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MCC Play Readers 6:30-9:30 pm
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About this event
Enjoy this month's reading of Helen. Helen, a Greek tragedy written by Euripides and performed in 412 BCE, offers a different version of the myth of Helen of Troy.
In this play, Helen is taken to Egypt by the gods instead of running off with Paris to Troy. The Helen who goes to Troy with Paris is actually a phantom, or eidolon, created by Hera to replace the real Helen after Aphrodite promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world. The Trojan War is fought over this phantom Helen, while the real Helen waits in Egypt for 17 years for her husband, Menelaus.
The play explores the gap between reality and reputation, speech, and truth, which was a topic of debate among Euripides' contemporaries. Helen is initially protected by the Egyptian king Proteus, but after his death, she must avoid the advances of his son, Theoclymenus, who wants her to marry him. With the help of Proteus's daughter, Theonoe, a priestess, Helen devises a plan to trick Theoclymenus by pretending that Menelaus is dead. Menelaus himself plays the role of a Greek sailor who brings the sad news, and Helen promises to marry Theoclymenus.
Note: Dramaturg Jo Holcomb will assign parts.
The MCC Play Reading series consists of a table reading of six different plays beginning September 2024. The cost for this series is $80. Please contact Jane Stacy: janestacy@millcitycommons.org if you would like to join the play reading series.
Interested in carpooling? Click on the registrant list and find a member in your building or near you that you can connect with and ask to share a ride. Or, feel free to contact the MCC office for a suggestion.
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