UCC theatre salutes strong women!
2/10/2009
This year’s UCC/BSS classical play is Euripides’ tragedy,
Trojan Women, February 25–28 in the David Chu Theatre. The play takes place in the aftermath of war and concerns extraordinary loss and suffering; it has often been interpreted as a commentary on the effect of violent conflict.
Trojan Women addresses the injustices committed against women in particular; yet in the cauldron of such injustice the strength of Trojan women arises.
We sat down with two of the play’s three directors, UCC Science teacher Michele Baron, and English / Drama teacher Gillian Levene. We offer you a backstage, in-depth discussion about the production’s ideas, their own professional experience and passion for the material, and what "strength" means to them.
Tell us something about yourself?
GL: I have worked not only as a teacher, but also as a social worker and theatre professional. These experiences have taught me that being a “strong person” comes from the type of community one is in — friends, family, peers, mentors and heroes.
One of my greatest honours has been to work with kids who struggled with self-confidence and self-awareness. These kids taught me that inner strength is a process; it can be an art, it is often a challenge, and it is a constant conversation. They solidified my understanding that we are strong not because of our outside build, our popularity or our financial status. We are — or rather, we become — strong individuals because of the well of resources and empathy we, and others, nourish every day.
Putting on a show similarly demands that members of an ensemble employ this “well” to turn all their weaknesses into strengths, overcome their fears, and rally in support of each other.
MB: Strength is a journey rather than an endowment and each journey is unique. My journey so far has included medicine, biophysics, mathematics and the arts.
For me, this play distils many of my own life’s moments into one powerful experience. Our production has drawn on the collective journeys of each person involved as we have peeled away the layers of the text and each actor has worked through the development of his or her character.
Why a Greek tragedy?
GL: Greek culture, much like our own, questioned how nature worked, how society
should work, and man’s role in the scheme of things. Tragedy was the poets’ answer to some of these questions, such as: How should one behave? How can one accept the injustices of life? What is the price of hubris?
This dramatic form urges the audience to consider, reconsider, and reflect on the human truths that bind us, the connections we share as world citizens, and the questions that urge us to fight for peace, tolerance, and civility.
A Greek tragedy offers a glimpse into the horror of a world burned by war and the destruction of civil liberties; in this world, art cannot flourish, lovers cannot unite, and families cannot survive. In our day and age, such glimpses can help us probe and better understand our contemporary struggles.
What attracted you to this script?
GL: Part of our attraction to this playwright stems from the fact that Euripides’ plays were not about Gods or royalty, but real people, and illustrated the reality of war.
Euripides’
Trojan Women is unique in many ways. It is challenging to produce well, it demands a great deal of its performers, and it requires a keen understanding of how to communicate the real story at times hidden beneath the dense dialogue.
The benefit of attempting this play is the communication of a tale also unique in its woe and warning — a tale of the ultimate cost of war. In this work, Euripides manages to crystallize and distil the consequence of war in the laments and devastations of the Trojan women. Herein, Euripides revisits and further exposes the pain and suffering illuminated in other classical works, such as
Medea,
The Oresteia,
Antigone and
Oedipus Rex. Euripides adopts the questions pertaining to fate, fortune, human will and divine intervention and pushes respective answers to the brink.
Tell us something about the students involved in the project.
GL: Those involved in this production are committed performers and students of theatre arts. Coming from both UCC and BSS, these students have demonstrated amazing resilience and diligence. They have all participated in a lengthy and thorough rehearsal schedule that began in October 2008. The
Trojan script requires that the ensemble really commit to understanding the text and creating novel means of brining the drama to life.
Each student has worked through certain unique challenges. The Chorus, for instance, has rehearsed tirelessly to function as both a seamless unit (for instance, when delivering choral odes) and as individual characters with their own personalities and performance styles. Other students have had to navigate the challenges of being on stage throughout the duration of the performance; appearing for a brief time (but with extensive dialogue); and working with the challenge of spatial distance, that is, acting outside of the main playing stage. The students have done an incredible job of approaching such tasks, and have shown a commitment to working through ideas, collaborating on creative blocking, and being open to new and challenging ideas.
MB: The cast is an exciting mix of seasoned performers and those new to the art. Regardless of experience, every actor brings their all to every rehearsal and, hopefully, leaves every rehearsal with something new to claim as their own. There have been many times over the last months that I have been moved to tears by these young actors’ portrayals. The final result is at once complex and insightful, brutal and tender, compelling and disturbing, elegant and sophisticated.
So much goes on behind the scenes. We have an extremely professional and dedicated team of technical wizards — veterans as well as newcomers — to make the magic happen. Lights! Sound! Costumes! And then there is the physical set itself. This set has been both a challenge and a joy from its very humble beginnings last August to the finished product. In the end, it is our talented stage crew that has brought the set to life.
Tickets will be on sale from February 16 in the Creativity Centre at UCC. Contact Dale Churchward at
dchurchward@ucc.on.ca or 416-488-1125, ext. 3339 with any questions.
Little Theatre Reunion
The UCC Association together with the Little Theatre Program invite you for a special reception for Little Theatre Alumni & friends, following
Trojan Women on February 26th. The cast and crew will join us and there will be refreshments and goodies, along with a variety of archival displays for everyone to enjoy.
Click here to learn more and purchase tickets.