Performative staging, adaptation of Oedipus the King

This dissertation focuses on the analysis and practice of Ancient Greek tragedies withinthe context of performative aesthetics. It centers on the production process of theperformance Oidipus: Victor, Vanquished, which is derived fromSophocles' OedipusRex and its mythological origins. The study constructs a unique staging through a theoretical connection betweentheAncient Greek concept of agon (contest/struggle) and the ritualistic structure of oil wrestling, a traditional bodily practice. The ceremonial framework, collective memory-based aesthetics, and physical intensity of oil wrestling intersect with the ritualisticnature of Greek tragedy. In this context, oil wrestling is not approached merelyasafolkloric element but as a performative tool. The central argument of the dissertation is that Ancient Greek tragedies shouldnot beread solely as dramatic texts, but also as ritualistic and embodied experiences. Thesequalities are reinterpreted through postdramatic aesthetics to forma contemporarytheatrical expression. The actors' collaboration with actual wrestlers allowed for bodilytransformation, shifting the focus from folkloric representations to formal and aestheticdimensions of performance. Informed by the physical theatre approaches ofTerzopoulos and Grotowski, the process cultivates a bodily mode of thinkingalignedwith the experiential nature of contemporary theatre.