I must admit I was not familiar with the story of Memnon, the Ethiopian king who came to the aid of Troy to fight against Achilles; was originally a member of the Trojan royal family, but was subsequently ignored, mistreated, and would have been horribly sacrificed had he stayed in Troy during a previous battle.
At a recent performance of “Memnon” by the Classical Theatre of Harlem (in the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater at Marcus Garvey Park), we heard the tale of the Trojans as they bury a fallen hero and are about to be set upon by Achilles and many others. Desperate, King Priam, after being strongly advised by both Queen Helen of Troy and Polydamas, requests assistance from Memnon. In this production, written by Will Power; co-conceived by Power and Carl Cofield, who is also the director; and with choreography by Tiffany Rea-Fisher, the audience was treated to a very engaging story.
Memnon is a wise Ethiopian king who is also connected with the gods and protected by them. He is a man who prefers peace over bloodshed, but when he has to fight, he easily wins over his opponent. Eric Berryman gave a distinctive performance filled with power, pride, and bold honesty as Memnon. His character often chastised Priam for the mistreatment he received as a child and the feeling he has always had of being “other” when it came to his Trojan family. He was more at home in Ethiopia, where he was immediately embraced and made king.
Andrea Patterson was brilliant as Helen,who represented, with grace and strength, how women in these positions were often blamed for things that were not of their doing, and did not accept the blame as the cause for the Trojan war. She described how her life was manipulated, but that now that she is in Troy, she must make a home here. She said that in her native home, she had no voice and that was something she would not want to return to.
This play encompassed racism, anger, intelligence, and arrogance, but it was also quite engaging to watch. Other featured actors who delivered strong performances included Jesse J. Perez as Priam and Nestor, David Darrow as Polydamas and Antilochus, and Jesse Corbin as Achilles.
When it comes to Classical Theatre of Harlem, you must include ensemble performers because they are always giving their all with choreography that stuns the senses. Ensemble members included Jenna Kulacz, Madelyn Lalonde, Alyssa Manginaro, Caitlyn Morgan, Erik Penrod Osterkil, Tiffany “2TS” Terry, and Travon Williams.
The technical aspects of this play were captivating and included fight direction by Emmanuel Brown, scenic design by Riw Rakkulchon, costume design by Celeste Jennings, lighting design by Alan C. Edwards, sound design and music by Frederick Kennedy, co-video design by Yee Eun Nam and Hannah Tran, and hair and make-up design by Samantha Weiner.
Make sure to keep up with what the Classical Theatre of Harlem is doing by visiting www.cthnyc.org.