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JOHNSON CITY – “Medea,” first performed in 431 B.C., is still relevant to modern audiences.

The East Tennessee State University Department of Theatre and Dance will bring this captivating story of love, hate, revenge and murder to the stage later this month.

Performances will be presented in the Bert C. Bach Theatre at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 20-22. A 2 p.m. show is scheduled for Sunday, April 23. Purchase tickets here or call (423) 439-2787 for more information.

“Take out the use of magic, and forget that this is an ancient Greek play, and this story is repeated often. According to the Center for Judicial Excellence, 874 children have been killed by a parent going through a divorce in this country over the past 10 years,” said Bobby Funk, director and a professor in the department. “This is the story we want to tell. We want the audience to realize that after 2,454 years, this play is still relevant. As audience members, we are taken to a world of magic, myth and legend, but at the same time, we see that these characters are emotionally much the same as people living in our world today.”

The cast includes Tarrin Chambers as Medea; Ben Potter as Jason; Billie Williams as the Nurse; Haley Carter as the Tutor; Caleb Hale as King Creon; Lorrie Campbell Anderson, Natalie Underwood and Hana Goss as the members of the Corinthian Women; Emily Russell and Rachel Ball as Medea’s children; and Boris Taneski as King Aegeus.

The stage manager is Rebekah Williams and the designers are Caroline Daniels (scenic), Christina Ward (costume), Melissa Shafer (lighting) and Charlie Landry (sound).

“Medea,” written by Euripides, is translated by Dr. Sheila Murnaghan.