Troilus And Cressida

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Director Jemma Levy discusses her incredibly successful production of Shakespeare’s problem play Troilus and Cressida for the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern in the fall of 2023. Jemma reveals what makes the play so complicated to pull off; how she managed to craft a through-line for it with the help of talented actors and and wise dramaturgical archeology; the frustration of not knowing any of the Trojan War’s inside jokes; the problem of the title; the complication of not knowing who to root for; the play’s many shifts of tones; the ability to edit the play and give it a better focus; the degree to which Troilus and Cressida can be considered satire, pastiche, or parody; and the best way to handle “constant awful” – by laughing at it. (Length 20:29) (PICTURED l-r: Kenneth Wigley, Claire F. Martin, and Adam King in Troilus and Cressida at the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern, September 2023, directed by Jemma Levy. Photo by Nicholas Tycho Reed.)

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