“Freedom is like health: You don?t know what you have until you have lost it.”
“Trojan Women,” the latest play from the University Theater?s “new classics,” tells a story that speaks powerfully to this statement. The classic Greek play, written by Euripides and translated by Brenden Kennelly, is a compelling story ?- a hopeful and spirited tale of the wives and children of the men who fought the Trojan War.
The show, directed by David Furumoto, tells the story of Hecuba, a Trojan woman who has lost much of her normal life as a result of the war. She cares for the women of her city, offering them hope and strength in the wake of terrible losses.
The story also involves the Trojan women?s hatred for Helen, a woman who gladly fills the role of a sexual object of men. The women who suffer blame Helen for her shameless power and her role in the destruction of Troy.
Those who are accustomed to and enjoy American theater should enter this production with an open mind. The audience members, if not familiar with the traditional Japanese theater forms of kabuki, noh, and bunraku, may be turned off by the form in which the play is presented.
The dialogue is offered in a “sing-song” manner, with the characters often raising their voices and squeaking in times of emotional uprising. This may be distracting until the audience is used to it, but there is a chance that some of the first act of the show could be lost among those who dwell on the uncharacteristic speaking.
If the director had put in a more detailed explanation of the tradition of Japanese theater forms, possibly giving insight into why the show was presented in the manner it was, the audience would be more prepared for the show. Such a powerful play should not be lost among the style in which it is presented.
Megan Link gives an outstanding performance of Hecuba. Her believable portrayal of strength through despair shines over the rest of the cast. Her final monologue is lengthy, as Hecuba pleads with her dead husband to find a way for women to get through this war. But her message is clearly stated: “Peace is what [man] is most afraid of . . . we want to live without fear.”
Michael Ritchie (Helen) does a great job of portraying the inexcusably shameless character. He performs in the traditional Kabuki onnagata role, which is a male performing a female part. This signifies the idea that Helen is in fact the only “fake” woman among all the real women of the war.
Two actors wear masks at the very start of the show. Naoya Hashimoto (Poseiden) has an extensive monologue, and the mask takes away from any emotion his speaking might have.
All of the other costuming is very effective. The lead characters wear traditional Japanese kimonos, rich in color and fabric. The women of Troy wear ragged clothes and their make-up made them look dirty and tired. The set itself seems dismal and war-torn, and all around the physical aspects of the show add to an already miserable historic setting.
“Trojan Women,” although much different from other plays presented this season at the University Theater, has much to offer any audience. In a time when war is apparent in our own society, it is fitting to witness a story that was written thousands of years ago about the cruelty war has on its innocent victims.