The cast and crew are almost ready to start tech week, that magical and stressful time when lights, costumes, makeup, and props all come into the mix. The show is in great shape. What amazes me at every rehearsal is how real the play feels. It was written thousands of years ago, but the characters feel like the people we hear from in the news today who are fleeing war-torn countries.

We hope that our production, and the talkbacks that follow, will encourage our community to learn more about the current refugee crisis and what we can do, thousands of miles away, to help. Our actors have written short paragraphs about different parts of the crisis, and the connection to Euripides original intentions, that will be included in the program. I’ve included them here, along with sources to learn more about the crisis and how to help, for those of you who want to read ahead.

EURIPIDES AND THE HORRORS OF WAR

“In the end it comes to this: a wise man will never go to war.” – Cassandra, The Trojan Women, Euripides

Euripides was a visionary who helped define classic characteristics of Greek tragedy– his use of humanity itself as a tragic hero can still be seen in all forms of media today. He often wrote women protagonists into his stories, criticized the gods, and debated popular Greek political actions. This, in turn, inspired many critical reviews of his works and ultimately lead to his exile. His tendency towards political activism is especially evident in The Trojan Women, which he wrote as a direct, intentional attack on the Athenian government’s actions in Melos during the Peloponnesian War. The Peloponnesian War was a dispute between the powerful city-states of Athens and Sparta. Athens invaded Melos when they refused to help their war effort. The Athenians brutally murdered the men of Melos and took the women and children as slaves. Euripides was disgusted by the actions of his city-state and protested in the way he knew best, playwriting. Thus The Trojan Women, acutely capturing the casualties and horrors of war, was written. This play has stood the test of time, as sadly, the tragedies that occurred in Melos have continued to appear throughout history. -Leeanna Albanese, Emma Demerath, and Neha Nascimento

REFUGEES VS MIGRANTS

“A refugee is a person who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country …’”– The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees

There are more than 13 million UNHCR-designated refugees as of mid-2014. These 13 million people have fled from their home countries in search of a refugee status that guarantees them citizenship and other inalienable rights in other countries around the world. These rights include free speech, and access to good medical care, local schools and work almost anywhere. But in order for refugees to attain these rights, they must first get out of their home country and into a ‘safe state’ that upholds UNHCR regulations. The journey can be very difficult. Many UN countries, against UNHCR regulations, refuse to accept refugees or only accept refugees from a certain religion or ethnicity. These countries fear these refugees hurt European economies, or that they may bring with them terrorism. These claims are unfounded, but a continuing fear of immigrants lingers even now. This affect is made bigger by the fact that local governments are the ones to decide whether someone is a refugee or not or rather whether they are given these protections or could be booted straight back to the country they fled from. Despite this, many still make the dangerous journey to Europe. -Teddy Wolfe and Henning Fischel

WHY THE EUROPEAN UNION

“In Europe, I can get treatment for my polio, educate my children, have shelter and live an honorable life,” -Batal, UN office Beirut, The Washington Post

Millions of Syrian refugees have fled Syria and so far, about 100,000 of them have risked their lives in attempts to flee to Europe. Although other Middle Eastern countries are more practical for them to immigrate to, they no longer want to remain in the region. It is becoming apparent that Syria’s neighboring countries are no longer an option, since refugees have proven to be an economic burden in the already unstable countries, and are unwelcome by the public. Especially in Turkey, which is where the largest displaced community of Syrian refugees live, many feel hopeless “If we go to Syria we die. If we stay here [in Turkey] we die. Homeless, no money. Everything we have is to go to Europe.” Unlike Middle Eastern Nations, the EU has the financial means to withstand the economic burden the refugees pose. Refugees are able to receive social welfare and benefits from countries in the EU. This means that they can find work, a home, and education so they can continue on with their lives. -Alara Akisik and Eric Chen

WOMEN AND CHILDREN AS REFUGEES

“My role as a woman has completely changed…I was independent and strong in Syria. I was free. When I got here my life went down to below zero.”-Anonymous Syrian Refugee, The Guardian

Refugee women and children face the harsh challenges that are presented to all refugees as well as additional struggles due to their gender and age. Refugee families are torn apart; children watch their mothers die. Children have their childhoods ripped from them, one little girl screams: “Please don’t kill my mother! Kill me instead!” as she watches her mother get crushed by the feet of thousands of flighty, scared refugees. Most of the three million Syrian refugees are women and children. 145,000 refugee families that have fled Syria are solely supported by widows. Women are frequently left to fend for themselves and their children, having been separated from their husbands. Navigating unfamiliar territory, women must provide for their families under hostile conditions. The lack of food, housing, work, and security is coupled with detachment from society. Children are often forced to search for work alongside their mothers in order to afford basic necessities. This keeps refugee children out of school, establishing an enormous educational barrier. Children are unable to adopt the language of their country of refuge, preventing them from assimilating into society. Their mothers are subject to sexual harassment, isolation, and humiliation in their countries of refuge. In addition to the abysmal conditions that women and children are subject to, they are also faced with the shame of losing everything. – AK Hafez, Anna Wilinsky, and Trixie Willems

For more information visit United Nations Refugee Agency

For stories about refugees from the Middle East visit the Humans of New York website.

To make a monetary donation to help refugees visit Mercy Corps

Reserve tickets for The Trojan Women.

Our fall play, Euripides’ The Trojan Women was written about three thousand years ago. Some might wonder why we still perform these classics that were written at the very dawn of the invention of Western Theatre- surely we could find something more recent that will capture the audiences’ imagination. Our answer is simple: Euripides’ writing stands the test of time. Sometimes an ancient piece of theatre can capture what it is to experience war just as effectively as a newspaper article or a documentary- and some might argue, even more than a traditional contemporary play.

The Trojan Women is epic on every scale imaginable. We consider it a famous and ancient story but it was famous and ancient at the writing of Euripides’ play. The story of the Trojan War has always been big and important. It deals with a mythical war, gods, and revered royalty. But Euripides’ telling comes from a very real moment in time. The play is a reaction to the events of that moment.

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With auditions under their belt and the cast list posted, The Trojan Women cast sat down yesterday for a read-through- often the first step in any rehearsal process. After getting schedules and scripts handed out,  and exchanging contact information (facilitated by our stage manager, senior Khanh Pham), we were able to open the pages of Euripides’ play.  It’s an emotional piece, one that deals with the ugliest side of war, but we made it through, excited to tell this important story.

Congratulations to the magnificent cast- be sure to look out for ticket sales later this month!

Cast List

(in order of appearance)

Poseidon: Henning Fischel ’17

Hecuba: Neha Nascimento ’17

A Chorus of Trojan Women: Emma Demerath ’19 and Anna Wilinsky ’17

Talthybius: Eric Chen ’16

Greek Soldiers and Guards: Logan Katz ’18 and AK Hafez ’16

Cassandra: Trixie Willems ’19

Andromache: Alara Akisik ’17

Helen of Troy: Leeanna Albanese ’16

Menelaus: Teddy Wolfe ’16

Welcome Back! Students are arriving by the dozens and we in the theatre are ready!

First on the docket is 12th Grade Orientation on Sunday. It’s one of our favorite times of year. Every member of the senior class participates in a theatre workshop that helps them let loose, bond as a class, but most importantly reflect on what they want to get out of the year. Participating in exercises devised by Theatre for Social Change practitioner Michael Rohd, our seniors have the opportunity to create a vision of what their senior year will look like and how they want to contribute to our community. Seeing the senior class come together is the best way to start the year.

Then comes the first day of classes. This year seventh grade theatre meets first period. There is nothing like the explosive energy of Williston’s youngest class- and I couldn’t think of a better way to start the 2015-2016 school year than having their bustling, boisterous creativity take over the studio theatre! We’ll hit the ground running with some name games and then an always competitive round of ABC Relay, theatre style.

Before you know it, the afternoon program will roll around and the tech theatre students will gather to learn about the set for our fall production, Euripides’ The Trojan Women. With opening night less than five weeks away, I have no doubt technical theatre director Charles Raffetto will get them working straight away. For those who don’t know, we started transitioning to an LED lighting system which, besides being more environmentally sound than our old system, allows us to do more complex and intricate designs. Mr. Raffetto’s enthusiasm for our new lighting system cannot be matched.

To end the day we will hold auditions for the fall play. Our actors are in for a treat as they try their hand at moving and speaking one of the choral odes from Euripides’ play. It should prove to be a challenging and rewarding experience, which I’m convinced are the best experiences to be had.

Needless to say, we are hitting the ground running. Sunday can’t arrive soon enough!

For months now the Williston theatre faculty have been planning next year’s theatre season. We kept things under wraps so students could focus on our spring production. Now that the bulk of our work for this year is behind us it’s time to get excited about what lies ahead. I’m pretty terrible at keeping secrets so I was thrilled to finally share the news on Thursday to a crowd of eager actors, directors, stage managers, and designers.

