Dis/Troy - Lockland Local Schools

About Homer
A Greek poet who may have lived between 1,100 and 700 BC, Homer is credited with writing The Iliad
and The Odyssey, two poems that scholars consider the beginning of Western literature; they have
exerted enormous influence on the history of fiction and literature in general. Some scholars believe that
“Homer” was not an actual person, but a name given to a whole series of storytellers and writers who
worked in the same style. Their accumulated oral histories became the famous epics that we read today.
About The Iliad
The 15,000 lines of this poem, divided into 24 chapters, tell of battles and events during the 10-year
siege of Troy (or “Ilium”) by a coalition of Greek states. Although it covers only a few weeks in the last
year of the war, the Iliad mentions many other legends about the siege.
The story begins near the end of the Trojan War. The Greeks are sick with a plague sent by the god
Apollo because Agamemnon, the Greek king, will not return a woman he has captured. Achilles, the
Greek hero, persuades Agamemnon to return the girl to her father, but Agamemnon takes one of
Achilles’ captives as compensation. Angered, Achilles declares that neither he nor his men will fight.
The war continues in bloody fashion without him; the various Olympian gods intervening on both sides.
Desperate, Agamemnon begs Achilles to return. Achilles’ best friend Patroclus asks Achilles to be
allowed to fight. Achilles relents, and lends Patroclus his armor. At first the Trojans are routed, thinking
they are being attacked by the great Achilles. But the gods interfere again and the Trojan hero, Hector
kills Patroclus. Achilles goes mad with grief when he hears of Patroclus’ death and drives his chariot
into battle. Achilles, burning with insane rage, slaughters many Trojans, filling the river with the dead.
The gods fight among themselves. Achilles confronts Hector and kills him. then dishonors his body by
dragging it around the walls of Troy. Priam, Hector’s father, enters the Greek camp unnoticed and begs
to have his son's body. Achilles is moved to tears, and the two lament their losses in the war.
About Dis/Troy
This adaptation was written by Yokanaan Kearns in 2004 for Honolulu Theatre for Youth. The play
focuses on the core events of The Iliad, contrasting the serious impact of the war on the humans with the
silly bickering of the gods. Four actors play all the parts: Greeks, Trojans and Olympic gods.
Characters
Agamemnon
Achilles
Patroclus
Hera
Aphrodite
Ares
Zeus
Priam
Hector
Andromache
Greek king focused on taking the walls of Troy.
The greatest Greek warrior.
Achilles’ best friend.
Queen of the Gods, wife to Zeus, cheers for the
Greeks.
Goddess of Love, cheers for Troy.
God of war, terrified of his parents; in love with
Aphrodite.
King of the Gods, tries to be impartial amidst his
bickering family and court on Mount Olympus.
King of Troy and father of Hector.
The greatest warrior in Troy.
Hector’s wife and mother of his child.
The Cast and Production Staff of Dis/Troy
Kevin Michael Chu ……….Achilles & Aphrodite
Matthew David Gellin ……….Agamemnon, Zeus & Hector
Colin Gold ……….Patroclus, Hera & Priam
Marie Pope ……….Ares & Andromache
Playwright…………………...Yokanaan Kearns
Set Designer……………..….Christopher Boone
Choreographer………..…Karie-Lee Sutherland
Props Designer………………..….Jen Lampson
Stage Manager………………..Grace Briner Rockstroh
Director……………………Mark Lutwak
Costume Designer…………Kathe James
Fight Choreographer……...…Jonn Baca
Sound Designer…….…Sebastian Botzow
Technical Director……..Veronica Bishop
Theatre Roles
Before seeing the show, you may wish to review with your class the different roles that people have in
creating a play. They are probably familiar with what actors do, but have not considered the other tasks.
Have students share as much as they know.
The playwright writes all the language spoken by the actors; he may also indicate in the script some of
the behavior and activities performed in the play. Yokanaan Kearns spent over a year working on the
script for Dis/Troy. After he wrote the first draft of the play, the director had actors read the script to
him. Based on what he heard, and on his discussions with the director, the playwright rewrote the play.
He repeated this several times before he and the director were satisfied with the final script.
The various designers are responsible for different elements of the production. Sets (short for
“settings”) are all the larger visual elements that define and determine the location, including
backdrops, curtains or furniture. Props (short for “properties”) are any smaller objects handled by the
actors. Costumes involve anything worn by actors. Sound includes all music and sound effects. Some
things may fall into more than one category; can your students think of any?
The director helps assemble and coordinate the production, working with the playwright (if he is
present), the actors and the designers. He helps make many choices, ranging from interpretation of the
script to where and how actors move on the set to how the designs integrate with one another.
The stage manager helps the director in rehearsals and then takes over running the show once it has
gone into performance.
The technical director coordinates the physical aspects of the productions, and works with the set,
costume and properties staff to make sure everything is built correctly in a timely fashion.
Costumes
Below are the original sketches for some of the characters. What does each costume tell you about the
character? Why do you think the actual costumes sometimes differ from the sketches?
.
Achilles
Aphrodite
Zeus
Ares
Discussion
Story & Characters
» Compare and contrast Achilles and Hector. What do they have in common? How do they differ?
» What flaws do each of the characters exhibit?
» What are the role of women in Dis/Troy?
» What is the importance of dreams in the story?
» Why does Patroclus volunteer to go fight Hector in place of Achilles?
» Why does Achilles choose to fight Hector?
» Describe the relationship between Aphrodite, Ares and Hera.
» How does Priam convince Achilles to return Hector’s body to him?
Themes
» What messages do you think Homer was trying to share with The Iliad?
» What role does anger play in the story? Revenge? Honor?
» Which issues in this play are still relevant today? How do you relate to this story?
Production
» How does the playwright use humor and other styles to tell this story?
» How did the props and set pieces help tell the story? What did the sound & music do?
» All of the actors played multiple roles. How did this affect the story? What challenges do you think it
presented to the actors?
Writing Activities
» Write a letter to one of the characters. Give them your personal advice on what to do or not do.
» Choose one character. Write a diary for each event in the play.
» How would you modernize this play? If you wanted to set the play in 2010, how would you change
the story? the characters? the setting?
Questions for the actors? Comments about the performance?
E-mail us at distroy@cincyplay.com! We especially look forward to personal reviews.
Resources
Books
The Iliad
Translated by Robert Fagels, Penguins Classics, (paperback) 1998.
Adapted by Roy Thomas and Migel Angel Sepulveda, Marvel Illustrated, (hardcover) 2008.
Translated by W.H. D. Rouse, Signet Classics (paperback) 2007.
Translated by Samuel Butler, Dover Thrift Edition (paperback) 1999.
The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer’s Iliad and the Trojan War by Caroline
Alexander, Viking Adult (hardcover) 2009.
Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad. by Rosemary Sutcliff, (paperback) 2005.
DVDs
Troy with Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. (DVD) 2004.
Helen of Troy with Sienna Guillory and Matthew Marsdon (DVD) 2003.
National Geographic-Beyond the Movie-Troy Tim Baney, director (DVD) 2003.
Live Theatre
A live theatrical performance is very different from a movie or television show. A live presentation has
not been pre-recorded, with the mistakes edited out. This makes it riskier for the performer and more
exciting for the audience. It also means that the audience has a real contribution to make to the overall
experience. Each audience member affects those around them as well as the performer. The more the
audience “gives” to the performer, the more the performer can give to the audience. Remind students:
» Use the restroom before the show begins so you don’t miss the best parts of the show
» Turn off your cell phone so you and the performers can stay focused.
» Listen! Theatre is about words.