The Persians: Emotionally Shattering, Culturally Enriching

Written by Theresa Z.

(2004)

     The Pearl Theater Company has yet again delivered another stunning performance by Joanne Camp, Scott Whitehurst, Robert Hock, and Sean McNall in the Greek tragedy The Persians. Moving, emotionally shattering, and culturally enriching, this play is a combination of many elements that would leave any viewer questioning the true validity of victory. Though but a tight-budget play with a cast of eight characters performed by merely four actors, it delivered a powerful message of painstaking grief and horror that no cast of one thousand actors could have emulated. Aeschylus himself would have been honored with such a magnificent tribute to his work.

     The story begins in Persia during a time of war, with a group of men anxiously awaiting news from the Persian troops. The Queen enters and reveals that she saw a bad omen in her dreams, and she prays desperately for her son King Xerxes who is waging the war against the Greeks. A messenger appears with the painful news of defeat. He cries and writhes in pain as he recounts the death and fear he saw in the war. King Darius is then summoned from the dead, and he curses his son Xerxes for the devastation of Persia. Finally, Xerxes appears and faces the humiliation and shame caused by his hubris.

     I found this play to be quite astounding for many reasons. For one, not one of the actors stepped off stage during the duration of the play. All clothing changes, all character shifts, and all background transformations happened right before the viewers’ very eyes. The transformations were not only evident, but dramatic and exaggerated to satiate the hungry eyes of the audience. The actress Joanne Camp initiated these transformations by discarding her chorus cloak to don a crown, signifying her role as Queen of the Persians. After the first “uncloaking,” I excitedly began to anticipate the next. I learned that each shift was performed in an entirely different manner than the rest. While Darius’ shift was sacrosanct and accompanied by ritual chanting, Xerxes was literally ripped out of his cloak in a belligerent manner. The nature of the transformation symbolizes the heart of the character himself. The Queen’s transformation was graceful and soft, symbolizing the femininity of her character. Xerxes’ transformation was abrupt and full of rage, symbolizing his shame and dishonor.

     The only props to guide the actors were placed in the center of the stage, but for the most part, the actors relied on Aeschylus’ words and the accompanying singing and chanting (performed by the musically endowed actors). The actors kept a steady beat, and did not waver once in the entire play. It was evident that an extraordinary amount of time, practice and effort was put into this play by all the actors. The costumes were also beautifully crafted and extravagant. Jewelry was obviously a defining luxury in ancient Persia for the Queen donned a large number of bracelets and necklaces to demonstrate her high status in society.

     Lastly, Aeschylus’ words were piercing and engaging, deep and philosophical. Although The Persians was written thousands of years ago, his words continue to have a profound effect on viewers today. The Pearl Theater’s production of this masterpiece was an extraordinary success, and thanks to the brilliance of the actors, Aeschylus’ words will resound in my ears for a long time to come.