Inkandescent Public Relations

Writer and Creative Director: Lisa Resnick
Designer: Michael Warchol
Client: The Kennedy Center

The Play

Hecuba begins as the Trojan War ends. Hecuba, once the queen of Troy, is now a prisoner of war who has lost her husband, children, and homeland. As the play unfolds, Hecuba will face new losses and choose to confront the man who has betrayed her family.

The Story

The long and brutal war has ended and Troy has fallen to the Greeks. The Greek commander Agamemnon and his forces are holding the women of Troy as slaves. Their journey home is delayed when the spirit of the Greek hero Achilles demands that Hecuba’s daughter, Polyxena, be sacrificed.

Enter the ghost of Polydorus, Hecuba’s youngest son. Years earlier, Polydorus had been sent to King Polymestor for safekeeping along with Trojan gold. When Troy fell, Polymestor murdered Polydorus for the gold, and threw the boy’s body into the sea.

Odysseus, another Greek commander, arrives to escort Polyxena to her death. Hecuba begs Odysseus to spare her daughter, reminding him that she once saved his life. Odysseus refuses. Hecuba pleads with Polyxena to try to save herself. Polyzena says that she prefers death to slavery and is led off. A messenger arrives and tells of Polyxena’s final courageous moments. As Hecuba awaits her daughter’s body, a servant brings more disturbing news: Polydorus’ body has been washed up on the shore. Hecuba knows Polymestor is to blame for her son’s murder.

Hecuba decides to take action herself and sends for Polymestor and his two young sons. With the help of the other captive women, Hecuba blinds Polymestor and kills his sons. Both Hecuba and Polymestor appeal to Agamemnon for justice. Agamemnon judges Polymestor a worthy victim of Hecuba’s revenge. Polymestor is ordered to a deserted island, but not before he warns Hecuba of her unfortunate fate.

Euripides, As Timely As Today

Sophocles described his fellow poet by saying, “I portray men as they ought to be; Euripides shows them as they are.”

Euripides lived from 484-406 B.C. He is considered the most modern of all the Greek poets, introducing realistic clothes, language, and emotions to the stage. His views were radical for his time: war is not heroic, the gods were wrong for making humans their toys, and nothing is more devastating than the pained human heart. Euripides’ understanding of the inhumanity of war is as relevant today as it was more than 2000 years ago.

Greek Drama, How It All Began

Greek drama evolved from an ancient religious ceremony known as the dithyramb, (DITH-ee-ram), or hymn. Sung in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine, this song was initially improvised and then later replaced with fixed lines. An all-male chorus representing the people expressed a character’s feelings and also told the story. In time, a choral leader emerged reciting lines alone. This leader, or “actor,” waited for responses from the chorus. This is the earliest form of drama that we know it today.

Politics: Center Stage

British poet, playwright, and screenwriter Tony Harrison has created a politically-charged translation of Euripides’ play. You may be surprised, shocked, or even offended by some of the words in this version. Listen carefully for such modern language as “coalition forces” and other references to the current war in Iraq.

Watch and Listen for How …

• the chorus sings their lines as they did in ancient times.
• the chorus acts as a narrator.
• Hecuba reacts to the bodies of Polymestor’s murdered sons.

THE PLAYERS

Vanessa Redgrave

American playwright Tennessee Williams called her “the greatest actress of our time.” Hailing from a family of accomplished actors, Vanessa Redgrave has graced numerous stage, film, and television roles since the early 1960s when she first stepped onto the stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The winner of every acting award available, Ms. Redgrave is respected not only for her talent, but also for her passion for politics and securing rights for oppressed people.

Royal Shakespeare Company

In 1875, a wealthy brewer named Charles Edward Flower donated the land and funds to build a theater in Stratford-upon-Avon, where William Shakespeare was born and died.

Today, the Royal Shakespeare Company is regarded as the most respected interpreter of Shakespeare’s works. Originally known as the Shakespeare Memorial Company, the director Peter Hall reorganized the company in 1960, establishing residences in both Stratford and London. The company performs year-round, operating on a repertory system that allows its actors to take on a variety of roles in a wide range of plays.

Watch. Listen. Think. Imagine. Enjoy Hecuba!