NEWCITY REVIEW: 'Iphigenia 2.0' at Next Theatre Company

The onslaught of modernized Greek tragedy Chicago has played witness to this year has consisted largely of caked-on, imposing stylistic touches, absent of purpose or urgency. To be sure, there is a strong helping of such flashy accessorizing in director David Kersnar’s overstuffed production of playwright Charles Mee’s “Iphigenia 2.0” at Next Theatre as well, but here, Mee is nothing if not purposeful. A few productions in that aforementioned group uncovered relevant drive and meaning without resorting to on-the-nose modern day parallels, as “Iphigenia 2.0” does, but still, none were screaming quite so loud as Mr. Mee. But, as evidenced by Next Theatre’s new production, the playwright’s deafening cries go unheard.

Mee’s already cluttered commentary on our modern wars—specifically those in Iraq and Afghanistan—is rendered even more base and unpalatable by Kersnar’s loudmouthed production, which chooses to overemphasize the playwright’s undue focus on Generation Y’s consumerist tastes over Agamemnon’s (a stoic, unmoved Aaron Todd Douglas) capability as a leader and as a father. Agamemnon’s decision as to whether he must sacrifice his daughter is pushed aside in favor of the playwright’s social dogma. What occurs is less of a tragedy and more of an elaborately staged anti-everything pamphlet.