A Troublesome Time for ‘Medea’

How do you solve a problem like “Medea”? The approach to parenting in Euripides’ drama is long out of fashion and so, for that matter, are its stilted construction and chest-thumping histrionics. Despite modernist Band-Aids applied around the periphery, the central stumbling blocks remain unconquered in a Knightsbridge Theatre revival that rarely rises above community theater standards.

An imperious presence, Strawn Bovee dons the tunic of the hotheaded sorceress who has a big problem with husband Jason (of Argonaut fame) and his approach to no-fault divorce. Although the text supports a measure of psychological exploration, Bovee’s raging delivery is more in sync with the cathartic indulgence of a therapy session than with the archetypal depths of Greek tragedy.

Theater audiences have become a bit more adept at following plots since 400 BC, but rather than paring back the endless exposition and repetitive declarations of intention, director Carolee Shoemaker tries to embellish them with songs and choreography--with limited success.

As the philandering Jason, Tim Choate seems to have borrowed a hammy smirk from Gary Oldman, but in the bloody finale, his grief and anguish strike the production’s only convincing emotional notes.

Mostly, though, the ramped-up passions in this incarnation of “Medea” feel like “Acropolis Boulevard”--”I’m ready for my close up, Mr. Zeus.”

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* “Medea,” Knightsbridge Theatre, 35 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Saturdays, 5 p.m.; Sundays, 6 p.m. Ends March 12. $18. (626) 440-0821. Running time: 2 hours.