The Trojan Women

The Trojan Women by Euripides. (Also translated as “The Women of Troy”) A play often done (in Afrikaans and English) by drama departments because of the large female cast. First production recorded in South Africa was produced by Muriel Alexander and performed in the Pretoria Town Hall in 1919. This was the first production of a Greek play in South Africa.****. Many other productions in English followed over the years, including one by students of the University of Cape town at the National Arts Festival, 1984, directed by Shirley Ellis, set designed by Robert Finlayson, lighting by Ellis and Mark Fleishman, costumes Claire Berlein, stage manager Mark Hoeben, starring Hoeben, Robert Finlayson, Belinda Koning, Isadora Verwey and others.

In 1987 it was the used for the opening production of the Adcock-Ingram Auditorium in Johannesburg, directed by**.

In 1944 an Afrikaans version (Die Vroue van Troje, translated by J.P.J. van Rensburg) was done by the ADK in Cape Town, directed by Truida Louw, with Aletta Gericke as Kassandra, Ria Olivier, Fred le Roux, Dawid Fuchs, Minna Louw, Alida Gericke, Suzanne van Wyk. It was repeated in September 1945 by Volksteater, Pretoria, to mark their tenth anniversary, directed by Anna Neethling-Pohl and Jan Schutte, decor by Kobus Esterhuysen. ** In 1976 a superb adapted version of the an Afrikaans text (by **) was done under the title Vroue van Troje in the Upstairs Studio at the Market Theatre (Dir Barney Simon), featuring Wilna Snyman, Sandra Prinsloo, ** and Marius Weyers. ** The Afrikaans text by Van Rensburg published by Nasionale Pers in 1945.

Another translation into Afrikaans is included in the publication Die Antieke Drama. 1, Tragedie, by T.J. Haarhoff (1892-1971). Afrikaanse Pers, 1946.

Sources

Huisgenoot, 30(1224):3, 1945.

Trek, 8(23):15, 1944.

National Arts festival programme, 1984.

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