BWW Reviews: American Players Theatre Perfects Ancient Story of AN ILIAD

A college classroom, perhaps set in Ireland because a bottle of Jameson Whiskey appears for the poet to quench his thirst, greets the Touchstone Theatre Audiences at American Players Theatre (APT) in their opening play An Iliad. Outside the classroom rumblings and unrest from unidentified crowds can be heard--Unite James DeVita enters playing the narrator, the poet, the teacher in corduroy pants, tweed suit coat, a woolen vest, pliad tie and white shirt. Similar dress to what the part-time teacher, poet and writer James Joyce, who set contemporary literature on edge with his epic "Ulysses", the latinized name of hero warrior Odysseus in Homer's 8th century "Iliad" and "Odyssey." Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare wrote the stunning 2012 adaptation of "Iliad" directed at APT by John Langs.

Peterson and O'Hare's tragically retell of the war between Troy (King Agamemnon) and Sparta (King Priam), the Trojans and Achaeans waged over the beautiful Helen of Troy-A woman who fell in love witth Paris when the god Cupid struck her heart, and Paris stole her, refused to return her to her father. The War rages for nine years, and the rage of man ensues in these mythological characters: Achilles, Ajax, Hector, Odysseus, Paris, Pyramus, and Patroclus, often half men and half gods, who war with each other between the earth and the heavens.

DeVita inhabits each of these characters, fiercely embodying their ancient stories together with their ancient horrors in this sensual characteristic "stream of conscious" storytelling. Striking similar to Joyce's stream of conscious writing, the poets says, "Everytime I sing this song, I hope it's the last time,"

The Poet, DeVita, presents the story to his class, the audience, using props from the classroom, a sliding bookshelves, bottles, chalkboard, a diorama of Troy, a globe, foot stools, sand--which intmately and viscerally personalizes An Iliad. When the city eventually burns, DeVita sets paper on fire, to incite the senses of the burning bodies and bricks, that tinge the theatre's air with the telltale smell.

If DeVita impressed audiences at Milwaukee Rep's production in 2014, the intimate Touchstone gives the award-winning actor this up-close, personal platform where audiences observe his own tears, sweat, for the horrors he needs constantly repeats in his song of songs. Larger than life, the stories honed over centuries freeely mingle with contemorary vernacular, humor, and the original Greek language, spoken with authenticy and authority.

Eventually in the foreground, the poet's muse Alicia Storin, plays a haunting and heavenly cello to punctuate, elevate DeVita's words further. The Poets struggles in several moments to recapture the events, recall the terrors, which appear when he lists almost every world war that includes Darfur, Libya, and Syria, to name only the most recent.

For those who were fortunate to attend The Rep's production, APT perfects the production further, reinvisions An Iliad from a fascinating perspective accompanied by technical designs from Scenic Designer Brian Sidney Bambridge, Costume Designer Holly Payne, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, combined with the original music by Josh Schmidt. While the smoke from the Poet's burning papers, pictures of war, churns in the stomach, the effect simulates the destruction wrought by kings and leaders filled with rage.

"Aren't we all addicted to rage?" The Iliad's Poet queries the audience, almost states if as a fact, if all men, a society, is addicted to rage. Is he right? Whatever a nation, or culture, envisions as their right to be enraged to the point of war? When the poet presents pictures of fallen soldiers, soldiers from small towns represented in the story of ancient Greece, those also represent past and present Americans. The contemporary context to the Poet's story confronts this epic mythologic tragedy. When the Poet places Achille's helmet on a skelton hanging in the classroom and stands in front of this as if worn by himself during these battles over the centuries, the effect chills. and Illustrates the bones of humanity buried in death and rage scattered over the world.

APT's evocative, intense An Illiad needs to be seen, again and again. DeVita repeatedly demonstrates his prowess as an actor, a poet whose words resonate with the voice of wounded modern soldiers and long forgotten ancient warriors. The weapons may vary thorugh the centuries, although the conflicts and deaths remain unchanged. While the Trojan War waged nine years, and Odysseus wandered after his battles for almost 20, these heroes and warriors wished to go home, to see their children they left behind grow up, kiss their wives goodnight. When will the time arrive for all the world's soldiers to return home?

American Players Theatre presents An Iliad featruing James DeVita and Alicia Storin at the Touchstone Theatre in Spring Green through the summer. For performance dates, times, special programming picnic menus, or tickets, please visit 608.588.2361 or visit www.americanplayers.org.

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