Honors students will perform Sophocles’ tragedy “Electra” next Tuesday and Wednesday for the Shackouls Honors College’s Classical Week. 
The story follows Electra and her brother Orestes as they attempt to avenge their father Agamemnon, who was murdered by their mother and her new husband. The play is filled with familial turmoil and intense grief as these characters seek to cope with their own actions following the Trojan War.
The thespians will take to the Griffis Hall courtyard in Zacharias Village at 6 p.m. with the guidance of director Donna Clevinger and the support of family and friends.
The troupe plans to perform outdoors to mirror the actors of ancient Greece. However, the production will move to Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall if, as their flier says, “the gods send rain.”
Theatergoers can attend the performance for free, and the cast advises spectators to bring their own blankets or chairs. 
Janiya Rutherford, a psychology major, will play the titular role of Electra. Rutherford encouraged all fans of Greek mythology to attend the show. 
“If you are into Greek mythology, then Electra is just right for you,” Rutherford said. “It is a production you do not want to miss.”
Rutherford also explained that the classic play required the actors and actresses to challenge themselves.
“Fitting into the Greek period, adjusting to their way of speech and memorizing the script are some of the challenges of the performance,” Rutherford said. 
Madeline Brown, a wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major, plays a role as a member of the chorus. She described some of the difficulties of performing outside.
“Performing outside to mimic the outdoor amphitheaters of Greece has definitely been a challenge,” she said. “Dealing with the heat, passerby and the occasional bat has made focusing difficult at times.”
Clevinger, who has directed the Classical Week production since its beginning in 2012, suggested that these challenges are all worthwhile.
“‘Electra’ is just a great piece – a story that needs to be told,” Clevinger said. “You can’t beat the classical playwrights. Their stories have messages we still need to hear. The characters struggle with the same problems we do.”
While Clevinger praised the play as a source of entertainment and instruction, she talked more about the students she works with than the performance itself. 
“The best thing about the Classical Week play is that most of the students are entering freshmen, and they come not knowing anyone,” Clevinger said. “As they are cast, they get to meet students from all across the university. Those friendships can last a lifetime.”
“I love to see the growth in their acting but also the growth of friendships,” Clevinger said. “The comradery is wonderful. The cast has such chemistry. These students came together during the auditions as strangers and now, as the production ends, they leave as friends.”
As a member of the chorus and one of the incoming freshmen who auditioned for the play, Brown seconded Clevinger’s claims about the cast’s comradery. 
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know the other members of the cast. I’ve made several good friends I may not have met otherwise,” Brown said.
This year’s close-knit cast asks people to come support their love of theater.
While none of the students are majoring in performing arts, their passion for the performance has united them. 
Outside of the student roles, Bonnie Oppenheimer, a professor of mathematics at the Mississippi University for Women, serves as the play’s musician, and David Schenker from the University of Missouri serves as the production’s dramaturge. 
The Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities Initiative program from the Society for Classical Studies helped fund the use of microphones and sound equipment, and The Bridge Initiative Grant from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South helped fund the costumes as well.