Being that Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a play that I have read before, the performance of it helped me to understand it better. I was able to fully connect the emotions such as despair, anger, and hope to the characters and have a better interpretation of how Oedipus, Creon, Tiresias, and Jocasta feel.
This is a murder mystery play that included the help myths and oracles and gods in order to solve it. The finding of the murderer of Laius would not only solve this mystery but also cure the city of the plague, what initiated this investigation.
Throughout the play, Oedipus was torn. He did not know who or what to believe, not wanting to know the ugly truth. At certain times, he would come to terms that he is in fact the murderer of his father, Laius, only to soon want more evidence to further confirm the oracle. In the end, Oedipus realized that it was the gods who have created this horrible fate for him. Instead of killing himself like his wife and mother, Jocasta, he blinded himself, even though Oedipus himself says that he should die because Apollo had made him evil. This shows that he was too cowardly end his own life and will only continue to cause grief to all.

The performance of Oedipus the King was one that was interesting. Five actors in total played each of the characters, some acting as more than one character. You were able to differentiate the characters played by one actor or actress by their minor outfit changes. Other than that, they were wearing jeans, dress shoes, and blazers, clothes not pertaining to the time period of Oedipus the King. Also, there was only one set design that was made to represent the palace.
Never attending a stage reading before, it was unfamiliar to me to watch the actors read directly from the script. However, after a few minutes into the play, it became part of their character. The actors were able to express a lot of emotion into their performance. They also not only used the stage but the entire auditorium, which I liked.