“Hecuba and Polyxena”, a haunting, surreal adaptation inspired by Euripides and the American eugenics movement, follows two women as they navigate grief, survival, and sacrifice. (Their words, not mine.)
From the company’s website – Thank you for attending our presentation of Hecuba and Polyxena by Amanda Andrei as part of New York Classical’s New Visions New Play Development program.
I attended. I enjoyed it. Alas, there was no program (not even a QR code, which would probably have done me no good, anyway). This was a workshop reading performance. There were three unnamed performers playing (I think) five roles. (See no program, no QR code, above.)
There was a reader of stage directions who also provided a few sound effects.
The play took place in two different time frames. The one I remember best was the 1970s, since that part of the narrative focused on abortion (and only the male’s support of it, not the female’s). Also, one female character was a baker and one female character was an archivist. Their bond was that they were both Filipina and confused.
The male playing two characters played the husband of the baker and the doctor of the baker. Oh! The baker was probably an illegal immigrant wanting to have an anchor baby.
The three performers played the five roles very well, using bankers’ boxes and lids as makeshift props (mixing bowls, archived documents, steaming soup (shredded paper, used to good effect), baking trays, etc.) and a folding table that was shifted by the actors from horizontal to vertical a few times.
Would I recommend it? No. Not until it’s workshopped a bit more. Was I glad I went? Sort of. Broadening my horizons can be worthwhile. And I saw this company do a free Shakespeare in the park (Carl Schurz Park) performance earlier this summer that I enjoyed. I'm guessing that's why I'm on their mailing list.
ConcertMeister
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