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The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro: Electricidad; Oedipus El Rey; Mojada
The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro gathers together for the first time the three 'Greek' plays of the MacArthur Genius Award-winning Chicanx playwright and performance artist.
Based respectively on Sophocles' Electra and Oedipus , and Euripides' Medea , Alfaro's Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey , and Mojada transplant ancient themes and problems into the 21st century streets of Los Angeles and New York, in order to give voice to the concerns of the Chicanx and wider Latinx communities.
From performances around the world including sold-out runs at New York's Public Theater, these texts are extremely important to those studying classical reception, Greek theatre and Chicanx writers. This unique anthology features definitive editions of all three plays alongside a comprehensive introduction which provides a critical overview of Luis Alfaro's work, accentuating not only the unique nature of these three 'urban' adaptations of ancient Greek tragedy but also the manner in which they address present-day Chicanx and Latinx socio-political realities across the United States.
A brief introduction to each play and its overall themes precedes the text of the drama. The anthology concludes with exclusive supplementary material aimed at enhancing understanding of Alfaro's a 'Performance History' timeline outlining the performance history of the plays; an alphabetical 'Glossary' explaining the most common terms in Spanish and Spanglish appearing in each play; and a 'Further Reading' list providing primary and secondary bibliography for each play.
The anthology is completed by a new interview with Alfaro which addresses key topics such as Alfaro's engagement with ancient Greek drama and his work with Chicanx communities across the United States, thus providing a critical contextualisation of these critically-acclaimed plays.
Based respectively on Sophocles' Electra and Oedipus , and Euripides' Medea , Alfaro's Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey , and Mojada transplant ancient themes and problems into the 21st century streets of Los Angeles and New York, in order to give voice to the concerns of the Chicanx and wider Latinx communities.
From performances around the world including sold-out runs at New York's Public Theater, these texts are extremely important to those studying classical reception, Greek theatre and Chicanx writers. This unique anthology features definitive editions of all three plays alongside a comprehensive introduction which provides a critical overview of Luis Alfaro's work, accentuating not only the unique nature of these three 'urban' adaptations of ancient Greek tragedy but also the manner in which they address present-day Chicanx and Latinx socio-political realities across the United States.
A brief introduction to each play and its overall themes precedes the text of the drama. The anthology concludes with exclusive supplementary material aimed at enhancing understanding of Alfaro's a 'Performance History' timeline outlining the performance history of the plays; an alphabetical 'Glossary' explaining the most common terms in Spanish and Spanglish appearing in each play; and a 'Further Reading' list providing primary and secondary bibliography for each play.
The anthology is completed by a new interview with Alfaro which addresses key topics such as Alfaro's engagement with ancient Greek drama and his work with Chicanx communities across the United States, thus providing a critical contextualisation of these critically-acclaimed plays.
304 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2020
18 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 10, 2023
i read oedipus el rey in 2020 and thought it was a one-off, but luis alfaro has written THREE retellings of greek plays reimagined in mexican communities in LA! and god, does this man have the sauce.
ELECTRICIDAD (3.5 stars)
ELECTRICIDAD: Papa? Why do I keep looking up to see heaven, but I only get as far as the sky?
probably my least favorite of these three plays; it’s alfaro’s earliest greek retelling and also the longest, and i can’t decide if it was actually a little too long or if i just read it in too many sittings. that said, it still fucking slaps; it opens with electricidad (electra) in the backyard holding her murdered father’s corpse, and that haunting hauntedness carries all the way through. points for lesbian iphigenia, minus points for the . favorite aspect here HAD to be clemencia (clytemnestra) because GOD she is such a good character: remorseless, but still nervous about the consequences she might face; bitter but moving forward while electricidad stagnates; forced into this role of motherhood, a role she says more than once she never wanted, and claiming it in all its villainy and power.
ELECTRICIDAD: You are going to pay for this. For eternity.
CLEMENCIA: I already am.
OEDIPUS EL REY (5 stars)
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. . 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…
MOJADA (4 stars)
mojada is the shortest of these plays and the one i find most impossible to look away from. the scene where medea speaks about what happened before she left mexico… agonies. horrors. and the final scene. endless agony and suffering.
i wrote an essay on this characterization of medea versus euripides’, and i do like euripides’ furious stage-dominating manipulator better, but the way this medea is shaped by her experiences specifically as an immigrant woman (particularly sexual assault crossing the border) and part of an immigrant community is so effective and compelling. AS is the way this play deals with jason—because jason, of course, is an outsider just like medea is, and this play sets up a divide between medea, who wants to raise her son the mexican way, and hason (jason), who wants the entire family to assimilate. i don’t know what else to say about this play it makes me want to explode
MEDEA: I killed the other me. He is my only love.
