'Thespis' to celebrate ancient Greece

It’s not often that the Bloomington theatergoer gets a chance to see ancient Greek plays. But how about an original play compiled from the best parts of all the Greek classics?

That’s just what Bloomington resident Steve Heise has done with his new play, “Thespis.”

The play will run 8 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Tickets will be available for $10 at the door.

The play is the story of Thespis, who is thought to be the first actor to step out of the chorus and speak individually. Until then, plays consisted entirely of a group of people singing praises to the gods.

Thespis was the first to pretend to be someone else and speak lines as if he were another person.

The story revolves around his meeting with Solon, the founder of the first democracy, and the arguments that ensue.

Heise has taken this idea and crafted a play around it by pulling speeches from the only four authors of ancient Greek tragedy and comedy whose work has survived from that time period.

“The language is so unique,” Heise said. “It’s about blood and war, the necessity for empire and people becoming individuals instead of being treated as part of a group. There are so many applications to now.”

The play is an idea Heise has had for several years, having first started working on it in 2006.

In December 2008, he saw an advertisement for the Buskirk-Chumley Theater grant program, which would provide the winner with one day’s rent for the theater, allowing them the use of a space which normally costs $1,000.

After receiving the grant, which is provided by the City of Bloomington, Heise began work on his play in earnest. He is grateful to the city for giving him the opportunity to present his work to the public.

“The city gave me the space, so I’m interested in broadening the appeal of the theater to audiences that haven’t been there before,” Heise said.

Utilizing traditional costumes, masks and theater design, Heise and his co-stars present what they describe as “an intense and emotional blast of Greek theater.”

The play will run for about an hour and includes dancing, singing, arguing, suicide and mutilation – all the hallmarks of a traditional Greek tragedy.

By taking pieces from various other plays and stitching them together, Heise has done more than make a “greatest hits” of Greek theater.

He has created an entirely new composition, which is striking and original.

When it opens Friday, Heise intends to show that ancient Greece can still have a message in daily life.

Heise said the audience is in for “a light evening of Greek tragedy.”

“It was unique,” said Emily Goodson, a Bloomington local and frequent patron of the Bloomington Playwrights Project, where a preview was held on Sunday night. “I’ve never seen anything else like it.”