First performed in 431 BC, Euripides’ tragedy Medea, based on the ancient Greek myth, tells the story of the titular enchantress of divine descent, abandoned after ten years together by her husband Jason – whom she aided in his quest for the Golden Fleece (saving his life by killing her brother in the process) – to marry the child princess of Corinth and thereby advance his status. In her pain and fury, she takes revenge on him by killing their own two sons and murdering his new wife with the duplicitous gift of a poisoned cape and crown, then makes her escape to Athens in the winged chariot of the sun god Helios, her grandfather. Stephen Michael Spencer and Sarin Monae West. Photo by Carol Rosegg. Originally commissioned and developed by Red Bull Theater, adapted from Euripides by Luis Quintero, and co-conceived and directed by Nathan Winkelstein, Medea: Re-versed, co-presented with Bedlam in a rolling world-premiere co-production with Hudson Valley Shakespeare, recently completed its outdoor engagement there, prior to its current limited NYC run at the Sheen Center. The new high-octane Hip-Hopera version of the classic two-and-a-half-millennia-old cautionary tale brings the feminist moral of the destruction that comes with the mistreatment and suppression of women into the 21st century. It does so with inventive rhymes, rhythms, and word plays (as exemplified by the double meaning of the clever title), written in the verbal warfare verse of Battle Rap, in which two swaggering competitors exchange insults, disses, and boasts. Here it’s all masterfully delivered in sung and spoken-word segments by rappers Sarin Monae West as Medea, Stephen Michael Spencer as Jason, Jacob Ming-Trent in the roles of King Creon of Corinth (father of Jason’s second wife, who also died of the poison while trying to hold his daughter), King Ageus of Athens (who made a deal with Medea to allow her to escape to his city), and the Messenger, and Quintero as the updated Greek Chorus Leader and Emcee, with live accompaniment by music director and human beatboxer Mark Martin and musicians Siena D’Addario on guitar and Melissa Mahoney on bass. Together they clearly convey the plot points of the narrative in post-modern language and style, the raging emotions and thoughts of the characters, and the lessons learned in the tragedy of toxic masculinity and misogyny avenged. Luis Quintero (center), with Stephen Michael Spencer and Jacob Ming-Trent. Photo by Carol Rosegg. The compelling and intimate performance also completely immerses and involves the audience, employing the format of a thrust stage with seats on three sides (set by Emmie Finckel), dramatic shifts in lighting (by Cha See) and sound (by Matt Otto) that envelop the house, the actors moving actively on and off the stage and up and down the aisles in close proximity to us (movement direction by Tiffany Rachelle Stewart), and direct-address meta-theatrical commentary and participatory communal responses to the rap verses and provocative questions posed by Quintero and the play, in which we are entertained by the vicarious thrills of other people’s crises: “Who does it cost for us to pay to see a tragedy?” “Could this really be true?” “So was it worth it?” Quintero’s complex and ingenious lyrics (e.g., when Medea is ordered by Creon to leave Corinth, we’ re told “if she doesn’t split he’ll leave her half-buried, and that’s medi-terranean”) and West’s rapid-fire raps not only dazzle, but his deep dive into her psyche and her full range of feelings – both real and affected to fool her antagonists – relay the woman’s side of the story, her outsider status (as a native of the remote kingdom of Colchis, not Greece), and the considered reasoning behind her decision to commit filicide, rendering her more three-dimensional and sympathetic than she has traditionally been portrayed. By contrast, Spencer’s Jason and Ming-Trent’s Creon are demeaning and explosive, and intentionally generate more distaste than concern for the characters. Sarin Monae West with Jacob Ming-Trent. Photo by Carol Rosegg. Medea Re-versed is a work that honors Red Bull’s mission of bringing classic plays to dynamic new life for contemporary audiences, uniting a respect for tradition with a modern sensibility (also seen in the bold temporal mix in Nicole Wee’s costumes). As with Euripides, the story ends not with a vilified Medea (as she’s been portrayed in so many productions throughout history), but with a smart and triumphant one, who, intent on justice and accountability, strategically avenges her betrayal, disrespect, and suffering at the hands of her husband, and has the gods on her side. So was it worth it? Experiencing this brilliant performance definitely is. Running Time: Approximately 80 minutes, without intermission. Medea: Re-versed plays through Sunday, October 13, 2024, at Red Bull Theater and Bedlam, performing at the Sheen Center, 18 Bleecker Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $78-98, plus fees), go online.