And without further ado- here it is! The 2015-2016 Williston Theatre Season!

Fall Play: Euripides’ The Trojan Women

Written in the 5^th century B.C.E. during the Peloponnesian War, Euripides’ The Trojan Women depicts the reality of what happens to women and children in conflict zones. The play was written nearly three thousand years ago but tells an eerily modern tale. In conjunction with the production actors will create booklets that educate our community about contemporary refugee crises. We will have talk-backs after each performance to begin a dialogue about what we can do about these conflicts and to discuss the play itself.

Winter Theatre Lab: Fish Out of Water

Student directors will select one-act plays dealing with characters who, in one way or another, don’t quite fit in. Theatre Lab productions will be brought to life by student teams of directors, designers, actors, and stage managers.

Spring Musical: In the Heights. Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegría Hudes.

With its musical roots in hip-hop and salsa, In the Heights took audiences by storm when it hit Broadway in 2008. It ultimately won the Tony for Best Musical, catapulting its composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, to fame.  In the Heights  tells the story of residents in Washington Heights, a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, as they struggle to make lives for themselves despite poverty, oppression, and gentrification. It’s a beautiful celebration of family, love, and the resilience of the human spirit.

As always,  we will close the year with the 8th Grade Shakespeare Project and Senior Projects.

I am sure, as many as have good
beards or good faces or sweet breaths will, for my
kind offer, when I make curtsy, bid me farewell.

And with those words, spoken for the last time on Saturday night, we ended the run of As You Like It. Our last show, performed to a packed house of teachers, friends, parents, and members of the Easthampton community, was as lively as opening night. The wear and tear of two weeks of performance and late tech nights was nowhere to be seen.

We gathered yesterday for strike- the tradition of breaking down the set, returning the theatre to neutral and preparing it for the next performance. While strike is always bittersweet, last night offered the cast and crew the important opportunity to be together again and say goodbye to the production.

We opened the show last week to packed houses. It was thrilling to see our audiences get excited about Shakespeare. I hear the play may have even inspired a few students to try their hand at acting.

As I was chatting with one student after the show he said, “Emily, I really liked it.” He paused. “May I make a comment though?” “Of course” I answered. “I found the play really sexist.”  And thus began a truly amazing conversation. I told this student that I absolutely agreed with him. It is sexist. The fact that (spoiler alert!) Phebe has to marry Silvius against her will and that Rosalind greets her father and soon-to-be husband with the phrase, “To you I give myself, for I am yours,” is difficult to swallow in 2015.

There are plays, once considered progressive, that would be divisive if put on the stage today. Some consider West Side Story to be one: a play well-beloved, but in its original form portrays ugly stereotypes. Luckily, composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, of In the Heights and Hamilton fame, rewrote much of the play to include contemporary portrayals of Puerto Ricans grounded in truth. We do not have such luck with Shakespeare, whose plays are stuck in a time when women were not even permitted to go to the theatre alone, lest they be mistaken for prostitutes. It’s shocking to look at what happens to Phebe at the end of As You Like It and consider Shakespeare progressive, but he was for his time.

Countless scholars have devoted themselves to analyzing sexism in Shakespeare’s plays. Their results are all over the map. Some scholars are certain Shakespeare was challenging the status quo, others feel he was poking fun at progressives who dared to believe that women could hold more power. I choose to believe the former.

While what happens to Phebe at the end of the play is less than ideal, I take my cues about Shakespeare’s intentions from the rest of the play. Shakespeare chooses to put a female at the helm of As You Like It. Rosalind takes her future into her own hands and schools her potential life-partner in the ways of a true lover. To take things a step further,  Shakespeare marries two men onstage (Ganymede and Orlando) and gives a man (Ganymede) the line “I [love] no woman.” While the audience knows Ganymede is Rosalind in disguise, the characters in the scene do not. All of this points in the direction of Shakespeare challenging the status quo. Can a woman be in charge of a relationship? Can two men fall in love? Shakespeare answers yes.

This does not negate that Phebe is forced to marry a man she does not love. It’s upsetting. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do this play. Not only does it offer so much other food-for-thought, in shying away from problematic plays we close ourselves off from difficult conversations. We should take the opportunity to begin a dialogue about sexism in Shakespeare, in contemporary theatre, and in the 21st century as a whole. There is a difference though, between problematic plays and plays that purport repugnant ideas about gender, race, and sexual orientation.  Those ones, as far as I’m concerned, should never see the light of day.

We still have three more performances to go. If you haven’t had a chance to see the play, or want another shot, visit our website to reserve your tickets.