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Feb. 1, 2013
A modernized Greek tragedy
United Players première a well-written, well-directed Hecuba.
TOVA G. KORNFELD
Greek antiwar playwright Euripides’ 2,500-year-old tragedy, Hecuba, has been given new life. Director Charles Siegel commissioned an adaptation of the piece from friend Nicholas Kilmer, and the United Players of Vancouver Theatre Company is presenting its world première at the Jericho Arts Centre.
There are two stories in the play, which is set in the aftermath of the mythological Trojan War. Troy has been destroyed by the Greeks, the men killed and the women taken as slaves back to Greece. The eponymous protagonist is the fallen queen of Troy, wife of the dead King Priam. En route to Greece by ship, marooned in Thrace by lack of wind, the Greeks decide to sacrifice Polyxena, the queen’s daughter, to honor their dead war hero, Achilles. The queen begs the Greek general Agamemnon for mercy, reminding him of the time she saved his life and imploring him to take her life in her daughter’s place. Her plea is rebuffed, and her daughter, in a poignant soliloquy, agrees to be sacrificed rather than live the rest of her life as a slave. She is slain on an altar in front of the Greek army.
Hecuba is grief stricken but takes comfort in the thought that she still has her son, Polydorus, who had been sent away, along with the family treasures, for safekeeping with a family friend, Polymestor. Alas, the second story begins with the news that the body of Polydorus has been found washed upon the beach – he was murdered by the greedy Polymestor. Now, Hecuba clamors for justice and revenge. Her plan is to lure with promises of additional treasure Polymestor and his young sons to the slave camp, where she will kill them with the assistance of her Trojan women (the chorus). Polymestor and sons rendezvous at the appointed place, and the boys meet their fate as their father’s eyes are gouged out. Now, it is Polymestor who, in a blinded, bloody rage, appeals for justice. The final scene is a court-like setting, where both sides plead their cases in front of Agamemnon. Particularly memorable is Hecuba’s stirring plea: “There can be no order without justice, without justice we are left with rage. I want revenge. You can call it order or justice but I call it revenge.”
Opening night of Hecuba was sold out with the added treat of playwright Kilmer in attendance. The action begins with the ghost-like figure of Polydorus proclaiming the treachery of Polymestor against the backdrop of original music scored for this production by Daniel Marshall. The set is minimalist, with a large ring of sand in the centre of the stage, symbolizing the beach where all the action takes place; the shifting sands a metaphor for the power shifts among the various players. To the side is an illuminated canvas tent, the home of the captive Trojan women. The women are all dressed in period garb, with loose, flowing robes and veils. In contrast, the warrior men appear in modern-day military fatigues equipped with army-issue weapons.
Hell hath no fury like a mother grieved and Joan Bryans is superb as Hecuba, both visually and vocally portraying the depths of her despair at her losses and her lust for revenge in this dialogue-heavy role. Veteran actors Mac Dodge (Odysseus) and Robert Ruttan (Agamemnon) give solid performances while Chris Robson as Polydorus is impressive in his furious tirade. The beauty of this play is that it brings together the energy of young actors with the experience of older ones. And the teenagers shine. Emma Lindsay is mesmerizing as the messenger; Sam Dornik, compelling as Polydorus; and Matreya Scarrwener, a touching Polyxena, who walks to her death with grace and style. Jewish community members Jonah and Amitai Heyl play Polymestor’s sons and, although their roles are without dialogue, they are absolutely adorable in their identical outfits. Barbara Ellison, Julia Henderson and Vanessa Coley-Donahue, as the omnipresent chorus, and Jake Anthony, as the silent Guard, round out the cast. As an aside, the gory bits are all done off stage so the faint-hearted need not worry.
At intermission, Kilmer was available for a quick word about the play. He noted, “I tried to stay true to the original Greek version but I also wanted to update it to bring it closer to modern language. I did not want the language issue to overpower the real story.” To that end, he was highly successful. The text is crisp and clean and easy to understand.
Siegel’s vision is based on an intelligent updating of an old story. Humanity continues to grapple with the morality of revenge and where it fits into our sense of justice. Siegel, in his director’s notes, points this out: “The questions raised are ones we still have not answered,” he writes. “The play contains extended discussion about the place where politics and religion and basic human values intersect and these discussions could be part of a current election cycle, and yet it is 2,500 years ago.”
Hecuba runs Thursday-Sunday until Feb. 16, at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinée on Feb. 17. For tickets and more information, visit unitedplayers.com or call 604-224-8007, ext. 2.
Tova G. Kornfeld is a Vancouver freelance writer and lawyer.
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