Weber State University students can visit Greece right on campus this week as the 14th annual WSU Greek Festival kicks off. The festival is being sponsored by the Honors Program in conjunction with the department of performing arts. The 10-day festival will end with a performance of the Euripides play Iphigenia in Tauris.
On Monday, the WSU Anthropology Club is hosting a showing of the film Kypseli: Women and Men Apart — A Divided Reality. The film focuses on the gender roles in Kypseli, a village on the Greek island of Santorini.
“It’s probably the place that spawns the legend of Atlantis,” said professor Linda Eaton. “It’s a famous film; it’s a classic film.”
The film will be shown at 1:30 p.m. in the Social Science Building, Room 103. Greek snacks will be served.
The Antikythera mechanism, an ancient calculator, will be presented Wednesday. This device is considered to be the predecessor of other instruments used today. This will be presented by David Ferro, dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology, and Eric Swedin, associate professor of integrated studies. The presentation will be held in the Stewart Library Hetzel-Hoellein Room at 1:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Kristi Krumnow of Utah State University will discuss “Odysseus’ Adventures and Penelope’s Scheme” from the Greek epic poem The Odyssey. This discussion is also at 1:30 p.m. in the Hetzel-Hoellein Room.
Ogden’s Greek Food Festival will be held Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. by the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church at 674 E. 42nd St. in Ogden. In addition to food, there will be Greek dancers and a gift shop. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend.
Although the Greek Food Festival has been held for more than 40 years, Larisa Dea, who will be cooking for the festival, said it still leaves people wanting more.
“People say that we should cook for more days, like four or five instead of two,” Dea said.
On Monday, Sep. 26, a discussion on the “Swearing, Seducing and Other Problems with Euripides’ Women” will be presented by Jennifer Kokai, associate professor of the department of performing arts, at 1:30 p.m. in the Hetzel-Hoellein Room.
Aristophanes’ Wealth will be presented Tuesday, Sep. 27 at 1:30 p.m. by WSU’s Greek Readers Theater. This event is for adults only.
“If (Aristophanes) was alive today, he would be a script-writer for South Park,” said Caril Jennings, marketing director for the department of performing arts. “. . .This story is 2,300 years old, and he’s talking about the difference between the virtuous poor and the corrupt rich, and, I mean, that’s what we’re talking about in the newspapers today. It’s exactly the same thing, so you’re going to understand all of the jokes.”
The last day of the Greek Festival, Wednesday, Sep. 28, will begin with a panel discussion on the “Performance, Prequel, and Parallelism of Euripides’ play Iphigenia in Tauris.” Information on what to look for in the evening play performance will also be presented. The discussion starts at 1:30 p.m. in the Hetzel-Hoellein Room.
Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., an “info-tainment” lecture will be presented by Jim Svendsen, the Classical Greek Theatre Festival director. It will be held in the Fireplace Lounge at the Shepherd Union Building.
The WSU Greek Festival will come to a close Wednesday night with a performance of Euripides’ play Iphigenia in Tauris by the Classical Greek Theatre Festival. The play follows Iphigenia, who escapes being offered for sacrifice by her father. Rescued by the goddess Artemis, she becomes a temple priestess, forced to sacrifice foreigners. When Iphigenia finds out that one of the foreigners is her brother, she is offered help by the goddess Athena. The play will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Shepherd Union Wildcat Theater.
Tickets for all performing arts events this year, including this play, are $8 for students and $11 for non-students. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Dee Events Center Ticket Office at 801-626-8500 or at the door. Entrance to all other WSU Greek Festival events is free.
____
Greek Festival events:
Monday, Sep. 19, 1:30 p.m.: A showing of a film on Greek village life, Kypseli: Women and Men Apart, in the Social Science Building, Room 103. Greek refreshments.
Wednesday, Sep. 21, 1:30 p.m.: Presentation of the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient calculator, in the Stewart Library’s Hetzel-Hoellein Room.
Thursday, Sep. 22, 1:30 p.m.: Discussion of “Odysseus’ Adventures and Penelope’s Scheme” from the Greek epic poem The Odyssey in the Stewart Library’s Hetzel-Hoellein Room.
Friday and Saturday, Sep. 23-24, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Ogden’s Greek Food Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church on 674 E. 42nd St. in Ogden.
Monday, Sep. 26, 1:30 p.m.: A discussion on the “Swearing, Seducing and Other Problems with Euripides’ Women” in the Stewart Library’s Hetzel-Hoellein Room.
Tuesday, Sep. 27, 1:30 p.m.: WSU’s Greek Readers Theater presents Aristophanes’ Wealth — adults only.
Wednesday, Sep. 28, 1:30 p.m.: Panel discussion on the “Performance, Prequel, and Parallelism of Euripides’ Iphigenia” in the Stewart Library’s Hetzel-Hoellein Room.
Wednesday, Sep. 28, 6:30 p.m.: “Info-tainment” lecture on Iphigenia in Taurus in the Shepherd Union Building Fireplace Lounge.
Wednesday, Sep. 28, 7:30 p.m.: Euripides’ play Iphigenia in Tauris in the Shepherd Union Building Wildcat Theater.
