Starting September 6th, the Getty Villa presents Euripides’ 412 B.C. play Helen at its beautiful Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman outdoor theater. Adapted by Nick Salamone and directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, the Greek dramatist re-imagines the famous tale of Helen of Troy. In this version, a middle-aged Helen is stranded in Egypt, still wondering about the outcome of the Trojan War, of which she is ignorant due to a trick by the gods: a replica of Helen was the one stolen away to Troy, while the real woman was secured in Egypt by Hermes and left alone. This leads the way for “mistaken identities and impossible coincidences”, in a rarely performed play that restores Helen’s good name.
A Playwrights’ Arena production, Helen runs on Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm, Sept 6th through 29th. Tickets are $42; students/seniors $38, available online or at (310) 440-7300.
Image via The Getty website
