Seven long years we’ve been here. . .

Join the princess and prophetess, Cassandra, in Troy for Marcia Eppich-Harris’s musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida.

The Greeks and Trojans have reached a stalemate as the Trojan War enters its seventh year. As soldiers on both sides debate where to go from here, the Trojan prince, Troilus, occupies himself with thoughts of love for Cressida, whose father has defected to the Greeks. Meanwhile, Cressida, Helen, and Cassandra wonder how to protect their hearts, minds, and bodies in a world that views them as nothing more than property.

Characters

Trojans:

Troilus* – (mp, 20s-30s) youngest son of the king of Troy, Priam. He’s a youthful romantic, and a hot head. In love with Cressida, Troilus engages her uncle, Pandarus, for help to gain her favor.

Pandarus* – (mp, 30s-50s) Cressida’s uncle, a Trojan Lord. A gossip and dirty-minded voyeur. Prefers the physical to the romantic.

Hector* – (mp, 30s-40s) Priam’s son, Paris and Troilus’s brother, hero of Troy. Chivalric, honorable, and merciful to a fault. Expects his opponents to share his values – big mistake.

Aeneas – (mp, 30s-40s) A Trojan commander, friendly, acts as a herald between Troy and the Greeks.

Paris – (mp, 20s-40s) son of Priam, brother of Hector and Troilus, lover of Helen, and the main reason there’s a war. Not taken very seriously.

Priam – (mp, 40s-70s+) king of Troy, father of fifty sons, but only a few are in this play: Hector, Troilus, Paris, and of course, Cassandra.

Cassandra* – (fp, 20s-40s) narrator, soothsayer. Cursed with the gift of prophecy that no one believes. Sister to Hector, Paris, and Troilus. Omniscient.

Cressida* – (fp, 20s-30s) Her father, Calchas (not in the play) defected to the Greeks, so she lives in Troy with her uncle, Pandarus. Quick-witted, smart, but nervous about protecting herself. She loves Troilus, but worries he just wants sex. Traded for another prisoner to the Greeks, she is in an impossible situation and must give up on Troilus. She learns that her sexuality is powerful among men and uses it to her advantage.

Helen – (fp, 30s-40s) wife of Menelaus, lover of Paris. A bit ambivalent about her position in this world. (Shakespeare portrays her as pleasure-loving and flirtatious, but it’s definitely more complicated than that. She’s a good actor.)

Andromache – (fp, 30s-40s) wife of Hector, loves him dearly.

Greeks:

Ulysses* – (mp, 30s-50s) In the Greek tradition, known as Odysseus) cleverest among the Greeks, prefers thinking to fighting and manipulates people when he can. Curious about Troilus and Cressida’s relationship, he helps Troilus sneak into the Greek camp, but is unimpressed with her.

Agamemnon* – (mp, 30s-50s) leader of the Greeks, and brother of Menelaus (brother-in-law to Helen).

Achilles* – (mp, 20s-40s) leader of the Myrmidons. Arrogant, and is well aware he’s the best fighter of the Greeks. Not a good team player, refusing to fight when he doesn’t get his way. At minimum bisexual, but seems to prefer men, especially Patroclus, his friend.

Patroclus – (mp, 20s-40s) Achilles’s companion. His death prompts Achilles to rejoin the war effort.

Thersites* – (any gender, 20s-70s) a foul-mouthed Greek, servant first to Ajax, then to Achilles and Patroclus. A fool who has nothing nice to say about anyone. Cynical, but hilarious.

Ajax – (mp, 20s-50s) Brawny fighter, stupid, arrogant. Accepts Hector’s challenge to single combat, which ends up going nowhere, really.

Diomedes* (20s-40s) – A realist among the Greeks, thinking Helen has cost too many lives. Seduces Cressida to goad Troilus. Does he really love her? Who knows? He probably just wants to sleep with her.

Menelaus – (mp, 30s-50s) husband of Helen, brother of Agamemnon.

Composer and lyricist

Marcia Eppich-Harris is the artistic director and founder of Southbank Theatre Company in Indianapolis. She holds a PhD and MA in Shakespeare and Dramatic Literature, as well as a BA in Music, and taught at the college level for over fifteen years. She is a playwright and a founding member of the Indiana Playwrights Circle (IPC), where she is the Scene Nights Coordinator and serves on the steering committee. Marcia’s writing includes plays, fiction, poetry, scholarship, songs, and reviews. Her creative writing is influenced by the literature and history of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the British Medieval and Renaissance periods, as well as current events. She focuses thematically on politics, philosophy, the arts, gender, family, and culture. Her most recently productions include a variety of ten minute plays and performances of her full-length plays Seneca and the Soul of Nero and The Profession. While Marcia has written dozens of songs over the years, Troilus and Cressida is her first musical.