Medea: Kaddish for The Children

Medea: Kaddish For the Children is a visual performance work that re-imagines the classic Medea story from the woman’s perspective. It draws from the classic Euripides’ Medea text, The Voyage of the Argo by Apollonius of Rhodes and the Kaddish (the Jewish Mourner’s Prayer).

In this version, Medea is allowed to mourn for the first time as she finds her voice to recite the Kaddish and grieve various losses: home, identity and children. Meanwhile, her male counterpart, Jason, is condemned to a machine that will never let him stop moving. As well as invoking the legacy of one of the world’s most ancient myths, Medea: Kaddish is a contemporary rift on a modern relationship. The two performers, married for over twenty years, test the fundamental Medean dynamics of love, justice and faith against the parameters of their own relationship.

Creative Team:
Deborah Leiser-Moore – Concept, Writer and Performer
Richard Moore – Writer and Performer
Jacques Soddell – Sound Designer
Israel Aloni – Choreographer
Susan Bamford Caleo – Vocal Director

Medea: Kaddish is part of FCAC’s 2019 Women, Art & Politics (WAP) program.