Greek tragedies such as the works of Euripides and Sophocles are not typically performed by community theater. That is partly why Aynne Ames, artistic director of the Belfast Maskers, picked the classic “Medea” as part of this year’s theatrical season. It opens on Sept. 22 and runs through Oct. 9.

“Medea,” written by Euripides in 431 B.C. and translated here by Robinson Jeffers, is the story of the titular character and her plot to enact revenge against her husband, Jason, who has ditched her for a pretty young princess. The original desperate housewife, Medea executed calculated vengeance, swift, devastating and still shocking to an audience nearly 2,500 years after the play was written.

Ames said this particular production of the play is a challenge.

“People are not as familiar with ‘Medea,'” she said. “This sort of thing is not done very often in community theater. If you asked people the names of the characters, they wouldn’t know.”

Ames, who lived and studied in Greece for five years and received her masters in ancient theater, says that “Greekophiles” have been coming out of the woodwork to assist with the show.

“All these people who had no outlet for their love of Greece and Greek culture have come to work on it,” said Ames, who also directed the production. “And we’re also appealing to people who wouldn’t normally come to something like this. It’s very challenging.”

The entire production is very traditional. The set designed by Nell Moore is spare, just marbleized pillars and the steps to Medea’s house. The actors are costumed in classical Greek garb, and Ames has coached them in the traditional form of acting in Greek theater.

“Everything is huge. It’s operatic,” she said. “It’s like looking at an old black-and-white film – everything is so big. The traditional way of doing it was in 25,000 seat theaters, so all the emotions had to be huge. I want [the actors] to do that tradition properly. Not overacting, but acting in the Greek tradition.”

Maskers regular Diane Coller Wilson plays Medea, while the unlucky Jason is played by Nathan Raliegh. The chorus, which remains onstage for the entire hour-and-a-half production, is comprised of Chris Goosman, Audra Curtis and Karen Colburn.

The cast and crew will stay after the matinee performances on Sundays for a question-and-answer panel. Ames said that the Jeffers translation of the play is accessible to a modern audience, but isn’t dumbed down, and she expects an interesting crowd reaction.

“Everyone’s related to everyone, who once were kings, and they’re children of swans and children of gods. It’s very involved,” she said. “And Medea is just a fabulous character. She wasn’t actually Greek, she was from what is now Asia Minor. She was exotic and terrific, but she was always a foreigner, and a stranger in a strange land. The whole play is her revenge. It’s very exciting.”

“Medea” runs Sept. 22 through Oct. 9, with 8 p.m. performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sundays. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for teenagers, and can be purchased by calling 338-9668. The Maskers theater is located at 43 Front St. in Belfast. Information can be found at www.belfastmaskerstheater.com.