Spring Break
'Trojan Barbie' lays siege to Euripides' 'Women'
by Bryan Prywes
Arts | 4/7/09
Posted online at 1:10 AM EST on 4/7/09
The lights come up on a post-apocalyptic barricade strewn with cinder blocks and oil barrels. In the corner lies a small gurney covered with pieces of toy figures and a doll waiting for repair. Confused? The worst is yet to come.
Trojan Barbie, a play by Australian playwright Christine Evans, is a satirical adaptation of Euripides' Trojan Women and centers around a British dollmaker, Lotte, who, looking for a relaxing vacation, travels to Troy. Shortly after arriving in Troy, she is abducted by the Greek army, dressed in SWAT gear and thrown into an internment camp. Upon her arrival, she meets the classic characters of Euripides' play: Hecuba, Cassandra, Andromache and Helen, "just Helen."
It is unclear if these Euripidian characters in this "car crash adaptation" are remnants of their ancient past or if by entering the barricades Lotte is instantaneously transported to a period of Trojan history. The script, which is weak at best, is composed more of small Law & Order-type vignettes, used more for shock value than to actually retell Euripides' famous tale through a new lens.
Fortunately, the performances by most of the cast under the direction of Carmel O'Reiley make up for what the script lacks. Notable performances include those by Karen MacDonald (Lotte) and Paula Langton (Hecuba). MacDonald, who narrates most of the performance, had perfect comedic timing that lightened up the heavier subjects addressed by the play. Langton imbued the part of Hecuba with a sense of regality even in the constraints of a detention camp and managed to carry over a perfect touch of Aristotelian stoicism that allowed her to create a character reminiscent of the Greek classic.
The most standout performance of the evening, however, was that of Skye Nöel (Andromache), who commands the attention of her audience by fully expressing the sorrows of losing a son and witnessing the death of Hecuba's youngest daughter, Polly X. She truly made the members of the audience feel her pain and brought the entire house to tears.
Trojan Barbie, a play by Australian playwright Christine Evans, is a satirical adaptation of Euripides' Trojan Women and centers around a British dollmaker, Lotte, who, looking for a relaxing vacation, travels to Troy. Shortly after arriving in Troy, she is abducted by the Greek army, dressed in SWAT gear and thrown into an internment camp. Upon her arrival, she meets the classic characters of Euripides' play: Hecuba, Cassandra, Andromache and Helen, "just Helen."
It is unclear if these Euripidian characters in this "car crash adaptation" are remnants of their ancient past or if by entering the barricades Lotte is instantaneously transported to a period of Trojan history. The script, which is weak at best, is composed more of small Law & Order-type vignettes, used more for shock value than to actually retell Euripides' famous tale through a new lens.
Fortunately, the performances by most of the cast under the direction of Carmel O'Reiley make up for what the script lacks. Notable performances include those by Karen MacDonald (Lotte) and Paula Langton (Hecuba). MacDonald, who narrates most of the performance, had perfect comedic timing that lightened up the heavier subjects addressed by the play. Langton imbued the part of Hecuba with a sense of regality even in the constraints of a detention camp and managed to carry over a perfect touch of Aristotelian stoicism that allowed her to create a character reminiscent of the Greek classic.
The most standout performance of the evening, however, was that of Skye Nöel (Andromache), who commands the attention of her audience by fully expressing the sorrows of losing a son and witnessing the death of Hecuba's youngest daughter, Polly X. She truly made the members of the audience feel her pain and brought the entire house to tears.
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