Mourning Becomes Electra Moves Up Closing Date

The New Group's production of playwright Eugene O’Neil’s rarely revived Mourning Becomes Electra, starring stage and screen vet Lili Taylor and indie-queen Jena Malone, had moved up its limited run’s closing date by six weeks. The epic drama, which opened February 19, was originally slated to play through April 18. The show will now play its last performance on March 1.

In addition to Taylor and Malone, the show features Joseph Cross, Anson Mount, Mark Blum and Robert Hogan. The cast also includes Carolyn Baeumler, Phoebe Strole, Patrick Mapel, Therese Barbato, Geoffrey Bryant, Susan Goodwillie, Mycah Hogan, Sean Meehan and John Wojda.

The seldom-revived Electra, which debuted on Broadway in 1931, is a Freudian update of the Greek tragedy of Orestes, set during the American Civil War. It tells the story of General Ezra Mannon based on Agamemnon, his adulterous second wife, Christine based on Clytemnestra and played by Taylor, and children Orin based on Orestes and daughter Lavinia based on Electra and played by Malone, weaving a tale of revenge, lust, jealousy and revenge.

With an unedited running time of five hours, Mourning Becomes Electra was last revived on Broadway in 1972.