An Iliad

Last week, we went to The Rep to see An Iliad. The Iliad was an account of the Trojan War told by The Poet. It is a long and detailed telling of a long and brutal war. This play was an adaptation for the modern day. The Poet stood in a bombed out factory. At several points, he related the events and inhabitants of that ancient war, to the wars since, to bring the impact home to us.

The Poet gave no dry reading of the ancient text. He brought Achilles and Hector to life, in all their rage. It was a sort of one-man show. Actor Jim DeVita told and acted the story through The Poet. He had the look of a soldier, someone who understood what happened on the battlefield. He communicated the brutality and futility of war and the grief and rage. And the sheer desperation in having to tell it once more.

There was a cellist onstage. Alicia Storin was The Poet's muse. She appeared through the back wall, and was a clear tie between this world and the ancient one. Where the gods were literally involved in the war, she appeared as the anchor to them, in the factory.

Reviews:
“It’s a good story,” says the lone figure, just emerged from the darkness, as he launches into this modern, enthralling adaptation of Homer’s epic poem that relives the glory and brutality of the Trojan War. Wisconsin-favorite actor, James DeVita, shares the stage with a virtuoso musician in this lean, muscular, tour-de-force performance filled with wit and wisdom that conjures the rage of the gods as it delves deep into mankind’s attraction to violence and destruction.

APT's Jim DeVita brings war to the home front in 'An Iliad' at Milwaukee Repertory Theater

Milwaukee Rep, Jim DeVita's "Iliad" Is Tour-de-Force