The University Player’s new season opened last weekend with the tragic war play, “Ajax in Iraq.” This thought-provoking production is directed by John Farmanesh-Bocca and written by Ellen McLaughlin.
Like war, the show was very upfront, direct and intense throughout the entire production. The show opened with the soldiers and the title character, Ajax, in a dance to “Sail” by Awolnation that immediately captured the attention for the audience. It set the confrontational and intense tone of the entire production.
Set on a minimalistic stage, the play tells the parallel war stories of A.J., a female private fighting in the war in Iraq (Tricia Arlene Bowen) and Sophocles’ ancient Greek tragic character Ajax (Erik Mann).
Although the stage is simple with only a lone tent standing upstage as well as a mound of modern military helmets, that represents all the lives lost to the war; the cast of undergrads who make up the ensemble of American soldiers and Greek characters fill the whole theatre with explosive energy. The ensemble plays dual roles throughout the production as soldiers and also a traditional Greek chorus.
The parallel stories of A.J. and Ajax effortlessly weave in and out of each other with some help from a merciless Athena played brilliantly by Catherine Loughnane. The Greek goddess of war and wisdom tells the audience of her actions that lead to the fall of the mighty hero Ajax. Her complete disregard for compassion and utter joy at Ajax’s breakdown highlighted one of the main themes of the production: that war is without sense. This theme is echoed throughout the production from some of the American soldiers who question their purpose in the war.
The dual stories of ancient and modern war questions the point and productivity of war. The same betrayal and torture that happened to Ajax in ancient Greece also happened to A.J. in modern times. Human nature cannot be cured and therefore, both characters, although separated by thousands of years, meet the same tragic end.
This drama is intensified by monologues performed by the ensemble which show the effects of war from different perspectives. There is a group of veterans who are firsthand victims of the effect of war and whose transition back into society has been a hardship. There is also a military wife whose heartbreaking tale of her husband’s struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder shows how war can affect everyone who is surrounded by it.
Although the stories of A.J. and Ajax were extremely similar, one of the main differences was Chelsea Brynd’s character Connie Magnus. Connie is a female soldier stationed in Iraq with A.J. who was the only one who showed any care towards the horrific things happening to A.J. Brynd’s portrayal of the friend was lively and compassionate, and in the end, it was her monologue that really dug into the universal human effects that war can bring.
“Ajax in Iraq” will run until Oct. 13 with performances at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Saturday matinees. This production is in the Studio Theater on the Cal State Long Beach’s south campus. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for seniors and students (with valid ID). For tickets and information, visit csulb.edu/depts/theatre.
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