Take a drive along Pacific Coast Highway to the Theater at the Getty Villa for an evening of extraordinary theater set in this breathtaking space modeled after ancient Greek and Roman theaters.
The Getty Villa Museum and Court Theatre, the Tony Award-winning professional theatre of the University of Chicago, will present The Gospel at Colonus Thursdays–Saturdays September 7–30, 2023. Soulful and stirring, this one-of-a-kind theatrical event re-imagines the story of Oedipus as the centerpiece of a redemptive musical celebration. The blinded Oedipus arrives at the town of Colonus, near Athens, seeking rest after a lifetime of tragedy. But he is pursued by enemies, including his own son. Based on Sophocles's Oedipus at Colonus from the 5th century BCE, this adaptation blends Greek myth with Black spiritual practice for a jubilant, life-affirming journey.
“We are delighted to welcome Court Theatre back to the Getty Villa for this year’s outdoor theater production, The Gospel at Colonus,” says Timothy Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the Getty Museum. “Theater was a fundamental component of religious and social life in ancient Greece, and the great success of the Villa productions continue to demonstrate the importance of classical drama in contemporary society.”
Guests are not allowed to bring their own food, but there is an excellent concession menu and you are allowed to bring food and drink to your seat in the Outdoor Theater.