Jocasta
- Rita Frances Welch
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
Jocasta, a reimagining of the Oedipus story focusing on Oedipus’s mother, makes its New York debut as part of United Solo’s 2025 Spring Festival. Written by Mohammad Reza Ghodsevali and starring Shadi Yazdani, Jocasta delves deeper into Greek mythology to explore the forces of destiny that shape the Oedipus myth.
Jocasta traverses the events of the classic myth from the perspective of Oedipus’s mother, from before Oedipus’s conception to the inevitable fallout that ensued all those years later. First and foremost, Ghodsevali interprets Jocasta’s journey as one of sexual and sensual liberation, in which Jocasta is shown trying to exert control over the narrative and, thus, of her body. Director Howard Rosenstein challenges audiences to consider this liberation as one not only of righteousness but one of ecstasy and joy. Shadi Yazdani, as Jocasta, brings this ecstasy, as well as her sorrow and contemplation, with intense precision, bringing to life a character who knows what she wants and puts fear aside in her pursuit.
An interesting facet of Ghodsevali’s text is exploring the complex psychology of the titular character, a character set in a world where her story is predestined. The show strikes a balance in which Jocasta’s inner philosophy and desires lead her sometimes knowingly, sometimes blindly, to the fulfillment of Laius’s prophecy. Jocasta always shows us all sides of herself. Her intensity, cleverness, and ultimately, her desire, much like the ambition of any Greek hero, are equally at play in a narrative often centered on her male counterparts.
Jocasta is a performance in both English and Persian, translated by Saba Shahcheraghi. The English version is contemplative and poetic, reflecting a mastery of the story and its themes. Adaptors of this tale face a choice when concluding the Oedipus myth: The Greek canon reflects an aftermath in which Jocasta commits suicide, or alternatively, an aftermath in which she continues to live despite shame and derision. Ghodsevali and Shahcheraghi opt for the latter, a denouement that enables Jocasta to go on telling her tale.
Performed by Shadi Yazdani
Written by Mohammad Reza Ghodsevali
Directed by Howard Rosenstein
Producer: Shadi Yazdani
March 20, 2025
March 18 through April 20, 2025
Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, NYC)
Rita Frances Welch is… Wait, who’s asking? There are a few answers depending on the context. Rita is A) A New York playwright, actor, and director, B) The owner of 5 discrete copies of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, C) A force of nature, controlled by the tides and called to by the wind, disappearing and returning like the seasons. More material than their author, Rita’s plays have been produced by The Tank, Theatre X, Playwrights Performance, and Rogue Theatre Festival. They hold a B.F.A. in Acting from Shenandoah Conservatory, during which they studied under LAByrinth Theater’s Martha Wollner and Padraic Lillis. Rita’s writing functions as an experiment- a combination of characters in the petri dish of their world, their personal challenges and delusions in a vacuum, isolating for every variable but one: Human nature, which reveals itself every time. ritafranceswelch.com
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