Though staged here in English, Jean Racin's Phèdre is perhaps one of the most beautifully shaped plays in the French language. Its clean lines, its well-formed characters and the tension build into the interaction between its characters despite the use of the 12-syllable alexandrine, are remarkable. Based, as most of his plays are, on ancient mythology - Greek and Roman - Phèdre was his final secular work for the stage. He was only 38 at the time though he lived to be 60 and became a very rich man from other forms of writings.

The Stratford Festival's production of Phèdre is a world premiere of a new English translation by Timberlake Wertenbaker. She chose to put her translation into an unrhymed pentameter (10-syllable) line to avoid the pitfalls of rhyme in English. It works so remarkably well that one never realizes it is a translation. Director Carey Perloff has been faithful to Racin's Jansenite-influenced style of highly reserved acting, and so created a masterpiece for Stratford in co-production with San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater.

Be prepared to be awed by the powerful portrayal of the character, Phèdre, by Seana McKenna. Phèdre has her origins in Greek mythology, where she is more commonly known as Phaedra, wife of the Athenian King Theseus, half-sister of the Minotaur. This half bull, half human had been slain by her husband with the help of her sister, Ariadne. Theseus, of course, had abandons Ariadne at Naxos, and then had a relationship with the Queen of the Amazons, a union that produces his son, Hippolytus. After he married Phaedra she fell in love with her stepson, but hid this for years until almost close to death, brought on by her wrought emotions and feelings of guilt. When she revealed this 'unnatural' feeling it had disastrous results.

Many Greek and Roman writers have cast Phaedra in their plays, which have become part of our literary canon. Sadly, today few younger members of the audience learn ancient history or about the classics. Consequently, the play has to speak for itself, which it does with great aplomb in the Stratford production.

Racin, living in the time of Louis XIV, and raised in a school run by adherents to Jansenism, was influence by their emphasis on original sin and depravity. Although he turned away from Jansenism when he chose to abandon the study of law and turned to the theater, he continued to use theatrical conventions that were not only acceptable at court but also marked by his strict religious upbringing.

Phèdre, in consequence, is a play in which great drama happens without characters ever touching except, perhaps with a light touch on the cheek or on the shoulder. Yet, it contains more passion and lust than plays that offer up graphic physical displays of these emotions.

McKenna's performance is matched by Jonathan Goad's excellent performance as Hippolytus. The tension between them crackles with electricity. He is repelled by Phèdre's admittance. He has his own secret: he loves the forbidden Aricie (Claire Lautier), a princess of royal Athenian blood, and the last of her line. Roberta Maxwell gives a fine performance as the scheming Oenone, Phèdre's old nurse and confidant.

Theseus is played by Tom McCamus with regal restraint, but is all the more terrifying in his anger when he calls on Neptune to take vengeance on his son for a sin the young man did not commit. Hippolytus' terrible death is revealed only through a blood-soaked scarf, which has a far more powerful impact than had he been visually ripped apart.