Bas Bleu presents a harrowing one-hander in Fort Collins

If you’re looking for a night of feel-good theatre then Another Medea, the latest production from Bas Bleu Theatre in Fort Collins, isn’t it. But if you’re after bold, unsettling storytelling that showcases some serious local talent, then you won’t be disappointed.

Directed by Lynn Bogner, this one-person show stars the magnetic Jeffrey Bigger as Marcus Sharp, a down-on-his-luck New York actor who falls for a wealthy British doctor. The play, written by Aaron Mark, reimagines Euripides’ infamous tale of revenge as a modern gay romance, which ends in similarly harrowing fashion.

Euripides 2.0

If you’re unfamiliar with the plot of Medea, here’s the gist: After being betrayed by her husband Jason, Medea takes brutal revenge by killing their children and Jason’s new lover. In Another Medea, Marcus is obsessed with Euripides’ play, and eventually his own life begins to mirror the tragedy as he recounts his intense, loving and ultimately destructive relationship with his partner, also named Jason. When brutality inevitably comes, the descent is both horrifying and heartbreakingly human.

What makes Another Medea powerful isn’t just the gruesome outcome. It’s the slow, deliberate way the play invites us into Marcus’s world and then forces us to confront the question: under the right (or wrong) circumstances, could we, too, unravel like this? Marcus is at turns charming, funny and eerily relatable. Just as with Euripides’ heroine, we feel for him. The play doesn’t excuse violence, but it does dismantle the idea of inherent evil.

Themes of duality and identity also run deep. The story is framed as a prison visit between Marcus and a fellow actor who wants to make a play about his life. As Marcus recounts his story, we, too, become his dopplegangers, drawn into his web of confessions. As the narrative crescendos to a fever pitch, it takes on the pacing and tension of a psychological thriller. If you’re into true crime you’ll be hooked, but this story offers more than just a grisly shock. It’s also a meditation on obsession, betrayal and the fragile scaffolding that holds us together.

Polarizing and powerful

Another Medea is intense, polarizing and emotionally draining. But for those willing to sit with some discomfort — and even a few laughs — the experience is a rewarding one. I can only imagine the toll (and the triumph) Bigger must feel at the end of each performance. His work here is a tour de force.

Make sure you save some time before or after the show to check out the exhibit in the lobby by Fort Collins artist Christine Hogg. Her multi-genre installation — a mix of pastel, photography, poetry and interactive prompts — complements the play’s dark themes and deepens the experience in quiet but powerful ways.

While Another Medea may not be an easy night of theatre, it’s a gripping and a gutsy one. Go for Bigger’s powerful performance. Stay for the questions it leaves behind.