Award-winning playwright and director Kirsten Brandt, the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance Granada Artist-in-Residence, directs a contemporary adaptation of Euripides’ tragedy “The Trojan Women.”  

The classic anti-war play runs Nov. 10-19, Thursday-Saturday at 7 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees Nov. 12 and Nov. 19. Performances take place in the Main Theatre, Wright Hall.

In this new version by Irish playwright Brendan Kennelly, the conquered Trojan women, who are usually depicted as passive victims, are drawn as strong, resolute, and shrewd. Despite captivity, the iconic characters, Hecuba, Andromache, Cassandra, and Helen, keep their dignity, turning this classic into a modern drama exploring the complexities of women and defining the nature of their courage.

“Euripides’ ancient drama vibrates with relevance as the current presidential election polarizes the country,” said Brandt. ‘Trojan Women’ is about the endurance, resilience and the rights of women. Through Kennelly’s modern version, we are transported to a place where we are asked to question how we maintain our humanity, our sense of self, when everything around us, everything we know, is destroyed.”

Brandt served for six seasons as artistic director of Sledgehammer Theatre (1998-2005) where she directed over a dozen plays and wrote “Berzerkergang,” “The Frankenstein Project,” and “NU.” As associate artistic director of San Jose Repertory Theatre, she directed “Dr. Faustus,” “Next Fall,” “The Big Meal,” “Legacy of Light” and “Groundswell.” As a director, her work has been seen at San Jose Repertory Theatre, the Old Globe, TheatreWorks, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, North Coast Repertory and Arizona Theatre Company. 

General audience tickets are $18.50, faculty/staff tickets are $17 and students/seniors tickets are $12. Tickets may be purchased at the UC Davis ticket office, located on the north side of Aggie Stadium, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by phone (530) 752-2471 during the same hours. Tickets are available online at the UC Davis Athletic Ticket Office.

For more information about the production, visit http://theatredance.ucdavis.edu.