People Are Talking: UMS presents Ryoji Ikeda’s...
Posted: 10/31/14
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PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
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All comments by Tim
People Are Talking: UMS presents SITI Company: Trojan Women (after Euripides) at Power Center:
I agree with Larry. I forgot to mention that I too loved the music. I could have sworn it was played on ancient-style instruments. But the musician on stage after the curtain just had a violin.
I also agree with Larry’s thought on Helen. She won over Menelaus and it’s unclear whether he would have turned her over to the Spartan people to be killed after they arrived there.
Also, the defense presented by the envoy, that he was just following orders, reminded me of World War II and the post-war trials of war criminals.
This play evoked two very divergent opinions in my household. My wife and I are neither theater program graduates nor students of Greek tragedy but we have been avid theatergoers at Stratford for some 25 years and attend local productions.
"My wife found this among the most tedious plays she had ever sat through, enjoyed neither the acting nor text but was captivated by the music.
My mind was racing the entire production while I recall barely being able to stay awake during a previously attended high level performance that was true to the original Greek text. Isn’t that the purpose of adaptation — to couch the message in a vehicle relevant to current day audiences? I did not care if there were some new characters. Instead, I was struck by the power of Hecuba and Andromache’s bodily movements and dialogue (How does Ellen have any energy left for the 22 hours a day she is not on stage). To me, they cried out, yes and kept crying out repeatedly, that horrible message that runs counter to the “heroism” of wartime — the message of wars’ destruction of human lives, of human dignity and human hope. Additionally, although not central to the play’s overall theme, I found that while many might wish it to be untrue, the Helen portrayed on stage would likely win over Manaleus… and most other men.
Thanks to UMS for bringing this SITI production to our stage.
by Larry Handelsman
People Are Talking: UMS presents SITI Company: Trojan Women (after Euripides) at Power Center:
I didn’t know that that part about Odysseus was made up, so now I know it’s not part of ancient Greek myth.
I have published pretty extensively on the play. I admired Lauren’s voice and the way she moved. I liked the lighting. But the production as a whole left me cold–the stylization was estranging. Tim’s comment makes me a little nervous, since as far as I know they made up the story that Odysseus made the deal with the suitors’ oath to get Penelope–maybe it’s in an ancient author somewhere, but it contradicts the standard version (since Odysseus takes the oath himself and has to go to Troy though he doesn’t want to).
"by Ruth Scodel
People Are Talking: UMS presents SITI Company: Trojan Women (after Euripides) at Power Center:
In my experience with ancient Greek plays, a “monochromatic emotional high pitch” such woe, woe, woe is not unusual. Elektra, for example, is oriented that way.
This was an agonizing production played in a monochromatic emotional high pitch (oh woe, woe, woe!) with little variation. The male actors were exceptionally weak. The script was unduly repetitive, and some of the lines bordered on sophmoric (sorry sophmores)–eg “I’m leaving now” as an actor left the stage. For a few brief moments the production came alive when the issue of the ultimate responsibility and causation of Troy’s downfall was debated but for the most part one felt as it one had just endured the Trojan Wars, and paid for the experience.
"A very disappointing production.
by Iris
People Are Talking: UMS presents SITI Company: Trojan Women (after Euripides) at Power Center:
I thought the parallels with Iraq and Afghanistan were evident too. If only the Greeks had engaged in nation building after they won. Is there a parallel between the killing of Astyanax, the little son of Hector, and drone strikes in Pakistan that kill children?
I thought some of it was excellent and moving and other parts were not well acted or not well cast. Not sure which. I don’t like mixing modern with ancient costumes but I think it drove home the point, particularly the envoy, that it was sometimes so close to home. I could really imagine an American soldier in Iraq saying “I don’t even know why we are here any more.”
"I thought Hecuba was fabulous and I like Andromache. Very mixed reviews in the Power Center Lobby.
by Prue Rosenthal
People Are Talking: UMS presents SITI Company: Trojan Women (after Euripides) at Power Center:
I enjoyed it. But I love ancient Greek plays and ancient Greek myth, legend and history (if perhaps we have a combination of them in the Trojan war story). The actress who played Hecuba did a good job, and so did the actor who played Poseidon. I am fairly familiar with the myths and legends behind the Trojan war but I still learned more about them, especially that Odysseus had been a suitor for Helen but took Penelope instead. I was not sure if all the names were pronounced correctly but I could be wrong and that’s not very important. (In the movie Troy they pronounced Menelaus as men-allow-us, interestingly enough.) I thought it was worth the money, at least for the cheap seat I had. And, again, I’m a big fan of ancient Greek drama and ancient Greek myth. Ancient Greek drama is not often performed these days (there was one at Stratford last year, Elektra), so it was a bit of a treat. Thanks to UMS for this performance.
People Are Talking: UMS presents Darius Milhaud’s Oresteia of Aeschelys at Hill Auditorium:
The supertitles were too faint. The words should have been brighter and more distinct, to make it possible to read them faster to keep up. As a result I couldn’t focus on the words.
The conductor was excellent. The leading vocalists were very good. The musicians performing percussion and special instruments were very good.
People Are Talking: UMS presents Darius Milhaud’s Oresteia of Aeschelys at Hill Auditorium:
The performers were excellent. Huge choir! There must have been 250 people in the choir. Berliozian proportions. The parts corresponding to Agamemnon and The Libation Bearers were excellent. The men’s choir in Agamemnon was refreshing. I love men’s choirs. Brilliant contrasting use of the choir and the spoken word to great effect. The part corresponding to the Eumenidies was not to my taste. To me it was dull, monotonous, cacophonous at times and relentless. I responded negatively to it and couldn’t wait for it to end. To me it encapsulates the worst of 20th century music. It basically cancelled out the good qualities of the first two parts. I wish I had left at halftime. But again the performers performed admirably. My complaint is about the composer’s work. Finally, this performance should have been done earlier, like 6:30.