Theatre in Review: Memnon (Classical Theatre of Harlem)The playwright Will Power has sometimes drawn on classical material in works like The Seven, based on Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes, and Seize the King, a contemporary riff on Richard III. In Memnon, he goes a step further, creating a surprisingly convincing synthetic ancient Greek drama. The play is based on an episode from the Trojan War; Sophocles dramatized it, but the text was lost long, long ago. With no theatrical predecessor, Power breathes life into a bygone dramatic format, filling it with words that, in their raw power, resonate with today's racial and gender politics. It is a startling achievement. Because the story of Memnon is played down in The Iliad, it also packs more suspense and surprise than, say, well-known (and authentically Greek) classics like Medea and Oedipus. The title character is an Ethiopian king and the estranged nephew of King Priam. The war is going very badly for the Trojans, and the death of Hector at the hands of Achilles has left them dangerously dispirited. Memnon's help is solicited, but neither he nor Priam is happy about it. Priam rants about Memnon's "treacherous soul," but Memnon has plenty of reasons for not trusting Priam, which, when revealed, aroused murmurs of dismay from the audience at the performance I attended. (Let's just say he's fed up with Priam's double-dealing, and for good reason.) Furthermore, Memnon confuses the Trojans with talk of his hard-acquired peacemaking skills; at first glance, he isn't at all the savior they have been praying for. Underlying this fractious relationship is a pronounced undertone of racial tension. Priam dismisses Memnon, who is Black, as "The African. Son of the East." Savagely delivered by Jesse J. Perez as Priam, these are not compliments. But Memnon has plenty of grievances regarding his treatment: "Now times there were when reminded I was/That Troy and I were not the same, that I/Was Troy but not fully Trojan, kind and/Not kin, still would I tuck feelings away/Act as if no slights and jabs I felt/From you, from 'noble' Hector, from Paris, from Troy." Even in the pre-Christian world, it seems, microaggressions ruled. And a Black man is mostly prized for the blood he might spill to preserve the status quo. In any case, a devil's bargain is struck, which leads to plenty more violence: Memnon kills Antilochus, son of Nestor. Then Achilles returns for another round, engaging in a direly consequential face-off with Memnon. If you think a happy ending is in store, remember how the Trojan War turned out. Memnon will be forced to pay the ultimate price for a society that doesn't value his existence. Power sticks to the structure of Greek drama, with plenty of exposition, a choral figure who describes action on the battlefield (David Darrow, marshaling plenty of lung power), and scalding confrontations that leave no one unscathed. The action is taut, with little time for psychology. But director Carl Cofield has rounded up actors who are at home with Power's muscular blank verse, adopting a declamatory style that reverberates with the fury of characters who enjoy verbally skinning each other alive. Eric Berryman stuns in the title role: nothing in this fine actor's past roles prepares one for his outsized presence and knifelike way with words. Equally powerful is Andrea Patterson as Helen, who, no mere warrior's prize, denounces her life in Greece, where she was "owned like a painting for the world to admire/Body fancied, the mind and will retired." As Achilles, Jesse Corbin is an eminently well-spoken opponent, especially in the exciting sword-and-shield battle staged by fight director Emmanuel Brown. Fully supporting this tale of battle, betrayal, and human sacrifice are Riw Rakkulcon's set design, blending broken classical architecture and metal scaffolding to aptly suggest a crumbling civilization, and Alan C. Edwards' lighting which makes good use of strongly articulated beam looks and classic sidelight, the latter used to burnish the choreographed sequences by Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Video designers Yee Eun Nam and Hannah Tran flood the set with interesting textures and, in one especially eerie moment, a ghostly army from Memnon's kingdom. Celeste Jennings' costumes vividly render the differences between Trojan and Ethiopian styles; Helen also benefits from a stunning ensemble. Frederick Kennedy provides stirring music and utterly clear amplification. Classical Theatre of Harlem is especially to be cherished for enlivening the theatre's annual summer silly season with work of real distinction, presented with considerable design panache. After weeks of frivolous and/or low-energy attractions, it's a positive relief to enjoy tragedy with real teeth. This is one of this fine company's standout productions. --David Barbour 
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