Wichita theater veteran Misty Maynard decides it’s time to tackle ‘Medea’

Misty Maynard is finally getting a chance to practice what she teaches.

As a theater instructor currently at Wichita State University Tech, Southwestern College and Butler Community College’s Andover campus, Maynard had given her students an assignment to hypothetically stage a Greek tragedy – usually “Medea.”

They would have to decide the setting and costumes, as well as which of the many translations they’d use.

The kicker is, Maynard – a longtime Wichita theater veteran whose Kechi Playhouse enters its 44th season this summer – had never directed or acted in a Greek play herself.

That changes next week when she’s at the helm of “Medea” for Wichita Community Theatre.

“I was amazed they were going to try it. I think it’s quite an interesting choice for a community theater — I think it’s bold,” said Maynard, who was fickle about volunteering to direct. “I’ve taught it for years, shouldn’t I at least apply and throw my hat in the ring?”

Maynard said she’s enjoying the experience.

“It’s kind of exciting and it’s really different. It’s just bigger than anything,” she said. “You think Shakespeare’s big, but with the Greeks you’ve got the gods and these extreme situations and all these chorus people running around doing their thing.”

One of the first tasks was to pick from one of countless numbers of translations of the Euripides epic.

“They’re all so very different,” Maynard said. “There’s some that are old, and a lot of them rhyme. I just thought that could be a trap for us. It’s really hard to cover, if you get a little off, hitting that meter and hitting that rhyme.”

She ended up choosing a more modern translation, which she thought would be easier on the audience and the actors.

“I wanted them to be able to grasp it immediately, and it’s easier for the actors too,” she said.

Maynard cast Jami Thomas, a veteran of WCT’s “The Cottage,” “Book of Days” and “The Wild Women of Winedale” in the title role of a vengeful, bewitching goddess.

“I thought she had that allure,” Maynard said.

Maynard resurrected the turntable from WCT’s “Almost, Maine,” earlier this season, as the centerpiece of “Medea.”

The play includes 22 cast members, including a 10-person Greek chorus.

‘MEDEA’

When: April 23 to May 3; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain

Tickets: $20 adults, discounts for students, seniors and military; $16 Thursdays; from wichitact.org.