Oedipus El Rey, playwright Luis Alfaro’s reimagining of the Greek myth, transforms the familiar tale of fate and tragedy into an urban contemporary story about incarceration, identity, and the possibility of starting over. The premise remains the same—a child fated to kill his father and marry his mother—but Alfaro uses the myth to explore modern questions about destiny, free will, and whether people can escape the circumstances into which they are born.

Victor Almanzar, Javier David, Juan Arturo, Gabe Martínez

As Alfaro has noted, Greek myths rarely provide answers; instead, they ask questions. This production follows that tradition by placing people of color at the center of the story and examining cycles of poverty, gang violence, and incarceration. One character describes a world in which the path into prison is easier to find than the path out, underscoring the play’s central concern with systems that seem designed to perpetuate themselves.

Melisa Pereyra, Juan Arturo

Huntington Artistic Director Loretta Greco‘s intimate staging draws the audience directly into the action. Reza Behjat‘s ethereal lighting, Alex Jaeger‘s mythological costuming, Jake Rodriguez‘s evocative sound design, props descending from above, flashes of sensuality, audience participation, and effective use of Spanglish combine to create a vivid theatrical experience. Even viewers unfamiliar with the original myth should have little trouble following the story and its themes.

Jaime José Hernández

What impressed me most was Alfaro’s ability to use a European myth to illuminate the lived experiences of those often treated as “the other” in American society. The play repeatedly asks whether destiny can be altered despite the social expectations and limitations imposed upon us.

Javier David

The production concludes where it begins, creating a cyclical structure that reinforces the idea of renewal and second chances. Thought-provoking, culturally rich, and emotionally engaging, Oedipus El Rey earns a five-star rating.

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photos by Marc J Franklin

Oedipus El Rey
Huntington Theatre Company
The Huntington at Calderwood Pavilion
Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St.
ends on June 14, 2026
for tickets, call 617.266.0800 or visit Huntington

for more shows, visit Theatre in Boston

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Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured and internationally published Haitian American poet, theater reviewer, educator, author of numerous books of essays, reviews, fiction, poetry and literary arts student through Harvard University (It’s Always Sunrise Somewhere and Other Stories).