Troilus and Cressida
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024
7:30pm to 10:00pm
Part of: Troilus and Cressida
13
Troilus and Cressida is one of Shakespeare's most experimental and modern plays and his most gruelling depiction of love and war.
Troilus and Cressida is one of Shakespeare's most experimental and modern plays and his most gruelling depiction of love and war. Starting seven years into the Trojan War, Shakespeare dissects and satirizes themes of political maneuvering, the hypocrisy of honour, and the complexities (or disillusionments) of love. Exposed to the savage and corrupting influence of pride, Shakespeare portrays a world where loyalty and honour are questioned, where characters struggle to reconcile personal desires with the harsh realities of a male-dominant hierarchy, and where women are traded like playing cards (and queer people are ignored or entirely erased). Although the titular characters are central to the action, it is not the only love story struggling to survive the cruel grips of war. This production reimagines this rarely-seen play by queering (in both form and content) the classical canon, looking at multiple characters (and scenes) through a modern queer lens. This adaptation also features text from Shakespeare's original sources to highlight the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles.