THE WOOSTER GROUP CRY, TROJANS! (Troilus & Cressida) FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 1 | 8:30pm MARCH 2 | 3:00pm MARCH 4 – MARCH 8 | 8:30pm MARCH 9 | 3:00pm presented by REDCAT Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater California Institute of the Arts THE WOOSTER GROUP CRY, TROJANS! (Troilus & Cressida) Text by William Shakespeare With Ari Fliakos, Jennifer Lim, Greg Mehrten, Suzzy Roche, Andrew Schneider, Scott Shepherd, Casey Spooner, Kate Valk, and Gary Wilmes Directed by Elizabeth LeCompte Set Elements, Props, Costumes: Folkert de Jong, Delphine Courtillot Sound: Bruce Odland Live Sound Mix: Bobby McElver, Max Bernstein Lighting: Jennifer Tipton Video, Projections, Control Interfaces: Andrew Schneider Stage Manager: Teresa Hartmann Assistant Director: Jamie Poskin Assistant Costumes: Enver Chakartash Assistant Lighting: Ryan Seelig Wardrobe, Make-up: Naomi Raddatz Production Manager: Emily Rea Technical Director: Bill Kennedy Touring Technical Director: Eric Dyer Video Totems: Ruud van den Akker, Aron Deyo Sound Consultant: Jim Dawson Producer: Cynthia Hedstrom General Manager: Sandra Garner Development: Leanne Mella Marketing: Mike Farry Archivist: Clay Hapaz Video Dailies: Zbigniew Bzymek, Juliet Lashinsky-Revene, James Allister Sprang CRY, TROJANS! (Troilus & Cressida) began as a collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company. That production, titled TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, was commissioned by the RSC for the World Shakespeare Festival, part of the London 2012 Olympics Festival. Partial credits for the original production: For the RSC: Director: Mark Ravenhill. Cast: Joe Dixon, Scott Handy, Aidan Kelly, Clifford Samuel, Zubin Varla, Danny Webb. Scenic Design/Costume Design: Laura Hopkins. Lights: Nigel Edwards. Music: Dave Price. Associate Director/Movement Director: Jane Gibson. Stage Manager: Paul Sawtell. For the Wooster Group: Director: Elizabeth LeCompte. Cast: Zbigniew Bzymek, Jibz Cameron, Ari Fliakos, Marin Ireland, Jennifer Lim, Bobby McElver, Greg Mehrten, Bruce Odland, Andrew Schneider, Scott Shepherd, Gary Wilmes. Props and Costume Design: Studio Folkert de Jong with Delphine Courtillot. Music Director: Bruce Odland. Associate Director: Kate Valk. Production Manager: Bozkurt Karasu. Stage Manager: Teresa Hartmann. Assistant Costumes: Enver Chakartash. For complete credits, visit www.thewoostergroup.org/troilus. DIRECTOR’S NOTE In 2012 we performed TROILUS AND CRESSIDA in London with the Royal Shakespeare Company. They played the Greeks and we played the Trojans. We have reworked that production into our own piece, CRY, TROJANS!, telling the story from the Trojan point of view. To portray the Greeks, we wear masks and imitate the British performances from a recording of the London production. –Elizabeth LeCompte Who’s who in the cast TROJANS in order of appearance Troilus, son of Priam........................................................................ Scott Shepherd Pandarus, Cressida’s uncle ............................................................. Greg Mehrten Varlet, a servant ............................................................................. Ari Fliakos Aeneas, a Trojan commander ............................................................... Andrew Schneider Cressida, Calchas’ daughter ........................................................... Kate Valk Antenor, a Trojan commander ........................................................ Casey Spooner Hector, eldest son of Priam and the greatest Trojan warrior ........... Ari Fliakos Paris, son of Priam .......................................................................... Gary Wilmes Helenus, son of Priam ..................................................................... Bobby McElver Priam, King of Troy ................................................................................. Greg Mehrten Cassandra, Priam’s daughter and a prophetess ............................... Suzzy Roche Musician ......................................................................................... Max Bernstein Calchas, Cressida’s father and a defector to the Greeks .................. Scott Shepherd Andromache, Hector’s wife ............................................................. Jennifer Lim GREEKS (in masks) in order of appearance Agamemnon, general commander of the Greeks ............................. Scott Shepherd Helen, a Greek queen living with Paris in Troy .................................. Kate Valk, Scott Shepherd, Andrew Schneider Diomedes, a Greek commander ..................................................... Ari Fliakos Ajax, a Greek commander ............................................................... Casey Spooner, Gary Wilmes Achilles, a Greek commander and the greatest