The Trojan Women (La Mama)

See it if Ritualized violence against women depicted via physical performance, chanting, singing & strange language. Viscerally compelling & unique.

Don't see it if You want a narrative w/plot, characters & dialog. This is all theme & performance art. Full female nudity. Standing & moving in a crowd.

See it if ancient Greek theater, the golden age of experimental theater or what different cultures invest in the same material interest you.

Don't see it if you avoid the graphic depiction of (sexual & other) violence, loud noises or theater that asks you to move around.

Also In 1974, even before I moved to NYC, I spent a Sunday here experiencing Andrei Serban & Liz Swados’ “Fragments of a Trilogy.” The small party of diverse theater professionals I saw it with was as stunned by it as I. Most powerful, disturbing & beautiful was the pivotal section, “The Trojan Women.” Some 45 years later, in a revival in the same space it inaugurated, I am at least as stunned, & for different reasons. Post #MeToo, sexual violence in the theater is even more wrenching to experience. And the unspeakable image of a child torn from a parent & wheeled in a cage across the cavernous space & through the audience is so much harder to endure in a time when leaders of our own country have no problem doing just this. In this revival actors who participated in productions in Cambodia, Kosovo & Guatemala bring inarguable authority to their roles of human beings in extremis. I don’t see this production winning the Tony for the season’s best revival. But it is that, & so much more.... Read more Read less

See it if love immersive theater before it was cool. love greek tragedy (but need to know the story). refreshing to see this again after so many years

Don't see it if want english text. want to sit down an listen to a play. don't like hand-made feel kind of shows

See it if Drama as a venue to discuss social problems; Pure, raw emotions delivered by chanting, shouting, singing; Audience is part of the show;

Don't see it if 30min standing and moving; 60min left seated; gibberish shared by all (yet super clear in meaning); nudity of women; violence & rape;

Also Strong archetypes portrayal: mother, whore, virgin, martyr... Greek tragedy, Japanese Noh, Cambodian dance, Guatemalan Music elements smartly woven; A must see. A transformative experience.... Read more Read less

See it if Grt chantin,orchestr&a universal lang:all elements work seemlessly in the global issue of violence agnst women,portrayed in Noh art form,*

Don't see it if you don't like the silver line bet audience &act. You want Euripides'original plot&chars. This is performance art @ its highest level.

Also *applied to some Greek myths esp.the
animal and the human inside each of us.
Congrats to LaMama actors & the crowd of artists from all over the world, performing in a mesmerizing moving way.... Read more Read less

See it if You're a fan of excellent experimental theater or you want to experience something original and creative.

Don't see it if Nudity bothers you. There's a lot of it!

Also This was one of the most excellent pieces of theater I've ever seen. I was completely transported to another time. This experience was immersive and captivating and creative in every way. I wish they had run this for longer. Hopefully they'll bring in back! Absolutely original and completely relevant. Although this is a recreation of a production done in the 1970's - you can't tell because it is so applicable to today's issues. A cast of actors from cambodia, india, indonesia, italy, africa, and american merge their singing, languages and dance together to create something never seen before. And the final moments of the play,,,,breath taking. Although this play predates Sleep No More - you can see how it inspired that production. Clearly the creators of Sleep No More saw this at La Mama before staging their Minotaur/Witch scene. Prepare yourselves for nudity! This play does require you to stand for the first 30 minutes as you follow characters around the space. MAGICAL.... Read more Read less