Taking on one of Euripides’s darker, infrequently performed tragedies, writer-director Mary Fulham reimagines the blood-and-gore tale as an upbeat musical with a bubble-gum score, set in the gated community of Thebes-by-the-Sea. A Barney Fife crew of security guards stands in for the chorus; Zeus appears as a philandering, golfing CEO; and the forces of evil arrive in the shape of a draconian homeowners association. Fulham has a light touch when dropping allusions to contemporary politics and pop culture (here, Hercules’ heroic labors are refashioned as a 3-years-stint with a reality TV show in the underworld), and her less-than-stinging style of social commentary owes more to Jon Stewart than Michael Moore. An accomplished six-member cast keeps the show afloat, and even the climactic bloodbath comes with its own catchy tune.
Hercules in High Suburbia
By Mary Fulham
The Mazer Theater
Sat, Aug 13 at noon; Tue, Aug 16 at 9:30 p.m.; Fri, Aug 19 at 9:30 p.m.; Sat, Aug 20 at 6:30 p.m.; Thu, Aug 25 at 3 p.m.