The Tower Players performed an adaptation of “Helen” that put a new spin on the story of Helen of Troy.
Courtesy | Wikimedia Commons

King Menelaus enters the Quilhot Black Box Theatre stage via elevator to visit Helen of Troy in her bright purple, blue, and yellow Egyptian hotel room, detailed with a stuffed Trojan horse, the weather channel, and a collection of pesky flies. 

Any good Hillsdale student should recognize the names, but some cognitive dissonance ought to form when coupled with this specific setting and details. That tension calls on the audience to think, question, and engage with this Greek, but simultaneously universal, tragedy.  

The Tower Players are performing a striking adaptation of Euripides’ “Helen” by Ellen McLaughlin from March 29 through April 1 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 2 at 2 p.m. Tickets are free but must be reserved. 

“I think this one is more about individual stories and the importance of telling stories,” director Michael Beyer said. “The story of Helen itself is one that’s been told multiple ways.  In this version of the story, there’s a copy of Helen that the war is being fought over, and our Helen is the real Helen.”

The play watches Helen of Troy, played by senior Brooklyn Little, in her hotel room after a 17-year stretch of isolation from the outside world. After the gods replace her with a copy of herself for the world to see, she spends her days talking to her servant, watching the weather channel, and killing flies. Throughout the show, she talks to her servant and three visitors. 

“Something that has been difficult for me as an actor is playing a character that is so real, yet so unlikeable,” Little said. “She’s not a villain, she’s just really self-absorbed and not particularly likable. Knowing that the audience is judging your character so much is simultaneously terrifying yet also super satisfying.”

During these visits, the characters discuss womanhood, the performance of femininity, perfection, war, and humanity, among other broad topics. Rather than celebrating womanhood, it questions what womanhood has become. 

“When I initially got the role, I was kind of nervous about the prospects of playing such an iconic woman,” Little said. “What if I wasn’t what the audience had in mind? What if they were disappointed when they saw my portrayal of Helen of Troy? But that’s the whole point of the show: we build women up to be these flawless, pristine creatures, and in doing so, we forget that they’re just people.”

The show itself is heavily monologue-driven, with the narrative performed in 5-10 minute stretches of one character talking. While the dialogue has the potential to be striking, an audience member has to choose to tune in and listen. 

The play itself does not necessarily follow any dramatic action, so if an audience member does lose focus, it is easy to jump back in and absorb the themes and ideas being explored. 

The only point of dramatic action throughout the show was the ending scene between Helen and Menelaus, played by junior Kenton Baer. If the concept of the play is not enough to convince you to go, go for the scene between these two. It was emotional, honest, and, in the truest sense of the word, riveting. 

The cast features an intimate group of five: Little, senior Olivia Kroh, sophomore Kenda Showalter, junior Mary Kate Kearney, and Baer. 

“This show only has five cast members, and on top of that, no more than two of us are in a given scene,” Showalter said. “What keeps it from feeling like a fragmentary showcase of one-on-one scenes is the continuous perspective of Helen; the audience sits with Helen while she waits, learning information as she learns it.”

Every actor puts on an impressive and well-researched performance. At first, Little seems disengaged during other monologues, almost distracted, until Kroh explains the role that Helen is expected and meant to play: a woman unaffected, unfeeling, disengaged. 

Showalter provides the show’s single likable female character as the comedic relief and a woman humbled by years spent as a cow. Kroh brings intensity and conviction to the show as a callous but intelligent god. Kearney often says what the audience wants to be said to Helen, both in terms of challenging and consoling her, balancing the role of a friend and a voice of reason. 

The costumes convey a sense of timelessness. With ancient Greek dresses, a Vietnam War style uniform, and modern-day references, the source material is clear while making its message universal. Sometimes the bangles were louder than the dialogue, but maybe that’s a struggle that comes with ancient Greece. 

On the technical side, the show takes place in an undisclosed, stagnant setting — a “posh Egyptian hotel room,” according to the script. This direction manifests in a borderline psychedelic bright purple, blue, and yellow room that is interesting and eye-catching enough to make up for the lack of changing scenery. The lighting is excellent, transforming the space tremendously and directing the audience to notice shifts in dialogue and ideas.  

The cast is concentrated with talent, it is a beautiful experience technically, and the ideas are worth discussing if the audience members will choose to listen and engage for a little less than two hours. This is not the typical theater experience, but it’s one everyone should make time for. 

“I like shaking things up a bit, and I like challenging topics and challenging stories,” Beyer said. “It’s important that this campus community be challenged out of their comfort zone a little bit. We can tell the same stories in multiple ways, and they can still have resonance. If we step out of our comfort zones and think about things a little differently, it can help us understand what we do understand.”