Eric Berryman as Memnon and Jesse Corbin as Achilles
in the foreground with Jesse J. Perez as Nestor and
Andrea Patterson as Helen in the background.
© Craig Schwartz Photography
By LIBBY MOTIKA
Circling the News Contributor
Over the 18 years that the Getty Villa has been presenting Greek and Roman drama, the Trojan War, its triumphant heroes and tragic outcomes have dominated thematically.
This is the greatest battle in Greek history, followed in the two great epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. “Agamemnon” described the return of the Greek hero after 10 years away. “The Trojan Women” reminds us of those at home who suffer while the men continue the endless war.
In the current outdoor theater production, “Memnon,” we are introduced to another player in the epic story, Memnon, the Ethiopian king who journeys to Troy to fight alongside the Trojans in their darkest hour.
Records of this story are long gone; it has been 2,000 years since the first recreation of the Ethiopian warrior. But writer Will Power has written a script in iambic hexameter that conveys the drama with bold and vivid language.
“Memnon” is directed by Carl Cofield and produced by the Classical Theatre of Harlem in their first major West Coast theatrical production.
As with all Greek drama, alliances, revenge and hubris all come into play in “Memnon.”
The story begins with the death of Hector, Troy’s last hope, cut down by the Greek Achilles. Ten years this war has dragged on, and now Troy is destined to disappear as Achilles is prepared to sack the city.
Hector’s dear friend Polydamas (Daniel Molina) suggests beseeching Memnon, who rules over all of Africa and India, to bring his mighty army to fight for Troy.
There is resentment on both sides, however. The Trojan king Priam resists, while Polydamas pleads with him, reminding Priam that Memnon is family—Priam is his uncle. “Time washes all resentment away,” he insists. “The great Memnon must come.”
All that ensues is the imagination of the playwright as Memnon is only briefly mentioned in the “Odyssey.”
Memnon (Eric Berryman) arrives with his vast army but displays a decidedly compassionate strategy. “In Ethiopia, we sidestep war for the most part,” he says. “We capture to calm them, not kill.”
This enlightened philosophy is a foreign concept for Priam, who sees victory as the number of dead bodies.
Memnon agrees to fight for just two days, then he’ll return home to the East. It never felt like home in Troy, he says. “I was Troy, but not fully Trojan. Strangers treated me more kindly than any Trojan ever did.”
His dilemma is confounding: Whether to come to the defense of Troy in possibly a futile risk or to betray his family in desperate need.
Inevitably, the third actor in Greek tragedy is the capricious nature of the gods. The battle to follow is almost preordained. The noble Memnon will meet the victorious Greek warrior, Achilles (Jesse Corbin).
Power employs iambic hexameter to reflect the epic poems like Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey” and Virgil’s “Aeneid.” All used this meter to tell grand stories of heroes, gods, and history
The excellent cast uses this steady cadence to convey the emotions and social order of the kings and warriors, and to propel the narrative forward. We are reminded of the tragic history of this endless war and can’t help thinking about our modern world’s foolish bellicosity.
“Memnon” continues at the Getty Villa through September 28. Contact: 310-440-7300.