VCDS’s production of Trojan Barbie, which was written by Christine Evans and directed by Veronika Gribanova, is a modernized take on Euripides’ Trojan Women. It is told from the perspective of prominent female characters in the classical epic, The Iliad, and Trojan Barbie addresses the horror and trauma brought upon these women in times of war. Overall, the production was well executed. However, the combination of the two time periods of modern-day and ancient Troy made the timeline of events difficult to follow. The play would have succeeded if it focused primarily on the female characters from ancient Troy as there was enough interest in this subject matter alone to generate an compelling theatre production.
The play is from the perspective of Lotte, performed by Fateema Miller, who is transported from the modern-day to ancient Troy and introduces the Trojan women to the audience, who are all famed figures from Classical Greek Epics. While Lotte is supposed to add a modern perspective to the classical tale of the Trojan War, it was not a necessary device in order to make an effective commentary on the women’s stories. Lotte’s constant chattering, awkward manner, and numerous attempts to escape, made her seem more ridiculous than effective. Through use of dramatic irony, the audience could laugh alongside Lotte’s situation, but there was enough humor in the play without Lotte’s character.
The integral message in this production is the psychological and physical scarring war can inflict on individuals and a community, which is better conveyed through other women, particularly Cassandra. Lotte, only appears to be an awkward intruder, who cannot truly grasp the atrocities and loss that someone like Cassandra has suffered.
Cassandra, played wonderfully by Joanna Dec is the most tragic character arc, as well as the best acted of the entire ensemble. Her character was the most heartrending to watch as she suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, having been raped and verbally assaulted by the supervising officers. We slowly witness the negative repercussions of her assault as it results in her having delusional episodes, child-like behavior, and emotional outburst exemplified in her constant rambling and singing. Another unfortunate situation for Cassandra is her famous gift of prophecy, which is never believed by her peers resulting in the unfortunate outcome of tragic situations and events. Additionally, her frustration at never having her predictions heeded by others ontributes her madness.
Lotte, on the other hand, is disengaged from the trauma because she is aware of her displacement in time. This allows for Lotte to be objective and to not be directly affected by the brutal treatment of the women around her, again making her character seem out of place. Cassandra’s characterization and Dec’s acting provide a more visceral picture of encompassing the trauma of war because she is the personification of it. The ensemble nature of the cast provides an intelligent insight into each character, their individual trauma, and how they have reacted and viewed said trauma.
Overall, the play was an enjoyable experience that had comedic moments and poignant, memorable characters. While the modern-day perspective was not entirely necessary, the cast did an admirable job of portraying the Trojan Woman and their compelling stories.
