta got a real love story, made this a real tragedy

[Meg'Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

i had to read this for english class and i hated every second of it...

edit: after analyzing this is english class, i kinda like it now 😭 but it was still a weird book

[Sean]

Spare, elegant, fast paced. The chorus raise thematic questions without belaboring them and the characters are given interesting characterizations in the new context of an LA barrio gang. Most of the reimaginings of the Greek plot points work. Questions of fate are contextualized in issues of race, post-prison opportunities, and the tug-of-war between tradition and youthful bravado. Some moments feel rushed in a reading but could probably work well on stage.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So perfect--the stories so fit.