Somewhere in the back alley of a parking lot in the South End, The Mill 6 Theater Company performed the world premiere of The Trojan Whore, award winning playwright Sean Michael Welch’s new play about the Greeks inventing democracy and the rising price of fish. One of his short plays, Boise Idaho, which Mill 6 performed in their 2002 night of one acts, is currently being optioned for the film rights by Francis Ford Coppola.
The play is about Agamemnon, played by Lonnie McAdoo, and his court of advisors during the crisis of the Trojan War. McAdoo has a commanding stage presence, with a booming voice fitting the king that he portrays. His character is a little absentminded and goofy, but he carries it well.
Irene Daly, the oral stenographer, is decisively the most humorous in the play. Her job in the court is to keep a public record and memorize word for word what everyone says, for historical purposes. Todd, Agamemnon’s political advisor, tells her to embellish as much as she can so the events will be remembered with more color. She dresses up what really happens, and makes it mythical, involving the gods. Todd eventually gives her the name Homer.
Todd is the instigator of all the events that take place in the play. He manipulates everyone, and proposes the idea to start the war after Paris stole Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. He puts forth the notion that if they attack Troy to retrieve Helen, they can tap into Troy’s fish supply. The price of fish is rising astronomically, so the court pays attention to Todd, and plans to attack Troy. Jason Myatt, as Todd, is crafty and sly. He gives a stellar performance as the weasel behind the scenes of a world leader.
Todd mentions to the oral stenographer that since Helen does not want to come home to her husband Menelaus and since she enjoys being with Paris, she is a whore. He tells the oral stenographer that she should run around saying “Trojan Whore,” since at that time everyone was calling the war the Trojan War. She pops her head around corners and screeches “Trojan Whore!” Nobody knew who was saying it, and everyone is confused. Todd points to Agamemnon accusing him as the one who said it.
The play can be interpreted as an allegory about today’s situation in Iraq, even though the inferences are very subtle. The story is about propaganda and how people in power use their skills at illustrating events that are false as true. There is the talk of the rising price of fish in the play, and it could compare to the rising price of oil. Todd tells the oral stenographer to omit him from the public record. Nobody really knows who Homer was, or what really happened during the Trojan War. Nor does anybody know what is really happening in this country right now.
Despite being in such a small theater with about 30 seats, the implications that the play makes are huge. America today may be corrupt along with the war, but history will be written by the victors, and spun whichever way they desire.
The Trojan Whore is running from April 1 though 16 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, at 8 p.m. with one show on Sunday April 10 at 3 p.m. Tickets are 15 dollars, with student and senior discounts for $12 on Thursdays and Sunday. For tickets call 866- 811-4111 or visit Theatermania.com.