By Mallory DeForest
When first presented the opportunity to see Women of Trachis, presented at the Classical Greek Theatre Festival, I must admit to having my trepidations. My exposure to Greek Theatre has always been fairly limited, especially since college and, being new to the Utah scene, I did not know what to expect. But at the end of my journey I found I had enjoyed an evening of well thought out and executed theatre which has continued to linger in my mind.
Women of Trachis is a Greek tragedy by Sophocles that concerns the demise of Herakles (Jarom Christopher Brown) at the accidental hands of his wife Deianeira (April Fossen). After Herakles’ many adventures away from his family, Deianeira receives word that her husband is on his way home but has sent ahead a group of women including Iole with whom he has become enamored. Deianeira, worried that she is losing her husband, sends back to him a robe covered in what she believes to be a love potion but which is in fact a horrible painful poison that maims Herakles to the point of near death. Deianeira kills herself out of remorse and Herakles begs his son, Hyllos (Jaiden Castleton) to put him in a cleansing fire and release him from his pain. Hyllos is left parentless to question the gods for failing to intervene.
While this story is full of pain and sorrow that could have been alienating, Classical Greek Theatre Festival’s production manages to be engaging and thoughtful; pulling you in, making you relate and feel for this family. Firstly, the entire production is gorgeous. There is not one moment in the play were the lighting and set (Spencer Brown), costumes (Andrea Davenport), and actors do not combine to make dynamic stage pictures. If this were a painting, every frame would be worth hanging. Combine this with the great talent of the cast all of whom deserve special note. Fossen as Deianeira and Brown as Herakles bring great gravitas to their roles. Fossen especially moved me during her discovery of her husband’s fate.
Castleton as Hyllos, Merry Magee as Nurse/Messenger, and Kaltin Kirby as Lichas/Old Man all show great depth and range of emotion, made all the more impressive as they are wearing full face masks the majority of the production. Magee especially stands out, and she and Kirby add some delightful levity to an otherwise dark story.
Lastly, there is the ubiquitous Greek chorus played by Michelle Lynn Thompston, Suni Gigliotti, Viviane Turman, Samantha Miller, and Sierra Ducharme-Hansen, who by far and away were my favorite part of the show. They manage to convey such love and tenderness for Deianeira and for each other that it gave me hope even in the midst of all the tragedy.
One of the more intriguing devices used by the chorus are their masks, which in contrast to the rest of the cast are only worn once and carried in their hands the rest of the show. This gives them an almost otherworldly presence as well as emphasizing their focus and viewpoints. Their human faces might have been looking one way, but their masked faces are seeing something else entirely.
The putting on and taking off of masks by the entire cast throughout the whole production is very specific. While I appreciated the deliberateness of this act I could not quite assign a specific significance or theme to it. Though I attribute this as a failure on my part and not on any lack of intention by the cast and director Javen Tanner. However, witnessed by my very visceral reaction to this show, I can only say that Tanner uses a deft and definite touch with Women of Trachis and affected me deeply. I can surely say, I am a convert to Greek theater.
Classical Greek Theatre Festival’s Women of Trachis has managed to linger with me hours after seeing it. I find myself still analyzing certain gestures and actions, wanting to go back in time and pick Sophocles’ brain personally. I have little doubt that some of my questions will be stuck with me for weeks to come. And in the end, there’s nothing more I could ask for from any theatre production.
Classical Greek Theatre Festival presents Women of Trachis by Sophocles, Translated by C.K. Williams and Gregory W. Dickerson
Westminster College, Jay W. Lees Courage Theatre, 1840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Sept 6-8, 13-15 7:00 PM Free Orientation Discussion, 7:30 PM Performance
$18 General Admission, $9 for full-time students (with ID), Free for Westminster students, staff, and faculty
Other performances:
- Sept 19, 2018 7:00 PM Free Orientation Discussion, 7:30 PM Performance, Wildcat Theater, Weber State University, 3848 Harrison Blvd, Ogden, UT 84403
- Sept 21, 2018 7:00 PM Free Orientation Discussion, 7:30 PM Performance Utah Cultural Celebration Amphitheater, 1355 West 3100 South, West Valley City, UT 84119
- Sept 24, 2018, 4:00 Free Orientation Discussion, 5:00 PM Performance, deJong Concert Hall, BYU, 800 E Campus Dr, Provo, UT 84602
0 Comments