By Carol Davis
LA JOLLA, Callifornia—To quote Bertrand Russell “War does not determine who is right- only who is left”.
Imagine wandering around the world telling the same story, singing the same song for three thousand years? Now imagine how tiring it must be after pouring your heart out telling this story, this tale of woe, singing the same song only to see history repeating itself as though no one is paying attention? Finally, imagine that story/song is Homer’s The Iliad, The Trojan War that goes on and on between two great warriors-Achilles and Hector? Or closer to home, imagine it about the Revolutionary War, The Civil War or WWI, WWII, Viet Nam, or Iraq, Afghanistan?
The La Jolla Playhouse in a co-production with Berkley Repertory Theatre is staging a splendid tour de force by Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson. It is their adaptation as translated by Robert Fagles, of the ancient war of the Trojans told in a contemporary tongue and tone and performed by Henry Woronizc the lone storyteller with Peterson directing.
He first appears from a half way open metal door leading on to the stage that is cluttered with ‘stuff’ (Rachel Hauck) and carrying a beat up suitcase, wearing a worn out coat and hat (Marina Draghici) and looking exhausted. “Every time I sing this song, I hope it’s the last time”.
And so the story begins with a nod from the muses and a stern eye to the audience and for about one hundred straight minutes he tells us of how he has roamed the globe retelling his story because someone needs to remember, someone needs to bear witness not to just to these wars but to all wars that carried men from all points of the world, Nebraska, South Dakota, Memphis, San Diego, Palo Alto; “nine years like a game of tug of war, fighting and nothing to show for it… they’ve forgotten why they’re fighting”.
If I live to be a hundred and twenty, I probably would be hard pressed to re read The Iliad. Reading it in college cured me of that and I don’t say it with malice. I just would not have those books on my night stand. But seeing it from another point of view with a modern twist woven into the fabric of the poem and listening to it out loud does give one (this reviewer anyway) pause to see the world through a different set of lenses.
Most of us have been numbed by war. We see it on TV, in the papers, and in my Temple we read the names and ages of those who have perished that week in the latest conflicts so that we, as a community may say a prayer that they may rest in peace.
But according to our narrator we had to fight…the gods, of course were angered. The leader, Agamemnon took the spoils of war-this gorgeous 15-year-old Helen, Apollo’s daughter, and the Greeks had to get her back. But getting her back wasn’t as easy as it looked and so battles rage and men die and leaders hold on to their pride and their honor and war prevails. After all, one doesn’t quit in the middle.
If war is the major topic of the night, Woronicz, who takes center stage, makes a compelling case against it. By taking one of the oldest wars in history and connecting the dots (kind of) to every other war in history has to give one pause, one would hope, that countries be a little more cautious, less blasé about solving every conflict with swords and guns, cannons and bombs.
Woronicz retells the story with passion, anger, tenderness, irony, sadness and humor. The narrative seems to come easy even as he shouts out a few lines of Greek trying to remember when he first told the story and asking the muses to help him with his memory.
And about half way through the piece musician Brian Ellingsen appears in one of the aisles with his bass and manages a haunting and bold score by Mark Bennett not often seen performed on this scale. I’ve never heard such compelling music in such a short time. It brought shivers throughout and a reminder, that if war sounds like this, count me out.
If compelling theatre is in the stars for you, I give it two thumbs up.
And yes, “Imagine all the people living in peace”
See you at the theatre.
Dates: Through Sept. 9th
Organization: La Jolla Playhouse
Phone: 858-550-1010
Production Type: Performance piece
Where: 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037
Ticket Prices: Check box office
Web: lajollaplayhouse.org
Venue: Mandell Weiss Forum
*
Davis is a San Diego-based theatre critic. She may be contacted at carol.davis@sdjewishworld.com