In the Kenworthy Theater on a warm June evening, the lights turn down and a character steps onto the stage, seeming exhausted and carrying a suitcase. He sets himself up on the table provided, and begins to explain to the audience his purpose. He concludes his introduction saying, “Every time I sing this song, I hope that it’s the last.”
In this one-man show, David Harlan stars as The Poet, a soldier who has fought in every war since the seven-year conflict at Troy.
His costume is a combination of different eras, signifying the idea of a timeless warrior. This includes a kilt, a trench coat and several other pieces. The coat is covered in dirt and dried blood. There is a large gash on the left breast. When The Poet takes off the coat, the audience can see that the shirt he is wearing also has a sewn gash, with more dried blood. The wide range of eras represented in the costume is meant to evoke the idea that The Poet has been through the many wars.
Dave Harlan sets out to tell one of the greatest stories ever written in his one man showing of the Homer’s ‘The Iliad’.
Harlan describes the Iliad as one of the greatest stories ever told, and that this adaptation is a wonderful way to tell the story to a modern audience. Using analogies that present people can understand and even relate to, “An Iliad” is laced with a dark humor, serious in its concepts of war and destruction.
The Poet adapted into several personas as he told his story, using accents and gestures to embody the different characters of the Iliad. He became very passionate as he described the battles between Patroclus, the Trojans and Achilles against Hector. The dialogue along with the stellar performance that Harlan gives makes one believe that The Poet was truly there, and that he truly knew the characters.
As a one-man show, the actor playing The Poet must embody the character and take over the stage. As Harlan describes it, The Poet appears and he is practically forced to tell his story.
Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare wrote an Iliad. The play runs 100 minutes with no intermission.
I saw the play on its opening night, June 2. It was more powerful than I had expected, even brought me to tears at times.
Toward the end of the performance, The Poet lists off 145 wars, every major conflict since the fall of Troy. The message that the human race should end conflict is both apparent and powerful.
Mary Phipps
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