The Trojan Women is an opera based on a tragedy of the same name by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. Naturally, this being (a) a tragedy and (b) Greek, it's not going to be light entertainment - which means much wailing, gnashing of teeth and the kind of awful occurrences that aren’t merely inevitable but actually pre-ordained by a bunch of fickle ancient deities. Not for the Greek dramatists the sentimental last-minute reprieve of Hollywood 'tragedy' – this stuff does what it says on the tin. When an innocent child is condemned to death by the Greek commanders simply because of who his father was (the Trojan hero Hector, killed in combat by Achilles) and the potential future vengeance they fear from him, that's exactly what happens.

So it's a credit to the members of HWS Rembiko, the performance arts project of Los Angeles school Harvard-Westlake – the talented players, excellent orchestra, and their crew (led by composer and conductor Paul Ludden and director Antonia Carnevale) - that they translate such weighty material into a watchable and fairly accessible performance.

The story is set just after the Trojan War, the city sacked and burning, the victorious Greeks dividing up the loot – including the widowed female population of the city. The Trojan women, led by bitter Queen Hecuba (Taylor Heisley-Cook), wait to hear from reluctant herald Talthybius (Justin Kuritzkes) which of the Greek generals has claimed her as a spoil. Her daughter Cassandra (Zoe Johnson) – cursed to fortell the future but be believed by no one – is bagged by King Agamemnon, a development about which she is morbidly pleased, knowing that she is doomed to die with Agamemnon at the hands of the king’s jealous wife Clytemnestra. Things go rapidly downhill.

The performance space, the nave of an old church, is appropriately gloomy. It is well-used by the production, although the orchestra can occasionally drown out the dialogue. The production is impressive, relevant and accessible - hewn from a difficult source. It’s not a new slant on the play. When The Trojan Women was first performed way back in 415 BC, it was already intended as a commentary on contemporary atrocities. The Athenians had slaughtered the population of the island of Melos in the Peloponnesian war in the same year. This production doesn’t exactly contemporise the play's themes. Greek soldiers being dressed as black-suited, Ray-Ban-ed government thugs is the only obvious concession to modernity. But there is a briskness and lightness of touch to this production which skilfully picks out the main elements of the story. In particular, that the aftermath of war can be just as tragic and dehumanising as the conflict - if not more so.

CAST: (company's order): Taylor Heisley-Cook – Hecuba. Carolyn Berliner – Andromache. Zoe Johnson – Cassandra/Chorus. Sarah Brandon – Chorus Leader. Ava Kofman – Chorus/Dancer. Ellie Flier – Choral Soloist 1. Amanda Giuliano – Choral Soloist 2. Kat Arenella – Choral Soloist 3. Catie Williams – Choral Soloist 4. Megan Fleming – Choral Soloist 5/Dancer. Susannah Wolk – Chorus/Dancer 3/Astyanax. Maddy Sprung-Keyser – Chorus. Emily Altschul – Chorus. Natalie Karic – Chorus. Erica Carpenter – Chorus/Dancer. Justin Kuritzkes – Talthybius. Julian Hicks – Menelaus. Michael Kim – Soldier 2. Kurt Kanazawa – Soldier 3. Ellie Bensinger – Helen of Troy. Kevin Long – Poseidon/Soldier 1. Taylor Lasley – Athena/Chorus

ORCHESTRA: (company's order): Jon O’Hara – Keys. Jake Staahl – Keys #2. Benj Bellon, Jason Yang – Violin. Lauren Wood – Viola. Leon Moskatel, Michael Sunshine – Cello. Gordon Wintrob – Acoustic Bass. Ben Brahm – French Horn. Mickey Einstein, Maarten Lefor – Trumpet. Jessica Marot – Clarinet/Bass Clarinet. Garreth Anwar – Oboe/English Horn. Tanner Schrarch, Leland Cox – Flute/Piccolo. Ian Stanton – Bass Clarinet. Jack Healy – Percussion. Emi Rios – Classical Guitar.

COMPANY: (company's order): Composer/Conductor/Musical Director – Dr Paul Ludden. Director – Antonia Carnevale. Choreographer/Assistant Director – Kristi Schultz. Assisted by – Max Grey. Assistant Musical Director – Shawn Costantino. Assistant Producer – Allison Karic. Sound Design – Daniel Lundberg. Company - HWS Rembiko. http://www.rembiko.com

END

(c) Dan Geary 2007

reviewed Sunday 5 Aug 07 / Rocket @ Demarco Roxy Art House

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008