Epitrepontes (“The Arbitration”)

Epitrepontes (“The Arbitration” or “The Litigants”) is one of Menander’s greatest comedies. The plot is set around a romance unfolding during a nocturnal festivity dedicated to goddess Artemis, at a time when the notion of consent was questionable and men forcing themselves on women was considered a valid practice. The main heroine seeks equality, independence, and social liberation, not unlike contemporary women. However, everything tends to take place secretly, furtively, leading to a series of hilarious misunderstandings, which can be seen as either comic or tragic, depending on the viewpoint. Through reversals of fortune, and social and divine twists, the two heroes get married and… live happily ever after. Attempting to sanctify everything that has transpired before, the finale casts the characters and their actions in an ambiguous light and constitutes the central question of the present performance. A musical comedy drawing on humor in order to open up a discussion on romantic love and the relationship of the sexes in the present.