Performance Network Presents an Effective "Illiad"

The Illiad, an ancient poem that remains a cornerstone of Western literature, may at first seem remote to twenty first century audiences. It is attributed to the Greek poet Homer, who told us of the “war to start all wars”: the siege of Troy.

Here, it has been adapted by contemporary playwrights Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare into a compelling one-man show. The uninitiated need not fear a stuffy recitation – though there are occasional throwbacks to its origins, including a few lines spoken in the original Greek, most of it is delivered in an appealingly modern vernacular.

Actor John Manfredi plays the solo part, a character known only as “the Poet”, who unobtrusively enters onto a set that seems starkly post-apocalyptic. Dressed  shabbily in a trenchcoat and hat, he begins to tell his tale –  one he has shared many times before. For centuries. But, it seems, he must tell it again, until the world decides to listen.

Manfredi makes for an intensely fascinating narrator, delivering his story with urgency and weariness, humor and anguish. He occasionally embodies other characters in the drama, running the gamut from principals to secondary figures. With just a few slight adjustments to posture and voice, he transforms from the frail king Priam, who gives a heart-wrenching plea for the body of his dead son Hector, into the triumphant warrior Achilles, all in full view of the audience.  The Poet also enhances his story at times with music, carefully selected from his pile of old LPS, resulting in a poignant underscore.

Perhaps the most chilling aspect of the performance is not the vivid descriptions of warriors in battle, but the litany of human conflict the Poet recites. It builds in intensity with each one he mentions, while designer Andrew J. Hungerford’s eerie lighting works to support its gravity.  “Every time I sing this song,” the Poet says at one point, “I hope it’s the last time.”

An Illiad runs through Oct. 27 at Performance Network in Ann Arbor, Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, with matinees on Saturdays at 3 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. For tickets, go to www.performancenetwork.org.