In the dimly lit Hemsley Theatre, a modernized Greek play of epic proportions emerged Friday, Nov. 21. “Helen” is the classic story of the wife of King Menelaus. She is known for starting the Trojan War when she ran off with Paris, prince of Troy. To defend his honor and his empire Menelaus declared war on the Trojans, tearing both empires apart and deeming Helen the most hated woman in all of Greek history. In the adopted version put on by the UW Theatre, Helen, played by Anne Guadagnino, not only answers the question of what it means to be a woman, but also of who she is as a woman individually.
In this version, before even getting to run away with Paris, the gods intervene to ensure an epic tale ensues. They snatch Helen away and place her in an Egyptian hotel room. A replica of her body is made and taken back with Paris, leaving the real Helen to be found by Menelaus when the war is over. The real Helen is given only one companion, an Egyptian servant played by Hillary Dadio-Perrone, who cares for her and tells her stories. The play starts in the hotel room 17 years later, where Helen is going mad because she has no connection to the outside world to inform her of how the war is going—her TV doesn’t have anything but cooking shows and Egyptian soap operas and her telephone doesn’t have a dial tone. The only person she can talk to is her servant, until one day the elevator opens and someone new enters her suite.
A girl named Io, played by Delaney Egan, comes in. Much to Helen’s dismay, she is not up to date on her current events and doesn’t inform her of anything she wants to hear. Io tells Helen the story of how she was changed into a cow out of the goddess Hera’s jealous rage, which she still retains the ears from. It puts into perspective for Helen just how much life is controlled by the gods and how the chances of everything working out in her favor are slim. Io leaves and Helen is sent into a fit begging the gods to tell her what they want from her. With that, her headboard is busted open and Athena enters—the scene that unfolded next was my favorite of the whole show. Athena, played by Chelsea Anderson, gives Helen an insightful perspective of the bloody battle that was fought in her honor, laughing as she explains in great detail how entertaining it was to watch. She also informs Helen that the war has been over for seven years. This worries Helen because Menelaus still hasn’t found her. With that, Athena returns to Mt. Olympus.
Just as Helen is losing hope, a man stumbles into her room. He looks familiar but she isn’t sure. Eventually she realizes who he is—Menelaus, played by Daniel Millhouse. He tells Helen the story of the Trojan Horse and the heartbreaking ordeal he went through to rescue her from Troy. He knew that the woman he found wasn’t the real Helen, but he was too mad to care. He tells Helen that he doesn’t love her anymore, and with that he leaves to live happily ever after with the replica of Helen. At first Helen is heartbroken but then realizes that she now has a clean slate and can make herself anything she wants to be.
Overall, the show conveyed the adventure of finding out who you are and can be. There was a minimal set but lots of unique lighting that made for engaging special effects. All of the actors were outstanding, and the modernized plot was refreshing. The underlying theme of self-discovery was appealing to all ages in the audience. If you want to see a heartwarming Greek epic, make sure to buy your tickets for “Helen” before time runs out Dec. 7.