Greek warrior ......... Scott Shepherd Ulysses, a Greek commander .......................................................... Andrew Schneider Thersites, a deformed and scurrilous Greek slave ........................... Greg Mehrten The Myrmidons, Achilles’ men ......................................................... Andrew Schneider, Casey Spooner, Gary Wilmes SYNOPSIS The play is set in the seventh year of the Trojan War. Troilus, a prince of Troy, is in love with Cressida, a Trojan girl whose father has defected to the Greeks. Her uncle Pandarus acts as a go-between, wooing Cressida on Troilus’ behalf. The cause of the war is Helen, the world’s most beautiful woman, wife of the Greek king Menelaus. She has been abducted by Paris, a Trojan prince, and the Greeks have laid siege to Troy in order to get her back. Prologue: A varlet sets the scene and tells us that the story skips over the beginning of the war and starts in the middle. Scene 1: Troy. Troilus withdraws from the battlefield, too lovesick to fight. He makes his complaints to Pandarus. Pandarus, feeling unappreciated, complains back. Scene 2: Troy. Pandarus praises Troilus to Cressida. She pretends disinterest. They watch the warriors returning from battle, and Pandarus tells her who they are. Scene 3: Troy. King Priam and his sons meet in council to consider an offer from the Greeks: return Helen and the war will be over. Cassandra breaks in with prophecies of doom if Helen is not returned, but the men agree to keep Helen. Scene 4: the Greek camp. The Greek commanders Agamemnon and Ulysses discuss troubles in the Greek ranks. The Trojan warrior Aeneas appears unannounced to deliver a challenge: any Greek who thinks his lover is true, let him prove it by facing Hector, Troy’s greatest fighter, in single combat. Scene 5: Troy. Pandarus visits Paris and Helen. He asks Paris “to make excuse” for Troilus at dinner. Paris knows this means Troilus will be with Cressida, though Pandarus tries to deny it. Scene 6: Troy. With Pandarus’ help, Troilus and Cressida meet, swear their love, and go to bed together. Scene 7: the Greek camp. Calchas, Cressida’s father and a defector to the Greeks, persuades the Greeks to trade Antenor, an important Trojan prisoner, for Cressida. Diomedes is sent to make the exchange. Scene 8: Troy. Aeneas meets Paris and Diomedes on their way to collect Cressida. Paris sends Aeneas ahead to alert Troilus. ~INTERMISSION~ Scene 9: Troy. Troilus and Cressida arise after their night of lovemaking. Aeneas brings the news that Cressida must leave Troy. The lovers vow to remain faithful and exchange tokens: a sleeve and a glove. Diomedes arrives and takes Cressida away. Scene 10: the Greek camp. The Greek commanders take turns kissing Cressida. Hector arrives to fulfill the single-combat challenge issued in scene 4. The Greek contender is Ajax, Hector’s cousin. Hector bests Ajax but lets him live. Achilles boasts that he will kill Hector in battle. The Greeks invite the Trojans to feast with them. Scene 11: the Greek camp. Ulysses brings Troilus to spy on Cressida as she has an amorous meeting with Diomedes. Thersites, a Greek slave, spies on them all. Cressida gives Diomedes the sleeve that Troilus gave her. Scene 12: Troy. Hector’s wife Andromache has had ominous visions and begs Hector not to go to battle. She enlists Cassandra and Priam to help, but Hector insists he is honor-bound to go. Pandarus brings Troilus a letter from Cressida. Scene 13: the battlefield. Troilus pursues Diomedes. Achilles in rage pursues Hector to revenge the death of Patroclus, his beloved companion. Achilles and Hector fight to exhaustion, and Achilles withdraws. Hector pursues and kills a soldier for his fine armor. He sets down his weapon to collect the armor. Achilles appears and orders his men to ambush Hector while he is unarmed. Achilles drags Hector’s dead body behind his horse. Scene 14: the battlefield. Troilus vows revenge. Pandarus delivers an epilogue. ABOUT THE WOOSTER GROUP Founded in 1975, The Wooster Group has made more than 30 works for theater, dance, film, and video under the direction of Elizabeth LeCompte. These works include RUMSTICK ROAD (1977), L.S.D. (…JUST THE HIGH POINTS…) (1984), FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY (1988), BRACE UP! (1991), THE EMPEROR JONES (1993), HOUSE/LIGHTS (1999), TO YOU, THE BIRDIE! (Phèdre) (2002), HAMLET (2007), THERE IS STILL TIME..BROTHER (2007), LA DIDONE (2009), and VIEUX CARRÉ (2011). Historical and contemporary arts exert a strong influence on the Group’s work, and dance, video, music, and architecture are all important organizing principles. Based at The Performing Garage at 33 Wooster Street in lower Manhattan, the company regularly tours worldwide, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The Performing Garage is part