Zora Neale Hurston once suggested that that the closest thing to the power of Greek tragedy in our society was the ecstatic energy of the black church. In 1985 Lee Breuer, inspired by this notion and the Robert Fitzgerald Translation of Oedipus at Colonus, created The Gospel at Colonus. Borrowing from the source text above, as well as Oedipus Rex and Antigone, Breuer worked with composer Bob Telson to set the return of Oedipus from exile in a pentecostal church with the idea that, "catharsis can go right on through pity and terror
into joy." The blend of greek, gospel , musical and tragedy simultaneously makes connections between the ancient and the recent in addition to foregrounding the obvious connections (theatre as religious rite, e.g.). Truly, there is nothing new under the sun.
The original cast included Morgan Freeman as the Messenger, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and Soul Stirrers with the groups representing individual characters as well as a chorus. Reviews almost always mention a clumsy-feeling book that pales in comparison to the music. But as Frank Rich puts it, "the considerable spoken text... can never fully upstage it." With numbers such as "Stop! (Do Not Go On) " "How Shall I see you Through my Tears" and "Lift Him Up," it's easy to see how it it has inspired a suprising range of artists, including John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats.
