One of the final reviews ever to be posted on Theatre Vault: Helen of Sparta by Jacob M. Appel, posted August 20, 2011. Enjoy!
Review Roundup: It’s all Tweaked Greek at Raconteur’s Helen
by Betty Peters
Suppose we take some sketchy historical information about the Trojan War and attempt to fill in the details by superimposing contemporary ideas and anecdotes on the ancient characters and situations that we have heard about Racounteur Theatre’s Helen Of Sparta by Jacob M. Appel seeks to define these alleged heroes and heroines of Troy and Sparta as ordinary, everyday folks like the ones we encounter or read about in our modern world. Director Daniele Mari unwinds this spoofy tale of love, lust and misguided ambition by having her cast emphasize the caricaturish flaws and foibles of their characters. Garbrielle Perrea is pretty and convincing in presenting the many moods of the diva-like demanding Helen. The aspects of warrior, lover and dumb-guy-doing-anything-to-please-his-woman, are captured nicely in Brian Spangler’s demeanor as Paris. He is handsome and well-suited to the role –tattoos and all. Oenone, well-played by Lorelei Moore, is Paris’s wife. She drinks to forget and collaborates with Helen to trap and abuse Paris. The flippant attitude that Moore brings to this part is to be savored and appreciated. Heather Fidler demonstrates many levels in her roles as Cassandra, an army officer, and two security guards who try to prevent Menelaus from taking passage to Troy. Edwyn Williams as Helen’s husband, King Menelaus, barters convincingly with the security screeners and pleads mightily with himself and the gods. Gregory Kimbro is probably the least confident among this talented cast in his role as the warrior Protesilaus. There are several moments in the beginning when Kimbro seems unsure of his lines and his place on stage. But this quickly passes as he warms to the quest of being the first Spartan to land at Troy and rescue Helen. Krista Threadgill, as Protesilaus’s wife, Laodamia, provides a great counterpoint to Kimbro’s uncertainty. She is very confident and comfortable on stage. Though Laodamia is obsessed with lists and cannot be spontaneous, she seems to be the token character with sanity and practicality among the players in this semi-Greek farce.
Mari has chosen modest staging. Carolyn Speicher’s costumes are simple yet effective. She places the women in flowing garments whose lengths seem to match their stations in life, while the men are outfitted in plain, loose-fitting pants, tunics and vests. David Hard’s set has Sparta represented at one side of the space with a ship-like platform while Troy looms at the opposite end with a more elaborate, flowery deck. This leaves a wide expanse in the center where the actors can play with abandon. Props fall from the ceiling as gifts from the gods to the delight of the audience, which eagerly anticipates each new offering in the certainty that it will not be what the characters asked for, but will probably be something they can use no matter how odd it seems.
The script contains great lines to poke fun at the foibles of humanity. But after a while, some of the parodies grow a little tiresome. Using analogies from contemporary airport security screenings to depict Menelaus’s difficulties in obtaining passage to Troy, seems a bit too contrived. The longer it goes on, the less amusing it becomes. Overall Helen of Sparta is a pleasant piece of entertainment. Who knows what really happened in Greece during those ancient days? To what heights of accomplishment or depths of idiocy did devotion to a cause lead those characters? What sacrifices did they really make for those they loved or thought they loved?
Raconteur’s Helen of Sparta continues through August 27th at Mad Lab’s theatre space, 227 N. 3rd St., Columbus, OH, with evening performances Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m and a Sunday matinee August 21st at 2:00 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for students/seniors. Raconteur also offers “industry nights” on Thursdays: theatre artists may bring a headshot, resume, and/or business card to receive a buy-one-get-one ticket offer at the door.
Betty is an active volunteer in the administrative and business aspects of theatre. She was recently honored by the Ohio Community Theatre Association (OCTA) with the “Spirit Award” , in recognition of her enthusiasm and support for Central Ohio community theatre. Betty holds a Journalism degree from Ohio University. She is retired from Federal Civil Service and the Army Reserve and enjoys attending as many live theatre performances as possible.
Where are they now?
Since playing Helen, Gabrielle Perrea has pursued a career in entertainment as a Stunt Performer finding success in both theatre and film, most notably the film “Trial of the Chicago 7!”
Lorelei Moore has taken a (far too long) hiatus from theatre, and is entertaining all offers to provide entertainment in the Columbus area!
Brian Spangler acts in commercial spots locally in Ohio and neighboring states, recently having a supporting role in a feature called “Her Only Way” (shot in December in Kentucky) that should be streaming some time in 2026!
Was your show featured in the original Theatre Vault? Drop the name of the play below and I’ll see if I can find your review in the archives for a future Friday!