Our Trojan War NYC Reviews and Tickets

65%

(31 Reviews)

Positive

48%

Mixed

39%

Negative

13%

Members say

Ambitious, Confusing, Disappointing, Thought-provoking, Relevant

About the Show

Aquila Theatre Company and a Warrior Chorus of U.S. veterans/actors mount this visceral show in which classic battles are set against narratives of modern-day war.

'Our Trojan War' uses epic moments from Homer’s 'Iliad' and scenes from other classical Greek drama and poetry to propel its chronicle of men and women at war. The clash of gods and heroes, the rage of Achilles, the suicide of Ajax, the fall of Troy, and the rise of Rome are among the many stories of war and homecoming presented in the piece, which poses urgent questions about modern democracy. What does democracy mean? What kind of democracy do we want to live in? How do we preserve and protect the democracy we have?

Member Reviews (31)

Relevant, Resonant, Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Edgy

See it if You want an ethereal view of the state of our wars right now...where we might be heading.

Don't see it if You can't let your mind wander with narrative. This piece sort of meanders it's way to its rather stunning point.

Ambitious, Confusing, Resonant, Thought-provoking, Intense

See it if war protest is your idea of good theater.

Don't see it if you love the Greek classics. Long monologues seemingly choosen at random are intermixed with scenes of current day American soldiers.

Clever, Confusing, Intense, Relevant

See it if need clarification between the ancient Greeks and toady's world. Some good acting but not all Nice seating.

Don't see it if you are ready for some thinking. It may be distressing or it may remind. you of some family disasters. Some actors need more training.

Profound, Thought-provoking, Classically contemporary, Knowledge based, Arresting

See it if combining classical text/stories with experience of combat veterans in the Middle East seems worthy endeavour + excellent acting co & text

Don't see it if examining combat/military/ hospitality issues distress u or u need something mindless to entertain you also questions leadership & knowledge

Ambitious, Quirky, Slow, Intelligent, Indulgent

See it if You know your Greek tragedies and like to see interesting works using these great texts to tell a story or make a point.

Don't see it if You don't know your Greek tragedies. Also it is quite slow, a lot of actors standing around watching one person speak. And often confusing.

Boring

See it if you dont mind waiting 75 minutes to hear modern words spoken (mostly) with meaning and clear delivery.

Don't see it if you love beautiful words spoken well. you dont think theater should be work. sorry there was some really bad acting and staging. Read more

Disappointing, Confusing, Indulgent, It's premise doesn't work

See it if a play trying to compare the Trojan war to our war in the Middle East..

Don't see it if you are looking for a clear cut parable between the Trojan and Mid-East wars. Read more

Ambitious

See it if You like Greek dramas and have a working memory of most stories/myths.

Don't see it if You want action. Nothing really happened, felt more like an academic exercise.

Critic Reviews (2)

"'Our Trojan War' is not out to entertain. It’s a heavy piece loaded with layers of narrative that raises a plethora of challenging questions for the audience to digest and reflect on...The ensemble delivers the piece with the utter sincerity that comes from some of their true experiences. There are certainly flaws that lie in the play's density...However, this does not negate the value of 'Our Trojan War' as an important commentary on modern warfare through the scope of the classics."
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"Thanks to a perceptive script, a changing projected backdrop, and expert staging and lighting effects, the play alternates seamlessly between ancient Greek stories and the present day...I was surprised at how natural and engaging the dialogue felt–it never came off as antiquated...'Our Trojan War' is theater as the Greeks intended it, and as all truly great theater should be: a method of beholding, a tool for seeing more clearly, a mirror to hold up to our society, and to ourselves."
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