Helen of Sparta is a tragicomic play by Jacob M. Appel. It premiered at the Venus Theatre in Laurel, Maryland on January 23, 2009.[1][2] The play starred Julia Heynen as Helen, D. Grant Cloyd as Paris, Phil Amico as Protesilaus, Mary Burke-Hueffmeier as Laodamia and Ellie Nicoll as Oenone.[3] Critic Ted Ying singled out Heynen's performance as a "forceful personification of the face that launched a thousand ships" and praised her as "beautiful, confident, [and] charismatic."[3]
The play retells the story of the Trojan War from Helen's point of view. Paris kidnaps Helen from Sparta and carries her off to Troy for a casual affair, only to discover that she is an extremely fastidious and demanding captive. At the same time, Helen’s husband, King Menelaus, played by Christian Sullivan; finds his efforts to rescue his wife impeded when he is placed on the Pan-Hellenic “Do Not Sail” list.[2][4] T. Smith in the Baltimore Sun described the play as "original but problematic."[2]
The play was shortlisted for the Best American Plays 2010.[5] It was named one of the ten best regional plays of 2009 by the American Theatre Association.[6]
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