It was very near this spot (recently photographed by my brother in law) that Oedipus had his fateful encounter with the Spinx many years ago, in the greatest screen adaptation of the ancient Greek play by Sophocles (d. ca. 406 BC) that has ever been filmed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many years ago, while I was still an undergraduate and before I was married (and maybe before I had even met my future wife), several of us \u2014 including at least two of us who were studying classical Greek \u2014 got together, in lieu of less worthwhile activities like our studies, to make a film that we named Oedipus Wrecked<\/em>. \u00a0No expense was spared, up to a limit of perhaps $9.37. \u00a0And the very latest cutting-edge technology was employed to make it a truly first-rate production: a hand-held Super-8 Braun movie camera, as I recall. \u00a0Turning our noses up at mere sound, we opted for hand-held, hand-lettered signs to advance the story, scrawled with a Magic Marker on sheets of paper.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
We filmed in exotic locations, too. \u00a0I played the mad prophet Tiresias, for example, in a scene filmed in a BYU chemistry lab. \u00a0(I freely grant that, in the original play by Sophocles, Tiresias isn\u2019t actually mad. \u00a0So much the worse, though, for the unimaginative Sophocles.) \u00a0And the pivotal confrontation between Oedipus and the Spinx \u2014 a minimum $100 donation to the Interpreter Foundation is required before I\u2019ll explain why, unlike more conventional productions, ours didn\u2019t feature the Sophoclean Sph<\/strong>inx<\/em> \u2014 took place near the shore of the Provo River. \u00a0The young woman who portrayed the Spinx in our version of the ancient story, a fellow Greekling, married our cinematographer. (He was our cinematographer by reason of the fact that he owned the camera. \u00a0Were they already married then? \u00a0I can\u2019t remember.)<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anyway \u2014 trust me on this \u2014 the film Oedipus Wrecked<\/em>\u00a0represents one of the cultural treasures of Western civilization.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, like so much great art, Oedipus Wrecked<\/em> is vulnerable. \u00a0At risk. \u00a0Having been filmed with a Super 8 camera, it exists right now in only one copy. \u00a0And the whereabouts of that single copy are currently uncertain. \u00a0Our cinematographer is confident that he has it. \u00a0Somewhere. \u00a0(There may be a certain significance, even perhaps a rich and deep symbolic meaning, in the fact that, today, he\u2019s a psychiatrist. \u00a0Given his professional training in the field of mental health, he may be the perfect custodian for the film.)<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anyway, two or three weeks ago, completely unexpectedly, he contacted me and invited me and my wife to their home for a meal. \u00a0And, today, we had that (excellent) meal, and that very enjoyable time, with them. \u00a0We haven\u2019t seen each other for many, many years. \u00a0Perhaps even \u2014 it appalls me to consider the possibility \u2014 for something like four decades. \u00a0They lived out of state for a number of years, we\u2019ve been very busy, life happens. \u00a0Many of you will know how this goes, if not, perhaps, why<\/em>.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
The passage of time continually astonishes me. \u00a0The other day, for example, while I was doing some undemanding things and my wife was gone with friends up to Yellowstone, I had the television set tuned to a showing of the Disney animated musical film Beauty and the Beast<\/em>. \u00a0I was halfway listening to the music and working away when a question occurred to me. \u00a0I immediately looked the film up on Wikipedia. \u00a0But, while finding the answer to my question, I also noticed that the movie appeared in 1991. \u00a01991! \u00a0That\u2019s twenty-seven (27) years ago. \u00a0Nearly three decades.<\/em> \u00a0If somebody had asked me, I might well, without thinking, have said that it was about ten years old.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Time passes faster and faster as I hurtle ever deeper into geezerhood. \u00a0And that\u2019s sobering.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
But what also occurred to me yet again today is that one of the very best things about the life to come will be the reunions. \u00a0I\u2019m looking forward to them.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 Many years ago, while I was still an undergraduate and before I was married (and maybe before I had even met my future wife), several of us \u2014 including at least two of us who were studying classical Greek \u2014 got together, in lieu of less worthwhile activities like our studies, to make […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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