'Iphigenia 2.0' Takes Modern Look at Greek Tragedy

Evanston's opens its 2012-13 production with , a modern staging of an ancient Greek tragedy.

Based on Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis, Charles Mee's play tells the tale of an imperial power as it goes to war, centering on the characters of Agamemnon, the army general, and his daughter, Iphigenia. In Next's setting, the play is full of references to pop culture and contemporary music.

Set in a world where the line between news and entertainment is blurred and public opinion polls are a constant pressure, Agamemnon must convince his army to die for a questionable cause and considers letting Iphigenia become the ultimate sacrifice.

Previews will be held at the  Friday, Sept. 7 and Saturday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. The play opens for the regular season on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. Performances are scheduled for Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There are four Saturday 4 p.m. performances on Sept. 22 and 29 and Oct. 6 and 13.

Regular season performances start at $30; tickets are available at nexttheatre.org or by calling 847-475-1875, ext. 2.

Artists and staff will be on hand to discuss the season from 2 to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 8, in the Community Meeting Room at the . Cast members include Rebecca Buller, Aaron Todd Douglas, Laura T. Fisher, Ricardo Gutierrez and Nick Vidal.