April 12, 2013 | Theatre,

Check out these films, books & music related to TROJAN WOMEN

 

FILMS

The Trojan Women (1971)

The 1971 film adaptation of Euripides’ Trojan Women, starring Katharine Hepburn as Hecuba, opens with the women of Troy grappling with their imminent enslavement after their city is reduced to ruin. Hecuba has not only lost her son Hector, but now must protect her daughter Cassandra from her selection for King Agamemnon’s concubine since Cassandra has devoted her life to the gods. Together with Hector’s wife Andromache, they will endure the downfall of their city and ensure that the Trojan royal lineage will live on in Hector’s son Astyanax.

Electra (1962) 

Familial betrayals and grudges run deep after Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter Iphigenia to appease the gods. After Clytemnestra’s lover Aegisthus murders her husband for this egregious act, she marries off their other daughter, Electra, to a farmer in fear that if she married royalty, her children would seek revenge against Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. Instead, Electra seeks that revenge herself with the help of her estranged brother and an old loyal servant. Like in Trojan Women, Euripides’ female protagonists fiercely defend what they believe to be right and those whom they love.

The Sweet Hereafter (1997)

A town is paralyzed by grief after a bus crash kills many of its children. One teenaged girl who survives, albeit crippled in a wheelchair, is determined to move her neighbors towards healing after this tragic accident. But a scheming lawyer plans to profit from their loss by launching a class action suit against anyone he can potentially blame, causing the town’s anger to continuously resurface and have its citizens relive this catastrophe over and over. Ultimately, this film addresses the near-impossibility of moving on after insurmountable tragedy. 

 

BOOKS

Medea (431 BC)

After Jason returns from his adventure of finding the Golden Fleece, Medea finds herself betrayed by her husband, who plans to abandon this “barbarian” and marry the princess Glauce instead. The day before Medea’s exile, she plots to murder Glauce, Jason, and Glauce’s father, Creon. Disguising poison with gifts, she succeeds in killing Glauce and Creon, and further cripples Jason’s family by planning to kill her own sons.

The Bacchae (405 BC) 

Dionysus descends to Thebes because he wishes to avenge his mother’s death, but he becomes doubly angered when he realizes that her nephew, Pentheus, has discouraged the worship of Dionysus amongst the Thebans. Sending his aunts into a possessed frenzy, Dionysus causes them to dismember Pentheus after confusing him for a mountain lion. Vengeful relatives and clouded judgments reign in yet another Euripides classic.

A Thousand Splendid Suns (2008)

Another heartbreaking story of women coping together during times of warfare, this time in modern day Afghanistan. Through heroism and self-sacrifice, bravery and love, these women prove how friendship can guide you more readily through dark times rather than trying to go about it alone. Their world may be unforgiving, but despite all the suspense with few options of escape, their friendship sees them through this difficult time of loss and escalating dangers. 

 

MUSIC

The Painted Bird | Bastard (2011)

Eager to hear more of the music composed and played by Christian Frederickson? Hear his extraordinary viola playing in The Painted Bird | Bastard. This quiet and poignant album reflects the care Frederickson places into his compositions, a style which carries over to Trojan Women.

Tempest (2010)

The Young Scamels first performed in 2007 for a production of The Tempest at the Actors’ Theatre of Louisville. Due to the success of the show and the popularity of their compositions, the band hit the studio to record their tracks. Listeners might recognize the talents of Christian Frederickson, the composer for Trojan Women.

The Sea and the Bells (1996)

The chamber music group Rachel’s features the viola talents of Trojan Women composer Christian Frederickson, along with the piano, drums, cello and guitar meshed with modern music techniques including laptop mixes, vibes, samples and keyboard. Their unique sounds have made it onto various film soundtracks.

 

 

Trojan Women plays on the Paramount Center Mainstage APR 17-21. Visit us online to learn more or buy tickets.

Katherine Ouellette is a senior Writing, Literature and Publishing major at Emerson College.