The Trojan Women
by Euripides, adapted by Ellen McLaughlin
University of Miami
Miami, FL
February 2020

CAST:
Hecuba - Dayana Corton
Cassandra - Sophie Leicht
Helen - Mackenzie Roberts
Andromache - Shereen Khatibloo
Poseidon - Zachary Reid
Talthybius - Sam Evens
Chorus - Katherine Berger
Chorus - Cherise Clough
Chorus - Kayla Crews
Chorus - Greta Hicks
Chorus - Tara Irwin
Chorus - Eliza Knode
Chorus - Jamilah Muhammad
Chorus - Gabby Rosenbloom
Chorus - Emilia Torello
Chorus - Isabella Vaccaro

PRODUCTION TEAM: 
Director - Leda Hoffmann
Set and Lighting Designer - Arnold Bueso
Costume Designer - Michiko Kitayama
Hair and Makeup Designer - Maha McCain
Sound Engineer - Richard Reed
Fight Director - Burton Tedesco
Vocal Coach - Jennifer Burke
Stage Manager - Josh-Andrew Wisdom
Assistant Stage Manager - Jessica Wexler

Artistic Director - Michael Bush
Production Manager - Pablo Souki

​Photos by Jenny Abreu.

Director's Note

The fall of Troy is one of the most famous stories in the world. We all come to this play with some ideas about the long, ten year war in Troy and the cunning trick of the Trojan Horse that ended it. 

The Trojan Women asks us to consider the women left at the end of that war. With the Trojan men killed, the play takes us to the women parceled off to different war heroes as slaves in the moment before they board the Greek ships.

The characters in this story are people in the most horrific of circumstances. It seems too terrible to imagine but Euripides’ original text, as well as Ellen McLaughlin’s adaptation, forces us to look at the cost of war.

Despite the potential bleakness of this story, I find great beauty in it. Every time I come back to this story I am struck by the women’s resilience and the human capacity to not just survive, but thrive:
“I will find a way to love life. Even in slavery. Even in bondage and degradation. It is only my body that can be owned. My mind, my spirit belongs to me.”

No matter what this world throws at them, they hold their heads up high and look to the future. I hope you find inspiration in the courage of these women.

- Leda