ROMEO AND JULIET - Stratford Festival

From “Critical Evaluation” by James Weigel, Jr.. "The Trojan Women." Masterplots, Revised Second Edition.
Salem Press, 1996. eNotes.com. 2006. 28 Apr, 2008
SOURCES AND ORIGINS
Euripides based his stories on the myths and legends of his time. The play begins at the
culmination of the Trojan War, after the Greeks have defeated the Trojans and are
looking to divide the spoils of war.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Trojan Women is often considered a commentary on the capture of the Aegean island
of Melos and the subsequent slaughter and subjugation of its populace by the Athenians
earlier in 415 B.C.E., during the Peloponnesian war. This was also the same year in
which the play premièred.
STAGE HISTORY
Euripides first competed in the Dionysia, the famous Athenian drama festival, in 455
B.C.E.
The Trojan Women premièred in 415 B.C.E. at the Dionysia, although it did not win the
competition. It was the third play in a trilogy dealing with the tragedy of the Trojan War.
STRATFORD STAGE HISTORY
This is the first production of Euripides’ The Trojan Women at Stratford. Medea has been
produced twice at Stratford, once in 1978 and again in 2000. In 1993, the Festival
presented Euripides’ Bacchae at the Tom Patterson Theatre.
Stratford has presented other classical Greek drama including: Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex
(1954, 1997), Oedipus the King (1955), Oedipus (1988), and Antigone (1985).
Aeschylus’ Agamemnon was produced in 2003 and The Eumenides: Scene and Chorus
One was workshopped in 1978.
IN OTHER TERMS
Greek director Michael Cacoyannis used Euripides’ play as the basis for his 1971 film,
The Trojan Women. The movie starred Katharine Hepburn as Hecuba and Vanessa
Redgrave as Andromache. Canadian actress Geneviève Bujold was cast as Cassandra.
A 2004 film based on the play was directed by Brad Mays.
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