Farm Arts Collective is devising a new performance inspired by The Trojan Women, a war tragedy written by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides (416 BC). Scattered Seeds of Troy veers from the classic text with an innovative eco-interpretation of the play. We are asking these questions:

What seeds does each character take with them when they are forced off their land? How do you find hope in a hopeless situation?

Conceived and directed by artistic director Tannis Kowalchuk, the performance is in development with performers Jess Beveridge (Helen), Costanza Bugiani, (Cassandra) Ginny Hack (Andromache) and Tannis Kowalchuk (Hecuba). The production team also includes musician Char McCutcheon, lighting design and production manager Calvin Anderson, costume designer Kar Flood, and stage manager Debra Thomas.

ANTI-WAR FEMINIST PLAY At the opening of the performance, we meet four primary characters from The Trojan Women. Stripped of their autonomy, social position, family, and home, they are each being taken against their will by the enemy, many of them, as slaves.

AN ANCIENT STORY THAT REFUSES TO STAY IN THE PAST

Using the poetic text and storyline from Euripides ‘original tragedy (possibly the first anti-war play ever written) the artist-farmers of Farm Arts Collective explore the devastations of war in a contemporary and sadly, very real story today. But as the plot progresses, the characters find a small glimmer of hope— SEEDS! In their exodus, they decide to bring seeds from home.

SEEDS of HOPE

Scattered Seeds of Troy explores how the very idea to carry seeds in a hostile, authoritarian, patriarchal, and militarized world provides healing and empowerment.  For thousands of years humans have grown plants, cooked, made art, and war; and when people migrate, cultures, plants, language, food, and ideas spread with them.  Seeds provide a biological and spiritual connection to their lost homeland. The contemporary Indian activist, Vandana Shiva says “We are free when the seed is free,” and Shiva is the inspiration for the Goddess of Agriculture in our play’s mythology.

DEVISED ORIGINAL THEATRE

Tannis Kowalchuk works in a unique creative process. The actors develop their characters (text, movement, gestures) in studio rehearsal through prompts from the director.  By weaving together the devised material generated by the performers and designers, they wright the playscript and in deep collaboration, the collective produces an original, visually spectacular theatre performance.

All photos below are by Jonathan Charles Fox