On October 23, the College of Arts & Sciences Core Curriculum, the Department of Classical Studies, and the Undergraduate Classics Association hosted the eighth annual GoreFest: A Halloween Reading Greek and Roman Tragedy.
The community outreach event gathers students and faculty to perform overly histrionic, completely ridiculous readings of ancient drama.
“This year’s event included some horrific descriptions of the carnage of the Cyclops, some horrifying prophecies from the gods, and some hair-raising moments from Athenian tragedy,” says James Uden, professor and chair of classical studies.
Sophie Klein, a lecturer in core curriculum and classical studies, coordinated the event with the help of members of the Undergraduate Classics Association Sofia Podgorski (CAS’24), Vivian Dai (CAS’24), Caroline Foley (CAS’25), and Henry Chuang (CAS’26). The team adapted the scripts, made the props, and created an evening of ghoulish fun.
“There are no rehearsals — participants are handed a script and silly costume and are ushered onto the stage,” Klein says. “Most only discover what role they’ll be performing moments before delivering their first lines.”
This year’s program included scenes from Euripides’ Bacchae (featuring a memorable cameo by Professor of Classical Studies Leah Kronenberg’s dog, Lydia, in the role of Pentheus’ Head), Sophocles’ Ajax, Virgil’s Aeneid, and Aeschylus’ Eumenides. The performance was followed by a costume contest, pizza, and candy.
“These and other events are funded with the help of alumni on BU Giving Day, so the Classical Studies department thanks alumni for their ongoing support,” Uden says.
GoreFest 2023 Actors
Agave- Leah Kronenberg
Cadmus- Henry Chuang
Dionysus- John Griffin
Athena- Kit Houng Li
Odysseus- Jasper Blume
Ajax- Dorothy Brown
Narrator- Lauren Steiger
Achaemenides- Adam Godel
Odysseus (non speaking)- Sofia Podgorski
Polyphemus (non speaking)- Brandon Jones
Pythia- Caroline Foley
Apollo- Jackie Reynolds
Chorus of Furies- Colin Lacey, Joe Watkins, Philip Levine
Ghost of Clytemnestra- Anna Sokolova