Photography by Nick Cartwright

by Olivia Buntaine
dir. Anna Rachel Troy, asst. Kaeli Meno
prod. Elliott Puckette – Theatre EVOLVE 2025

In MEDEAMEDEAMEDEA, Olivia Buntaine’s bold reimagining of Euripides’ Medea, the infamous sorceress is no mere mortal—she is a Goddess bound by flesh, power, and the crushing weight of love turned betrayal. As Medea’s marriage to Jason fractures, the play unearths the ancient forces that shaped her: the Triple Goddess—Maiden, Mother, and Crone—guiding her through the Veil, a liminal space between life and death. Magic pulses through every moment as Medea wrestles with fate, identity, and the choice to reclaim herself at any cost. A lyrical and visceral descent into myth and self-determination, MEDEAMEDEAMEDEA asks: when the world demands your silence, how loud will you dare to be?

Cast

Medea/Mother – Mary Eliza Willingham
Nurse/Crone – Amber Dow
Neighbor/Maiden – Marley Doakes
Jason/Messenger – Riley Lucas

Understudies
Medea/Mother – Jennifer Vance
Nurse/Crone – Emily Fernandez
Neighbor/Maiden – Emely Cuestas
Jason/Messenger – Elijah J. Jones

Crew

Stage Manager – Gabrielle Owens
Assistant Stage Manager – Charlotte Davies
Intimacy Director – Ali Foley
Scenic Designer – Rose Johnson
Technical Director & Props Designer – CJ Jelagin
Lighting Designer & Master Electrician – Ellie Fey
Sound Designer – Harper Justus
Costume Designer – Janine Casey
Dramaturg – Hailey Scott

In The Media

Splash Magazines Chicago Review: A Story Of Female Rage

“I left the theatre feeling in touch with my own deep rage and sorrow at the way women are treated in this patriarchal world. The strong cast helps. Mary Eliza Willingham is a commanding Medea, her every acting choice powerful and compelling. Amber Dow has both flawless comedic timing and intense emotional moments as the Nurse. Marley Doakes effectively embodies the fiery spirit of the young Neighbor. And Riley Lucas captures every bit of nuance in both Jason’s heel turn and the Messenger’s parallels to his boss.”

“It’s no simple task to retell a story that has been told countless times over hundreds of years and manage to say something new, and [playwright Olivia] Buntaine pulls it off spectacularly.”