As more than 50 students, faculty, staff and community members filed into the Booth Library Atrium Thursday, five women wearing red and gold flowing dresses walked on to a stage. 

The stage was made of plastic blocks, black curtains and a large image of the Temple of Athena in Athens, Greece.

The scene was the beginning of a collection of Greek plays titled “Daughters of Dionysus,” which was performed as a part of the Ancient Greek Symposium in Booth Library and featured Amina Baker, a sophomore theatre major; Shelbie Kearfott, a freshman recreation administration major; Meghan Kegeris, a junior communication studies major; Stormie Kelley, a freshman theatre major; and Leanne Kirchner, a senior English major.

“We will show you stories of women of strength, women of power, for we are the Daughters of Dionysus,” the women said in the introductory scene of the play.

Dionysus is a Greek god, who is often associated with theater.

Allen Lanham, the dean of library services at Booth Library, helped arrange the stage and said it was created to simulate a Greek amphitheater, which is where many of the plays in Ancient Greece were performed.

“We thought the area chosen would make a nice mock amphitheater, and filled the balconies last,” Lanham said. “It is a library, so there were book carts going through and some books fell over, but in Ancient Greece there also would have been disruptions, maybe not cars, but possibly sporting events or other things.”

The collection was comprised of three plays, “Medea,” “Antigone” and “The Trojan Women” all written by Euripides. 

Although the cast was all female, there were two male roles, which were portrayed in the collection. In order to distinguish the male characters from the female, the actresses wore masks.

Kirchner, who portrayed the role King Creon in scenes from “Antigone,” said she really enjoyed playing one of the male roles because it allowed her to act as someone completely different than herself. 

The performance was also the first time she performed with a mask, which she said was extremely interesting and was glad she was given the opportunity.

 “You can’t show expression with your face while using it; you have to use the mask,” Kirchner said. “Even the slightest movement speaks wonders.”

Along with using the mask for her first time, the performance was also the first time Kirchner and the cast had performed in the Booth Atrium.

“It was a little smaller than where we had rehearsed but we adjusted and I think it went really well,” Kirchner said. 

The symposium will take place until Nov.  7.

Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or alwywialowski@eiu.edu.