Pitting endless tragedy against everlasting hope, measuring the importance of loyalty for the living and for the dead, and demonstrating how even the powerless have strength: UVic’s Phoenix Theatre’s cast and creative team have reincarnated Trojan Women to its proper contemporary form. The play proves not only the severity of women’s struggles after war, but also their prevalence.
Directed by Jan Wood, and written around 2500 years ago by Euripides in Ancient Greece, Trojan Women is a tragedy to reflect the unsung: the true victims of war. Set after the Trojan War and the Greeks’ slaughter of the Romans, the story has come to life once more on stage thanks to the students at UVic.
From the outset, we are presented with a strong representation of Poseidon dressed in modern-day clothing, played wonderfully by Brendan Elwell, who captures the essence of the God’s power and will. Although the entire cast of Trojan Women are superb, the show is stolen by the female lead, Hecuba, played by Sarah Hunsberger. Hunsberger’s performance is surreal, as she displays both the pain and suffering of not only her character but also the body of a much larger entity.
Through dialogues, monologues, and on-set pyrotechnics, the show brings the audience to a place and time where our concerns, our phones, and our lives do not exist. Truly an evening one will not forget, the theatre is more than a screen; it is a portal that transports the audience into the narrative.
The set and the reception afterwards deserve applause as well, for every detail of the production—even the kind staff and the university’s territorial acknowledgment—provide a warm and welcoming display for any and all who wish to partake in an escape from the movie screen to a serene experience.
Trojan Women
Various times, Until Sunday, February 23
Various prices, UVic Phoenix Theatre
uvic.ca/finearts/theatre/mainstage