It’s that time of year when WSU brings together all the different aspects of Greek culture. The 17th annual Greek festival will be presented from Sept. 15-17.
All events, like lectures and presentations, will occur during a three-day period and will cover many aspects of Greek culture.
The first day of the festival will begin on Sept. 15 at 12:30 p.m., with the anthropology club providing a discussion about the world of ancient Greece. It will be held in the Social Science building in room 103.
On Sept. 16 at 12:30 p.m., there will be a reading of “Sexual Congress” by the Greek satirist Aristophanes. It will take place in the Stewart Library in the Hetzel-Hoellein room.
Caril Jennings, series producer and former WSU staff member, said “‘Sexual Congress’ is summarized as a comedy, from 391 BCE, where women once again try to gain the upper hand to steer Athens toward peace and prosperity.”
The production is recommended for mature audiences only, as it contains mature themes and language. The cast that will be performing is a combination of students, faculty and community members.
“Aristophanes is not known for his political correctness, but he is known for his biting satire. He is always in style because there always seems to be a surplus of stupidity to be satirized,” Jennings said.
The last day of the WSU Greek festival is Sept. 17. The first event of that day starts at 12:30 p.m., with a lecture from Stephanie Wolfe, a political science assistant professor. The lecture is called “Women, Children and War” and will also take place in the Stewart Library Hetzel-Hoellein room. The lecture will cover how innocent sufferers of war, like women and children, are shown through modern day media like the news.
“I am very excited about this year’s faculty lecture,” Kathryn MacKay, history professor and patron of the WSU Greek festival, said. “I think its going to be a real highlight of the festival.”
At 6:30 pm that night there will be a pre-show lecture by James Svendsen, the director of the Classical Greek Theatre Festival, called “Infotainment.” This will take place in the fireplace lounge in the Shepherd Union building.
Following “Infotainment”, Euripides’ “Hecuba” will be presented by the Classical Greek Theater Festival, in the Shepherd Union Wildcat Theater. “Hecuba is one of the saddest plays ever written,” Jennings said. “Considering the current news about women children and war, it only reminds us that we haven’t learned much in 2,500 years except how to make misery bigger, faster and harder.”
The overall main idea of “Hecuba” is revenge and the aftermath caused by it.
“(Hecuba) is a play that asks questions about forgiveness, revenge, reconciliation, about sorrow and the tragedy of human beings,” MacKay said.
Besides”Hecuba,” all other presentations and lectures are free to the public. To buy tickets to “Hecuba,” call the ticket office at the Dee Events Center, or visit weberstateticktets.com. The price for adults is $10 and $8 for students.
“I hope people will join in, attend the presentations, lectures and theater,” MacKay said.
After the WSU Greek festival, the Ogden community Greek festival will take place. It will be held on Sept. 26-27 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church.
