Troy Too

About the Production

Troy Too, written by Karen Malpede and inspired by Euripides' Trojan Women, is an innovative, political, and poetic play that explores the tragic historical continuity of crises such as the health pandemic, climate change, and racism. The play reflects on a pivotal traumatic moment in history, offering a warning of future suffering unless collective experiences are heeded. Mythical figures, including the goddesses Plague and Profit, drive the narrative, blending contemporary calamities with ancient tragedy.

The production reimagines Euripides’ tale of displacement, presenting a world where modern-day events—such as the BLM movement, the toll of the coronavirus pandemic, and environmental degradation—unfold under the gaze of mythical figures. An aging Hecuba bears witness to these events, while a fish speaks of the "plastic war," and medical workers in ICU units highlight the pandemic’s devastation.

Directed by Avra Sidiropoulou, Troy Too premiered at HERE Arts Center in New York in May 2023, featuring the acclaimed Greek tragedian Lydia Koniordou leading a multiracial ensemble. The production received critical acclaim for its powerful storytelling, blending documentary aesthetics with invented scenes, and merging personal nightmares with global crises.

The Team

• Playwright: Karen Malpede
• Director: Avra Sidiropoulou
• Set Consultant & Lighting Design: Tony Giovannetti
• Costume Designers: Carissa Kelly & Sally Ann Parsons
• Composer: Vanias Apergis
• Director of Photography & Video Art: Michael Demetrius
• Video Designer: Tzavra Bulloch
• Stage Manager: Neno
• Assistant Lighting Designer: Miriam Crowe
• Assistant Costume Designer: Carissa Kelly
• Production Team (Athens): Maria Hadjistylli, Tzoulia Kogkou, Katia Makrykosta
• Production Manager: Jee Duman

Performers: Lydia Koniordou, Tommie J. Moore, Abigail Ramsay, Di Zhu, David Glover, Ilker Oztop, and Ethan Jones.

Featuring: George Bartenieff (audio) with Ilia Pappa and Anthi Savvaki (video).

Support

Troy Too is made possible with the support of the J. F. Costopoulos Foundation, Nina Kamberos, and Aspa & Andreas Andreades.

Critical Reception

• TheaterScene.org (Darryl Reilly): Praised the haunting visuals and Lydia Koniordou’s powerful performance as Hecuba, noting director Avra Sidiropoulou’s impactful staging and integration of technical elements.
• The Indypendent (Eleanor J. Bader): Described the play as a "Greek Tragedy for Our Times," highlighting Koniordou’s intense performance and the play’s nonlinear structure, which bridges past and present crises. The review emphasized the play’s focus on grief, resilience, and collective action.
• Broadway DNA Blog (Natalie Rine): Called Troy Too a "visceral, timely, and communal lament" that challenges classical reverence and serves as a contemporary call to action. The review praised the production’s ability to address intersectional issues like police brutality, the pandemic, and pollution, and its potential to inspire real-time collective trauma processing.
• The National Herald (Eleni Sakellis): Hailed the play as a "powerful" and "imaginatively staged" production, not to be missed. The review commended Sidiropoulou’s innovative direction and the play’s ability to resonate across languages and cultures.
• Parathyro, Politis (Dionysos Alexiou): Noted Sidiropoulou’s masterful transformation of the New York stage into a thematic "projector" of recent global crises, blending allegorical symbolism with contemporary issues like the pandemic, BLM, and climate change.