Three Theatre Departments within the University System of New Hampshire Collaborate to Present a Trilogy of Greek Plays on Three Campuses

The Trojan Woman, Agamemnon>, and Electra> to be performed at the University of New Hampshire, Keene State College, and Plymouth State University in 2007

January 29, 2007 – LEE, NH – The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) is one of the smallest state higher education systems in the country, educating about 30,000 students a year at its four colleges and universities. Its size was very advantageous when the idea of collectively engaging its three theatre departments was first discussed several years ago. In early 2007, this unique collaboration will come to fruition and to multiple center stages as over 100 students from three theatre departments will perform a trilogy of Greek plays at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Keene State College (KSC), and Plymouth State University (PSU).

“To our knowledge, we know of no other University System or even group of unaffiliated colleges who have ever attempted a project quite like this,” said David Kaye, the head of acting and directing at the UNH Department of Theatre and Dance. Kaye collaborated on this effort with USNH Chancellor Stephen Reno, Ronald Spangler, assistant professor at KSC’s Theatre, Dance and Film Department, and Paul Mroczka, an associate professor in the Music, Theatre, and Dance Department at PSU.

The Trojan Woman, by Euripides, Agamemnon>, by Aeschylus, and Electra>, by Sophocles explore the theme of the consequences of war on the victor and demonstrate the evolution of some of the earliest known forms of dramatic literature and theatre through plays by the greatest playwrights of antiquity. The plays were carefully selected to go together and become one continual story, but with three different artistic visions that will incorporate multimedia, corporeal mime based movement, and even some punk rock. “Several characters appear in all three plays, but because they are the creation of three different playwrights and interpreted by three different directors, the results should prove to be interesting and provocative” stated Mroczka.

Each play will be performed at least once at each institution, starting at UNH in Durham on February 21st and concluding at PSU in Plymouth on March 10. The Trojan Womanwill be performed by students in the PSU theatre department and directed by Paul Mroczka; Agamemnon>, will be performed by students in the KSC theatre department and directed by Ronald Spangler; and Electra> will be performed by students in the UNH theatre department and directed by David Kaye.

The Trojan Womanfollows the women’s fates after Troy has been attacked, husbands killed, and their remaining families taken away as slaves. This includes Cassandra who is slated to become the conquering General Agamemnon>’s concubine. Agamemnon> picks up the story with the homecoming of Agamemnon> and his slave and concubine Cassandra. Clytemnestra, Agamemnon>’s wife, awaits her husband with thoughts of vengeance for the death of her daughter, Iphigenia, whom Agamemnon> has sacrificed to gain favorable winds for the Greek fleet. Electra> concludes the trilogy with the story of Electra>, the daughter of Agamemnon> and Clytemnestra. Electra>’s mother, with the help of her lover, killed Agamemnon> and now rules over his lands. She yearns for her brother Orestes return and for the day her father’s murder can be avenged.

“This project started with a conversation five years ago about pursuing something collectively. Given the fact that there were three institutions with theatre departments, we began considering a trilogy,” Kaye said. “It was the support of the USNH Chancellor's office that really helped make it happen. Chancellor Reno took the idea to the Presidents of all three institutions shortly after the trilogy group's first meeting. When word came back that each president was eager to see the project come to fruition, the challenge was on to see if we could really make this happen.”

The collaboration will go beyond performing the trilogy on all three campuses. Students in the visual arts will be encouraged to create works that relate to the content of the three plays. These works will form an exhibition that will travel with the plays and will be entered into a student art competition. Pre-performance guest lectures are also being planned, as well as post-performance events.

“I am very excited to see the Greek Trilogy Project come together,” said Chancellor Reno. “The vision and the focus of the three directors and numerous other individuals who worked behind the scenes will culminate in a unique artistic experience that will be shared with hundreds of people and treasured by the many students who will act and interact with their colleagues across the state.”

The project itself was a massive undertaking of logistics and artistic collaboration taking almost three years of planning. The directors and the principal designer had to create a special way of working together. With a plan to have the identical set and light design at each theatre, the directors had to discover, collectively, how their visions interacted. “We were amazed that what we first saw as a limit to our artistic visions, actually led to a far more exciting collaborative creation” stated Spangler.

Special package pricing will be offered for all three performances. For specific information on the dates, times, and ticket prices for the performances, please contact each institution. Contact information follows:

UNH – 603-862-2290
www.unhmub.com/ticket

KSC – 603-358-2168
www.keene.edu/racbp/ticketing.cfm

PSU - 603 535-ARTS or 1-800-779-3869
www.silver.plymouth.edu

About the University System of New Hampshire:
The mission of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) is to serve the higher educational needs of the people of New Hampshire. Through its sister institutions (University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, Keene State College, and Granite State College), USNH presently serves almost 30,000 students and awards almost half of the bachelor’s degrees earned each year in New Hampshire.

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UNH | Plymouth State | Keene State | Granite State