Starting on Friday, and running through Nov. 6, the Clarence Brown Theatre presents the classic Greek tragedy “The Trojan Women.” The play was written by Euripides in 415 B.C. and recounts the tragedies that befall the women of Troy after their city is ransacked and their fathers, husbands and sons are killed by the Greeks.
The show begins as Hecuba, the Queen of Troy, her daughter Cassandra, her daughter-in-law Andromache and the rest of the surviving women of Troy are being handed over as slaves to the victorious Greeks. The characters endure great mistreatment and cruelty and the show illustrates the devastation and horror of war and the resilience of the female spirit.
The play stars veteran actress Carol Mayo-Jenkins as Hecuba and New York actor Jeremy Holm as Poseidon/Menalaus. The rest of the parts are played by University of Tennessee Master of Fine Arts students and undergraduates: Erin O’Leary as Andromache, Tracie Merrill as Calypso, Jon Levenson as Talthybios, Sally Wood as Cassandra, Christen Gee as Hermione and Niyia Mack as Helen. The chorus members are Jess Milewicz, Christina Eddlemon, Christen Gee, Jeannine Souder, and Carrie Branch, and the soldiers are played by Travis Flatt, Doug Jennings and Dale Smith.
“The Trojan Women” is directed by Veronika Nowag-Jones, who also directed “Buried Child” for the CBT in 2002. It was prepared by dramaturge Claus van den Berg. The set design is by Allison McMillan, the costumes are by Felia Katherine and the lighting is by Jon Harper.
The goal of this production is the same as the original: to demonstrate how awful war is.
“We hope that we are so honest that it affects you very deeply. It will raise questions, hopefully, in all of us [such as], ‘Why do we still have to make war?’” Nowag-Jones said.
Milewicz said that “the play really shows the cruelty of war [and] how it affects the victims, primarily prisoners of war. The ugly side of humanity is highlighted.” She said that “if we can show the absurdity of violence and hatred, then maybe we as a human race can join together to abolish it. There is so much beauty in the world that is hidden by greed and foolishness, and hopefully through this play, we can help people weed through all of that to find the humanity.”
The cost of admission is $21 for the preview (Thursday at 8 p.m.), $37 for opening night and $24 for all other performances. Student tickets are $5 and faculty, staff, children and seniors also receive a discount. People age 30 and under are admitted for half-price. Tickets are on sale in advance now at the box office or at the door until curtain. Call 974-5161 for more information and show times.