ELECTRICIDAD (3.5 stars)
ELECTRICIDAD: Papa? Why do I keep looking up to see heaven, but I only get as far as the sky?
probably my least favorite of these three plays; it’s alfaro’s earliest greek retelling and also the longest, and i can’t decide if it was actually a little too long or if i just read it in too many sittings. that said, it still fucking slaps; it opens with electricidad (electra) in the backyard holding her murdered father’s corpse, and that haunting hauntedness carries all the way through. points for lesbian iphigenia, minus points for the . favorite aspect here HAD to be clemencia (clytemnestra) because GOD she is such a good character: remorseless, but still nervous about the consequences she might face; bitter but moving forward while electricidad stagnates; forced into this role of motherhood, a role she says more than once she never wanted, and claiming it in all its villainy and power.
ELECTRICIDAD: You are going to pay for this. For eternity.
CLEMENCIA: I already am.
OEDIPUS EL REY (5 stars)
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. . 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…
MOJADA (4 stars)
mojada is the shortest of these plays and the one i find most impossible to look away from. the scene where medea speaks about what happened before she left mexico… agonies. horrors. and the final scene. endless agony and suffering.
i wrote an essay on this characterization of medea versus euripides’, and i do like euripides’ furious stage-dominating manipulator better, but the way this medea is shaped by her experiences specifically as an immigrant woman (particularly sexual assault crossing the border) and part of an immigrant community is so effective and compelling. AS is the way this play deals with jason—because jason, of course, is an outsider just like medea is, and this play sets up a divide between medea, who wants to raise her son the mexican way, and hason (jason), who wants the entire family to assimilate. i don’t know what else to say about this play it makes me want to explode
MEDEA: I killed the other me. He is my only love.
December 18, 2023
Really cool twists on the classic plays.
Electricidad: ★★★★
- loved that I could get all the references to LA
- hated Electricidad (Electra) and felt utmost sympathy for Clemencia (Clytemnestra)
Oedipus el Rey: ★★★
- I mean... cool I guess, kept most of the Oedipus myth intact
- Chinese culture stuff references for some reason? Not complaining though lol
Mojada: ★★★
- so tragic
- ambivalent because both Medea and Armida have somewhat valid reasons for what they do
Electricidad: ★★★★
- loved that I could get all the references to LA
- hated Electricidad (Electra) and felt utmost sympathy for Clemencia (Clytemnestra)
Oedipus el Rey: ★★★
- I mean... cool I guess, kept most of the Oedipus myth intact
- Chinese culture stuff references for some reason? Not complaining though lol
Mojada: ★★★
- so tragic
- ambivalent because both Medea and Armida have somewhat valid reasons for what they do
December 5, 2019
I read MOJADA for my play analysis class and Luis Alfaro himself guest lectured. He is a living legend. Alfaro morphs his plays depending on where they are being produced. We read the version of MOJADA that was presented at The Public Theater in NYC so Alfaro edited the story to take place in Corona, Queens. I also read Electricidad and performed in a scene of it for my Acting Studio class. Alfaro takes the work of the Greeks and adapts them to modern day Hispanic culture. His career thus far, as a Chicano queer playwright, is inspiring and bold. I love both of these plays and now need to get my hands on Oedipus El Rey... and also see all three in production!
July 31, 2021
Note: College summer reading.
An adaptation from Euripides's Medea, where Medea and Hason are Mexican immigrants. A little more concepts added (ex. immigration and class). More modern and relatable than Medea the original.
Thoughts: It was okay. Not a rollercoaster ride. But, I find the conflict of immigrants of adapting to their new countries so heartbreaking. At this, I empathize with Medea. On the flip side, it's a conflict, because adapting is necessary for survival. The author played this aspect well. For now, I might have more to say when I actually get to discuss the book properly.
An adaptation from Euripides's Medea, where Medea and Hason are Mexican immigrants. A little more concepts added (ex. immigration and class). More modern and relatable than Medea the original.
Thoughts: It was okay. Not a rollercoaster ride. But, I find the conflict of immigrants of adapting to their new countries so heartbreaking. At this, I empathize with Medea. On the flip side, it's a conflict, because adapting is necessary for survival. The author played this aspect well. For now, I might have more to say when I actually get to discuss the book properly.
January 20, 2021
A wonderful re-envisioning of three classic Greek tragedies. Alfaro’s LA settings add new layers and the Chicano families and culture are entertaining while losing none of the tragic impact they had originally.
July 8, 2023
Luis Alfaro retells classic Greek performances using Latinx contexts that are compelling and equally tragic. His characters and cultural knowledge make for incredible plays with a familiar story that will be relatable and yet specific to Latinx identity.
June 9, 2022
Vibrant, relevant retelling of classical tragedies.
Want to read
September 27, 2022i was lucky enough to see Electricidad performed in LA while i was in college and it stuck with me. this book just came into my library and i will definitely be making time to read through it.
May 5, 2023
An amazing adaptation to the original! It’s very reflective of the struggle between assimilation and integration!
May 10, 2023
So, so heavy, but beautifully written.
April 2, 2025
electricidad…!!!😍😍
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews