Reviewed by Amy M. Frateo

Updating Shakespeare has been around for decades. Whether it’s putting Hamlet in a suit or writing a new script with an old message or adding a musical score, retelling the Bard’s work is pretty common – unless you’re Genesis Repertory. This group “holds a mirror up to nature” and takes Shakespearean text and collides it into new locations and time with a bang. Their locally-infused NC-17 Romeo & Juliet has a Russian Romeo sneaking into a private party and meeting Palestinian Juliet. Sparks fly – literally.

The play opens with a film sequence depicting the supporting characters feuding along Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst before the lights come up – not on the stage – but right next to the audience’s heads as Muslim and Russians, Italians and Irish, battle it out over a word and a gesture. Agile actors fling over audiences heads, curses in old Englishe, Russian, and Arabic are heard, and police come to break up the (literally) bloody fray. And that’s the first five minutes.

Mary Elizabeth MiCari’s in-your-face interpretation puts the play literally in our laps, we know these characters are real – we feel them breathing – until they stop… breathing – right in front of us. She packed on the grit in this production, presenting realism starting at the top: the two titular teens are played by two teens! Nelson Gonzalez was engrossing and superb as a sharp-tongued Romeo, a punk spoiled by his immigrant parents (a thuggish Russian-accented Jay Michaels and a comedic Jewish mother, Kristin O’Blessin) hanging with cousin, Benvolio (Anna Frankl-Duval) and her two boyfriends (John Stillwaggon as Mercutio and Kevin Sheynerman as a new character called Vanechka). Frankl-Duval’s Benvolio was a well-meaning soul trapped in the downward spiral of the family feud, Shaynerman’s Vanechka was an anchoring force allowing us to see the wildness through quiet eyes and Stillwaggon did true justice to Mercutio. Here, one of Shakespeare’s favorite characters became a wild neighborhood guy behaving far too badly to get attention. Stillwaggon, while excellent in the comedic moments, was also powerful in the deeper sections, especially during a stirring “Queen Mab” sequence complete with music and imagery. Rounding Romeo’s crew was guest artist Francis Callahan as the local priest. Callahan gives us much-needed subtlety and efficiency of word as the local cleric. Ironically, a Jewish Romeo might spend more time in the Catholic community center so the choice to not alter the religion of the role shows MiCari’s deft understanding of neighbor mores.

The Capulet’s side was equally well-played. Aileen Lanni’s Juliet had brains – a teen with a plan. This unique choice – if anything – enhanced the tragedy. Her brisk delivery and high voice made us laugh in Act I and weep for and with her in Act II. The Capulet family was a true well-oiled machine. Robert Aloi’s superb Capulet was – in good spirits – vaudeville in manner, while his dark side was chilling and, when directed at Juliet, almost too harsh to watch. As Lady Capulet, Lisa Tosti was thoroughly marvelous. A focal point in every scene, Tosti’s mastery of the Shakespeare and the Arabic was brilliant and her restrained emotion and subtext were to be savored with every word. Courteney Lynn Wilds played the Nurse like a grand dam, laugh and wailing, striking melodramatic poses even just to sit. Like Lanni, this proved to give us a joyous Act I and heart-wrenching Act II. Capulet kith and kin included Louis Tullo’s Paris, clear and crisp of voice and learned in his text; Mohammed Saad Ali, John Karcher, and Christopher Sirota (displaying genuine comic timing) gave rich performances and worked well in support; and finally, Miguel Angel Sierra as the captain of cats, Tybalt, moved like a dancer, made every breath a story, and doled out strong portions of rage. The climatic fight sequence between him and Stillwaggon was worth the price of admission alone.

Callahan shared religious duties with a new character called The Imam played beautifully by Lorenzo Valoy. He imbued this character with wisdom and proved perfect chemistry in a pivotal confessional scene with Friar Lawrence. The local royalty became the local law played by Eric Fitzgerald and Theresa Chow; and Jennifer Stella made the Apothecary an honest pharmacist.

Additionally Tara Abyssinia-Klang as – are you ready – a belly dancer rented for the Capulet’s party and Basem Esa as a robbery victim allowed us to see a whole neighborhood.

Precision fight choreography headed by Lisa Tosti, clever film sequences by Jay Michaels and Christopher Sirota and a stirring musical soundtrack prepared by Mary Elizabeth MiCari placed us firmly in present day.

Romeo & Juliet is exciting and fast-moving. It plays until May 22 and at $15 a ticket, not attending would be – well – tragic.

I hear they’re doing Hamlet next.

Yelp and Nightlife columnist, Natasha Dawsen, will take over the reigns of
Drama-queens.net.

Our entertainment webzine, initially started as a forum for art and culture events in Queens and Long Island but before long, requests came in from all five boroughs and Westchester to cover events, was on hiatus due to staffing issues. Happily, those issues are resolved with the entrance of Natasha Dawsen.

Normally an independent writer for music and theater periodicals, Ms. Dawsen is thrilled to be taking the reigns of our little ‘zine.

“I’ve been looking for a place to write regularly but still get creative input from a team - and along came Sue and Drama-queens, let’s get started!”
says the 27-year-old media professional. “I hope we can not only tell the stories but link to other places cross-promoting events as well as each other.”

From all of us… welcome aboard.

Sue Parker

Reviewed by Amy M. Frateo

Agatha Christie is arguably one of the finest mystery writers of our time. She has given us intricate plots and twists that always leave them gasping … if not screaming… on stage and in the audience. Narrows Community Theatre delivered just such a scream/laugh/gasp night with its version of Christie’s “And Then There Were None.” How PC of them to NOT call it “Ten Little Indians” and to have the famed rhyme be ten soldier boys.

First a bravo is to be given to the 35+ year-old company for delivering a classic drama when so many companies of its ilk stick to all tuners for their season.
The next bravo is to director George Ferencz for bringing a generally brisk (act one plodded just a bit) paced night of murder and mayhem and for some nice stage pictures.

The plot is all too well-known: bunch of pedestrian ne’er-do-wells invited to a lonely island where they are picked-off according to a nursery rhyme (of course kids are warped with rhymes like “ten little soldier boys” and “rock-a-bye baby”). The fun is in the condemned company’s reactions and deductions.

Toshi Nakayama & Anne Govin as the Itos, the manor’s faithful retainers played it camp thus lighting the mood and setting us up for intermittent laughs. The parts seemed written for older actors as the reactions (such as Mr. Ito’s decision to keep working after his wife is found murdered) seemed meant for those of another era. This made it hard for Nakayama & Govin to come across as real as the other characters but the two supplied a nice humorous set-up for the story. Equally camp was Rob Aloi as the bumbling seaman escorting the guests to their doom. Aloi’s bug-eyed glances and bugs bunny style exits again harkened back to a campier time.
The lovers – and there has to be at least one pair – were played commandingly by Dain Alexandra & William Doyle. Here we have solid murder-mystery characterizations complete with blunt honesty from the heroic Doyle and damsel-in-distress jitters from Alexandra. Their characters were sturdy enough to make them visible even in the background.

As Marston, the weaselly wise-guy, Rocco Buonpane was really excellent. Tough-guy tones and ugly jacket, Buonpane turned the camp to gallows humor and – as the first to suffer at the hands of the mysterious killer, Mr. U.N. Owen (or unknown) – set the pace nicely for the rest of the night.

It is the first rule of the murder play that each death must be rationalized as to prepare the audience in a Greek tragedy sort of way. This production gave us twists and turns allowing us to usher each victim to their deaths. David Forsyth as the in-disguise private detective commanded the stage. He came out strong giving us a hard-bitten cop on a case but showed his cowardly side by the third act; Ted Lewis as the grief-stricken military man added a new twist by making him shell-shocked, creating a wild mad-scene for him; Dawn Barry gave a us a Hitchcockian Mrs. Brent complete with bible-belting solo all to cover her evil heart; Larry Gutman’s Dr. Armstrong was the tensest nerve specialist you will ever meet, complete with his own mad-scene done under great mood lighting of practical lights and candles; and Al Whidden’s soft-spoken almost timid Judge Wargrave masked a powerful revelation in latter moments. Whidden’s presence was solid and compelling, and the scenes with him, Doyle and Alexandra were the best of the night.

The set was a bit big for the stage impeding some of the company’s movement; the lighting, when sparse was terrific, but lost the atmosphere when up to full; the costumes implied a modernized production but did not root us exactly where, which was most likely intentional, giving us an unconfined vantage to identify.

The title of community theatre has taken a beating over the last generation or so. Happily, NCT brings us back to it’s real meaning: quality theatre and affordable prices for the cultural betterment of the community. After seeing this production and their rousing “Music Man” last season, the community is certainly better for their presence.

by Mitchell S. Liegh
So here’s the pitch: Max and Leo want to put on an opera. They need money so they call a gangster type to front them the bucks. He wants his two molls to be the stars. One is a tough chick covering her rough edges in furs, diamonds and phony accents, the other is a blonde glittery bimbo with plenty of chest … voice. No, this is not The Producers 2: Deep Throat Culture, this is The Bronx Opera’s 40th anniversary send-up of itself in the form of Mozart’s quickie romp, The Impresario. The production, under the direction of Ben Spierman, hands us a Carol Burnett sketch with perfect pitch. Ed Friedman and Mathew Rzomp play a Bialystock & Bloom of the classical circuit complete with sharp to-the-audience quibs by Friedman followed by high-pitched exclamations and innuendos by Rzomp. It is a tribute to the actors that the oldest of jokes seemed perfect in this setting. The boys were almost outshined by a terrific performance by Gary Giardina as the corporate capo with a taste for the sopranos – pardon the pun. And as the sopranos: two excellent actresses with really impressive pipes. Katherine Wessinger teased the audience more than her hair with her dumb-blonde take on the second mistress wowing them with her lovely voice, but Nicole Lee Aiossa wins the night as the grande dam of the opera complete with rapid-fire delivery and a genuinely beautiful and enthralling voice.

The back stage set seemed too bare and would have been helped if maybe we saw the lighting instruments thereby making the excellent lighting seem part of the action.

Laugh at all the demeaning comments made in the translation (also by Spierman) about The Bronx Opera and then go home and think about it. Clever very clever.

The second of the double bill was Pagliacci, utilizing the stage wonderfully as the theatre was transformed into a band shell somewhere in a borough park. The story of Pagliacci, which comes straight from a police desk blotter as the playbill synopsis implies, fitting perfectly into the modernized translation. A few moments of suspension of disbelief are needed but nothing that stops the enjoyment or the story.

This highly recognizable opera tells us of a commedia style theatre troupe and the lead performer’s discovery of his cheating wife. The eventual accusation and grim finale is played out “on stage” during one of the free shows. Considering its era and its “ripped from the headlines” nature, it seems to fit with France’s Grand Guignol of the same era.

Roger Ohlsen delivers a terrific performance as the clown with the broken heart. His rendition of the opera’s famed aria was breathtaking.  Matthew Rzomp returns and stands out in this piece in the somewhat thankless role of Beppe; Jenny Searles and Jeremy Moore played the conspiring lovers brilliantly. Moore’s inner character life made his presence undeniable, even when skulking in the background. Jerett Gieseler opened the show for us and then became the undesirable Tonio filled with leers and shifty-eyed glances.

The company double-casts its works and word is the standouts of the other cast are Kirsten Chambers as Nedda, the unfaithful spouse, and Juan Jose Ibarra as the damaged Tonio. Accolades on the entire production were made but special mention goes to these two.

The production scheme implies that this company brings gorgeous works to those who cannot normally afford to see them… and they are beloved for it. Cry at the pagliacco’s pain, and then go home and think about it. Clever very clever.

The Narrows Community Theatre’s production of the grand old musical was a sweet trip down theatrical memory lane.

Director J. Michaels paints for us a Norman Rockwell style picture complete with angel faced bad boys chasing precocious ribbon wearing girls while round faced townsfolk look on in bewilderment. Just like a good Rockwell, he added deep-in-the-heart subplots and his own healthy dash of slapstick physical humor. He does this all with a cast of over 40 people … and does this beautifully.

The play opens with a countrified Greek chorus of traveling salesmen who in a dizzying patter piece done acapella tell not only the story that is about to unfold but also how the world is now changing in this new (20th) century. The irony is if you listen closely, and change Biscuits to TV and Ford Model Ts to ipod and iphones, the parable might evoke what we are feeling now in this new (21st) century. The curtains swing open fiercely to reveal a singing dancing town of stubborn Iowans who are about to have their world turned upside down by the presence of a two-bit symbol salesman who plans on selling them music they don’t need. The titular role of Professor Harold Hill – the “music man” – was played to perfection by John Stillwaggon. Breaking the mode of the dark-haired stranger and replacing it with a sharpie with movie star countenance, Stillwaggon presents a very real Harold Hill whose mercenary demeanor is covered by an irresistible well-planned charm. The second act’s change in character for Hill is a subtle transformation that is totally believable. His love-interest is Marion the Librarian played by the operatic voiced Megan Taylor. She proves a perfect foil to the greedy train traveller as Taylor presents a sadder wiser Marion in public but whose attempt at holding on to her dreams is at times heartwarming and heartbreaking. Michael Ruocco as Hill’s on-again off-again accomplice in crime, Marcellus, is pure comic joy. All arms and legs, Ruocco evokes the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz – delightfully dimwitted while worldly-wise all along.

Hill’s targets are all terrific rural style characters: Denise Higgins-Regan hands us a clever Mrs. Paroo filled with Ethel Merman vigor and Mary Martin charm; Cliff Hesse’s Mayor Shinn looked and sounded like the best of Gilbert and Sullivan, hoisting malapropos and turning red thereafter; Claudia Gilchrist’s Mrs. Shinn was far more ladylike thus her transition at the end that much more exciting and Mike Raymond and Michelle Rabbani glide across the stage as an enjoyable MGM musical couple as Tommy and Zaneeta. Mike Whalen, Dustin Cross, Chris Robin, and Eric Pratt are truly hilarious as the singing school board. Whalen as the over the top high tenor was wildly funny while the silliness of Cross and Pratt was cued up by Robin’s befuddled round face. And out of the mouths of babies often come gems with exuberant Timothy Sundholm’s Winthrop stealing many a scene from all except Allison-Frances Johnson as Amaryllis whose flare for comedy was evident. (The second weekend brought Griffin Brackley to the stage as Winthrop. Brackley gave us depth and charm and talent far beyond his years).

The Pick-A-Little Ladies lead by Ann Gubbiotti and the agile Bieje Chapman were a perfect comedic bird complete with Chareen Meeks fanning tail; and Bryan Sotomayor as Charlie Cowell reminded us of every villain from every Charlie Chaplin movie complete with thick beard make-up and bowler hat.

The massive ensemble seemed to be having great fun running and double-taking through some of musical theatre’s most beloved tunes including a show-stopping “Trouble in River City” which – sincerely – is the best I have seen of this number; and the parade of children dancing in unison is a great tribute to choreographer Michael Fascianella, who supplied some truly joyous moves. Musical directors Kristen Rosenfeld and Chris Kong (who played and conducted the show) brought out the best in this huge complement of people. Assistant directors Eric Fitzgerald (who designed, built, and even executed the Saturday Evening Post cover set and scene changes) and Sarah “Sam” Pincus (omnipresent in the dance numbers, undoubtedly as an unofficial dance captain) are to be congratulated for being an integral part and not just unknown back-up. The stage was awash in hats and feathers and bows, collars and watches and vests, all thanks to some truly amazing work by Marialana Ardolino, Kathryn Stein, and Sona Sood, and Denise Higgins-Regan. Adding to this were actual trombones through a fine ensemble of musicians (including Jeff Arzberger, Walter Birkhold, Ryan King, and Min Ho Shin).

At the final scene (don’t read this if you don’t know the ending by now) as the River City parents were poised to congratulate and photograph their children’s attempt at music, the townsfolk of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, each raised their cameras to snap a moment of their own kids, friends, and family. And with that, the message of the play was clear: happiness has its own tune that so few can truly hear … unless they listen with an open heart. River City heard it. Bay Ridge apparently did too.

Narrows Community Theatre presents a full season of productions at the lovely Theatre at St. Patrick’s. Bay Ridge is a bit of a schlep but with ticket prices criminally cheap and free parking, it’s worth the Belt Parkway or a ride on the R, which, like the number 8 at River City junction was late again… or was it early.

ROMEO AND JULIET…JERUSALEM

Genesis Repertory Ensemble

by Amy M. Frateo

Greek Cultural Center Astoria, Queens, NY

Cast: Michael Raver, Josh Silverman, Tania Asnes, Sarah Hankins, Justin Maruri, Mary Elizabeth MiCari, J Michaels, Raphael Kasen, Alex Moshofsky, Adam Gutbezahl, Shawn Watson, Mary Riley, Jennifer Gelber, Kenneth L. Naanep, Brittany Bellizeare, Carissa Cordes, Jason Cutler, Shaun Orbin, Sarah Leigh Orbin, and Dianna Lora and Ronnie Shumake. Direction by Mary Elizabeth MiCari & J Michaels. Translation & traditions within the production managed by Mimi Asnes and Nesreen Mahmoud. Set and costumes uncredited, and Rob Nguyen on lighting design. Eric Fitzgerald was stage manager.

This production boasts a topical production scheme and double-casting in the pivotal roles. I made sure to see both casts of this dynamic production and I was not sorry. If you missed this show I am sorry for you! Genesis which has a long history of bringing the classics to us in creative and cutting edge ways has done it again. This Romeo and Juliet touched me in ways other versions of the show never have.

Seeing Juliet in traditional Palestinian garb as well as all the Capulets in like-garb rooted me exactly where I needed to be. Not to mention the snippets of Arabic and Hebrew as well as a little Yiddish here and there. What a wonderful directing team Ms. MiCari and Mr. Michaels are. The show is well cast, well staged and flies by with few hitches. It hits hard where it needs to, teaches it’s lesson through laughter, love, and – of course - tragedy. Bravo.

Costumes are well done with women wearing veils and men in both traditional and modern dress. They made sense to me and quickly explained the person wearing them. I saw the set consisting of rubble and curtains and understood exactly where I was. The sound (also credited to Ms. MiCari) was well done and her choice of music added to the mood in exactly the right way, both educating us and gently nudging our emotions where she wanted us to go. The lighting by Rob Nguyen does well to highlight and add to the production. It was easy to see he created something special with little to work with.

The show starts with a very funny Sampson (Jason Cutler), a scowling man spewing Arabic at a young Israeli soldier named Hannah (Carissa Cordes) who spews Hebrew right back at him. This set up the idea that neither side could agree – because neither side took the time to understand the other. Their brief exchange and subsequent battle (choreographed with great energy by Douglas Castillo) showed me that I was in for a great night in the theater.

Mr. Cutler found miraculous depth in the small part of Sampson. It was a pleasure to watch him throughout the show and to see the darkness in him grow. Ms. Cordes as Hannah had the hardest part in the play. She remains on stage the entire production, reacting right with us. Greatly focused and powerful acting. Raphael Kasen played Benvolio, Romeo’s religious friend with great joy! He captured not only the pathos and intelligence of the character but also achieved much more as an Hassidic scholar with Hebrew and with great understanding of the culture. Adam Gutbezahl as Tybalt, was powerful and very believable. He actually did become the “king of cats” for me. Shawn Watson (credited with providing the authentic properties) as Lord Capulet is a huge and powerful actor with a great voice. He has an ominous presence. Mary Riley as Lady Capulet outfitted in full traditional Islamic garments was centered and made a small part usually overlooked an integral part of this production. Jennifer Gelber and Robert Liebowitz played Lady and Lord Capulet with honesty and integrity. My heart really broke for them at the end of the play as they prayed in Hebrew over the body of their dead son Romeo. Justin Maruri as Mercutio was at first an interesting character to watch as the angry Israeli soldier intent on protecting Romeo at all costs, however he played the anger too much too soon and his performance lost steam. His choice to play that one note left me dry when it came time for his – what should be – sad death. His Queen Mab soliloquy (which is usually a highlight) was rambling, without focus, and boring. He might have been over his head. Kenneth L. Naanep as Paris added an interesting spin on the character. Paris is usually overlooked…. but not in this production. He was funny and evil and great to watch. Brittany Bellizeare as the Princess was great. Powerful and beautiful, this actress is one to watch. Shaun S. Orbin added great humor as an assassin and Sara Leigh Orbin provided interesting work as a reporter viewing the tragedy. Diana Lora doubled roles as the apothecary and an unnamed Arab woman and Ronnie Shumake was funny as the confused cleric charged with the dangerous union of lovers. J Michaels as what seemed like Rabbi Lawrence was a treat. He was by turns funny and sad and dark. His was one of the greatest departures from the original text as an herbalist who smokes those herbs! What began as a comic relief built into a dark portrayal. I enjoyed it very much. Mary Elizabeth MiCari as the Nurse was a highlight. She captured the humor of the part (which is still sometimes played by men) yet made us totally believe she was an ostracized Palestinian woman. Her Arabic language, beaten-back posture, and accent all added to that for me. This is by far the most fleshed-out character on the stage and the most accomplished performance.

I saw both casts of this production so I will review each Romeo and Juliet team.

I saw Josh Silverman as Romeo with Tania Asnes as Juliet. Mr. Silverman was a bit over his head in this role. I understood the casting decision as he looked so much like a young Jewish boy in puppy dog love. He seemed a bit stiff and a little too controlled for this type of character however. Although I liked that his Romeo was intellectual rather than emotional I think he missed the mark in some scenes. That being said, I do think that he gave a well studied performance. I truly felt for him in his death scene.

Ms. Asnes, tiny but powerful was a smart and centered Juliet. A lady with a wicked sense of humor. I really felt the modernization of this character in Ms. Asnes who capitalized on Juliet’s intelligence rather than her innocence. With these two at the helm I laughed much and cried very much. I was touched by them as a team.

When next I returned to the theater I saw Michael Raver and Sarah Hankins as Romeo and Juliet. This was quite the different pairing . Mr. Raver is a beautiful man with large sad eyes and a sad demeanor. However, he gave away the story and telegraphed his destruction from the first moment he stepped on stage. With Mr. Raver as Romeo I felt pushed along. He seemed to be pushing himself. He seemed distracted, overly emotional and unsteady on the stage. There were moments of brilliance but not enough to sustain me. He seemed to be acting for himself and left the rest of the audience out. There were times I could barely understand him. However, his work with his Juliet, Sarah Hankins, was nicely done. They seemed to really have a relationship which was real and believable. Ms. Hankins (although a bit too old for the role) was a joy. She is full of energy and lightness which only made the tragedy greater in the end. Ms. Hankins has great command of the language and moves like a dancer. I do think she might be better suited for comedy but she was a joy to watch. Mr. Raver and Ms. Hankins captured the impetuousness of youth and their death scenes and love scenes were unusual and fresh.

It was interesting to watch the cast change and mold to the lead actors. It was like watching two different plays and a great pleasure.

This was Genesis Repertory’s attempt at moving work into the Astoria community and for that task they chose the Greek Cultural Center. This black-box lookalike in odd space that could barely hold this dynamic ensemble. Tucked in a side street of a side street, it would probably have been a great success in the 50s and 60s but in the 21^st Century it looked a bit out-of-place. If it was trying to be retro, I think it would be a bigger attraction in a neighborhood that has little to no theatre but it seemed to suffer from neglect. When told that the building was slated for demolition due to commercial needs, this reviewer was none too surprised. It is a slice of the past that is not trying to move with the times.

Here’s to Genesis finding a larger more dynamic home and bringing work like this to a borough thirsty for theatre. Great job by all. When Genesis does another show I will be there.

]]> http://drama-queens.net/?feed=rss2&p=9 http://drama-queens.net/?p=4 http://drama-queens.net/?p=4#comments Thu, 07 Dec 2006 20:43:04 +0000 Sue Parker http://drama-queens.net/?p=4 “Trojan Women is a rare experience which should not be missed. It is a chance to see and hear an example of Greek drama done in its original tongue. This makes an already masterful work even more compelling.” … Professor J Michaels, Kingsborough College

“The depth of feeling within the performances were extraordinary — and some of the finest I have seen. The emotion transcends the language. There were so many moments when I did not need the super titles.” … Mary Elizabeth MiCari, staff member of Lincoln Center’s “Light in the Piazza”

“As an author, I was so impressed with the Greek Cultural Center’s respect for the language of the text. They understand theatre and its origins.” … Robert Liebowitz, published & produced playwright.

“Whoever destroys what man holds sacred and holy, only destroys oneself.”
Join the Greek Cultural Center for the stirring final performances of
Euripides’ TROJAN WOMEN
In its original language with English super-titles for the general audience!

LAST SIX PERFORMANCES
December 9, 10, 11 and 15, 16, 17
Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm
Sundays at 7pm Greek Cultural Center
27-18 Hoyt Ave South

A riveting anti-war play, this work contains a message that transcends time: The consequences of war, regardless of its causes, are devastating to conquerors and conquered alike. The tragedy takes us on the shores of Troy, while the Achaeans are preparing to leave after their ten year ‘victorious’ expedition against the Trojans. The women of Troy – among them Hecuba, Cassandra, and Andromache – await their deportment as slaves. As news of further catastrophes reach Hecuba, she is helpless as her remaining children are being carried off to their ill fates. She remains the last woman standing on the shores of Troy, once a Queen, and now, a slave.

“One sees images of holocausts past and present in this powerful work – from the Nazis to Darfur. A very daring work of art!” … Sue Parker

Admission: $20 - Seniors/Students/Children $15. For more information and reservations please contact the Greek Cultural Center at 718-726-7329 or e-mail reservations@greekculturalcenter.org
Details at www.greekculturalcenter.org