Amphitryon

Synopsis

After Kleist by Way of Moliere With a Little Bit of Giraudoux Thrown in

A comical, anachronistic, and witty retelling of the Greek myth, composed “after Kleist by way of Molière with a little bit of Giraudoux.”“The story of Jupiter’s cuckolding of Amphitryon has come in a variety of theatrical styles over the centuries.

Plautus, by all accounts, had great success with it as a burlesque for the Romans; Molière turned it into a farce, of course; Kleist made a romance of it; and Giraudoux fashioned it into a fantasy.

In the new version, Mr Overmyer seems to aim for the sophistication of a Saturday Night Live skit, a sort of Classics Comics for the theater.”

—Wilborn Hampton, The New York Times