When Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War, bringing with him the seer Cassandra as "war booty," he falls into a trap. His wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus murder him in revenge for Agamemnon's sacrifice of his own daughter Iphigenia to ensure fair winds toward Troy. One bloodbath breeds another, and the siblings Orestes and Electra avenge their father's death on their mother. To end the family curse, a citizens' court is convened to decide Orestes' fate. "The Oresteia" is not only the only completely surviving ancient drama trilogy, it is also the first written account of a democratic vote. Its author, Aeschylus, had witnessed the end of a tyranny and the first steps toward democracy in Athens in his youth. In Florian Hertweck's production of all three parts, including a prologue with the backstory of the Tantalus Curse, great ancient tragedy meets participatory theater, "true crime" meets rap theater. He most recently staged the rap spectacle "House of Karls," and now Hertweck and the ensemble are turning their attention to one of the oldest texts in literature: classical, pop, political, performative, and cinematic.

Lukas Karlsch

Events

Past events

Sep 23, 2025 - Feb 6, 2026

The Oresteia · Theater Aachen

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