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Regional Reviews: Other Regions Troilus and Cressida Also see Gil's reviews of See How They Run, She Loves Me, Something Rotten!, Hamlet and Harmony
Shakespeare sets the play during the Trojan War and it follows the ill-fated romance between Trojan prince Troilus and the young Cressida, who pledge their love to one another despite the conflict surrounding them. However, their romance is really the subplot of the play, which has many subplots. The war is the main plot here and it has been dragging on for years, with legendary figures including Achilles, Hector, Agamemnon, Ulysses, Ajax, and Thersites engaged in battles marked not only by heroism but by pride, politics, and personal rivalries. Shakespeare uses a cynical perspective as he explores themes of love, honor, betrayal, reputation, and the futility of war. It's very much an anti-war piece, as instead of celebrating the legendary heroes of Greek mythology, they are portrayed as deeply flawed individuals driven by vanity, ambition, and jealousy. By doing so, Shakespeare perfectly exposes the imperfections of the heroes and the fragility of love. While the play may be bleak and the ending ambiguous, its themes remain remarkably relevant in our modern world where we are dealing with endless wars, political propaganda, and misinformation. It also makes us wonder if honor and glory truly exist or if they are simply social constructs used to justify violence with manipulation, and realize that the gap between public image and private morality seems to be getting wider. Director Carolyn Howarth does an excellent job making many astute choices that pay off perfectly. The major change is setting the piece not in the Trojan War but in a combination of wars, with references to the Vietnam War, and both World War I and II in the costuming and set design. This change, along with several others, sets the piece perfectly in an almost surreal landscape where we are stuck in moments from overlapping wars that cross decades. That change allows the anti-war theme and the idea of a never-ending war to resonate strongly. Also, Howarth brilliantly turns the character of Thersites, who serves as the narrator of the piece, into a war correspondent, often having him off in the shadows listening, writing about, and photographing as the action unfolds. Howarth also changes the sex of a few of the characters and slightly alters their motivations; this change is most strongly present in having Ulysses be a woman and the excellent change in having her involved in the confrontation between Achilles and Hector that is set in motion due to the death of Patroclus. The cast is perfect. It's truly an ensemble piece with everyone delivering excellent performances. John Harrell is superb as Cressida's uncle Pandarus, who helps manipulate their relationship. As Hector, John Keabler is a commanding presence, instilling the role with power and passion, while Lavour Addison is a knock-out as Ajax, the solider who is all brawn and minimal brain, bringing a sharp comic sensibility to the role. As Ulysses, Mare Trevathan is excellent, letting us truly see how the character's actions inspire Achilles to finally fight, while Walter Kmiec brings many layers to Ulysses, from the nonchalant, playful man to the solider who seeks vengeance after Patroclus is killed (Calvin Adams is lovely as Patroclus). As Troilus and Cressida, respectively, Avery Michael Johnson is enthusiastic and giddy and Brianna Miller is charming and passionate. Blake Henri depicts the gravitas of documenting the war perfectly as Thersites. Rodney Lizcano and Thom Rivera are great as Agamemnon and Nestor, respectively. Emily Hawkins shines in her second act opening song as Helen, and Kayland Jordan, Gabriel W. Elmore, Mat Hostetler provide solid support in a few smaller roles. Brianna Miller, Kyleen Doman, Braedon Young, Loren Jones, and Kathryn Tkel round out the ensemble cast as the minor characters, all bringing passion to their performances. Apollo Mark Weaver's set design uses pops of graffiti and war propaganda to instantly set the location, while the costumes by Jennifer Gillette perfectly depict the surreal, multi-war vibe. Michael Gilliam's lighting and the sound design and original music by Lindsay Jones deliver impressively throughout, with the combination of their contributions under Geoffrey Kent's superb fight direction delivering one of the best I've ever seen staged. With its ambiguous ending, mix of genres, long length, and featuring over a dozen major characters, Troilus and Cressida is a tough play to get right. With an excellent cast, clear creative elements, and amazing fight direction, director Carolyn Howarth manages to pull off a fantastic production of the play for Utah Shakespeare Festival. Troilus and Cressida runs through September 3, 2026, at Utah Shakespeare Festival, Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts on the campus of Southern Utah University, 195 W Center St, Cedar City UT. For tickets and information, please visit www.bard.org or call 800-752-9849. Director: Carolyn Howarth Cast (In order of appearance): * Member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional
actors and stage managers in the United States |
