A new twist on a Greek tragedy is planned with the Performing Arts Collaborative’s production of “Oedipus the King.”
The student-run organization will present performances of the Sophocles’ classic at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26 and Saturday, Sept. 27 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28 in Bartlett Theatre at the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Tickets are available online 24/7. Tickets may also be purchased on Monday, Wednesday or Friday by phone at (716) 673-3501 or in person at the Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center during the same hours.
Director Julia Ferrara, a senior Acting major from Long Island, said the PAC production will utilize shadow puppetry in some of the key climactic moments. She said the puppets are symbolic of an underlying theme of the play.
“The play raises the question – can you escape your destiny?” – Director Julia Ferrara
“Oedipus is a puppet of the gods, even though he tries to deny it,” Ferrara said. “The play raises the question – can you escape your destiny?”
The concept came to Ferrara in the Spring 2025 semester in a script analysis class. She took her proposal to the PAC board for consideration. Putting the concept together with a budget and production team earned “Oedipus the King” a place as part of the 2025-26 season.
“I put a lot into that class project,” she said. “I wanted to take the next step and find a way to bring it to the stage.”
The PAC production involves more than 20 students, including nine actors, some of whom will take on double roles.
“Oedipus the King” has been described as a “a murder mystery, a political thriller, and a psychological whodunit” rolled into one. Oedipus becomes king following the murder of his father. He vows to lift a plague that threatens to destroy the city and find the killer but uncovers more than he bargains for in the process.
Ferrara said “Oedipus the King” is a work that “permeates time and space. It has themes that are always relevant.” She hopes people will take the time to go and see the finished product.
“I’d like for the audience to walk away questioning if there is fate or can we actually change our lives,” the director said.
