??The University drama department's upcoming production of "Troy is Burning" promises to entertain and enlighten audiences of all shapes and sizes. Unlike most drama department shows, which tend to take on either theatrical classics or edgy contemporary dramas, "Troy is Burning" emerged from the mind of a University student: fourth-year College student Matthew Minnicino.
"I had been writing [the play] for a long time (more than a year) when I began bringing scenes in for my playwriting class with Professor Doug Grissom," Minnicino said in an email. "We discussed asking the Drama Department to perform it, but I didn't think it would ever be selected as a main stage show. Fortunately for me, it fell into the hands of the head of our department, Tom Bloom, and a professor, Richard Warner. The two of them had enough confidence in the script to select it for the department's season."
Minnicino managed to craft this witty, relatable and poignant piece out of the final years of the Trojan War, which comes across most prominently in the mythological spheres of Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey. Although the play's plot unfolds more than 3,000 years prior to the present, its themes and characters offer timeless portraits of the human experience which will undoubtedly resonate with today's viewers.
The play is "about how a person survives in a mad world full of violence," Warner said. "Troy is a city under a 10-year siege. We are a nation suffering through a prolonged economic siege. I think audiences will connect in a pretty personal way with how Matt retells the myth of the Trojan War."
Warner, the show's director, said the placement of "Troy is Burning" on the season's roster marked a monumental moment in the history of the department. "What makes this production special," he said in an email, "is that this is the first full-length play written by an undergrad that we have produced on our main stage season in 25 years."
Still, Warner resists viewing "Troy is Burning" as merely the work of an undergraduate student. "As I was reading the play," Warner said, "I was first struck by its confident style and boldness. This was not a novice effort. There was pace and precision to the action. There was honesty in the emotional values. The actor in me could sense how it could be played with conviction."
Ultimately, this drama department production promises to provide one of the year's most intense artistic experiences. "We hope we can make you think, make you cringe, make you grin ... maybe even repulse you a bit," Warner said.
Troy is Burning runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4. Check the drama department website for times and ticket information.
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