From the student’s performance all of the tragic elements were supplanted – the story of Iphigenia is told, as Staniewski emphasizes, in the style of satirical drama. In the story, instead of the feeling of pity and fear, appears laughter, but a laughter of specific kind – reminding us more of Bachtin’s world of carnival. That carnival element subdues all the elements of the performance, unites the seemingly chaotic story of the sacrifice of Iphigenia.
(…) young actresses “juggle” the role of the title character, they enter the character of the daughter of Agamemnon, so they can immediately leave it behind. Because nothing happens for real – after all this version of the story is not about pity and fear. The other characters are constructed in similar fashion – from the singing choir a royal couple emerges for a moment, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra or Menelaus. However, these characters are deprived of any features, in which Euripides dressed them up. In the student’s performance we will not find Agamemnon tormented with moral dilemmas, the actual main character of Iphigenia at Aulis, nor angry Menelaus, proud queen or fearless Achilles. They are created by a collective body – singing, amused cluster, that adds to them some tragicomic qualities.
remiaawa.livejournal.com, 2008