"The Persians' at People's Light

Ellen McLaughlin’s The Persians is a mesmerizing event for anyone interested in the constancy of human relationships and universal reactions to power.

This presentation— a recent adaptation of the oldest drama in existence— was commissioned by Tony Randall and the National Actors Theatre in 2003. The original of 472 B.C., by Aeschylus, a Greek veteran of the Persian wars against Athens, is a timely reminder of rulers’ hubris and the human costs of war.

The play, presented in a modified classical Greek theater style with amorphous contemporary dress, takes place in the stately loggia of a Persian public hall. Told from the Persian point of view, it relates the astounding defeat of the mighty Persian forces by the vastly outnumbered Athenians at the battle of Salamis in 480 B. C.

Queen Atossa (movingly played by Melanye Finister) appears before her seven Counselors, the traditional Greek chorus, to relate her disturbing dreams of the fate of the warriors led by her young son Xerxes, a recent heir to the throne. Not content with ruling the mighty Persian Empire, Xerxes wanted to rule the world and would begin by controlling Athens, that upstart democracy whose citizens constantly preached about their egalitarian principles. At the queen’s entrance, the Counselors prostrate themselves, raving about the wisdom and virtues of her son, the king.

Instinctively cheering the underdog

Suddenly a messenger (Miriam Hyman) enters, almost collapsing with fatigue, recounting the total defeat of the Persians at Salamis. “Thousands upon thousands have perished; their mighty fleet destroyed...” a disaster ascribed entirely to the wily deceit of those Greeks. We in the audience all instinctively love stories of the underdog outsmarting its opponent, but before we can cheer, we witness the consequences of defeat.

Of course the Counselors now revile Xerxes, none of them taking any blame for supporting the action. They mourn the financial as well as the human costs of war and find it impossible to recall the rationale for this campaign. The Chairman (Kevin Bergen) relates his early trepidation about the undertaking: “I told you so.” “I was afraid of this,” resounds across the chorus.

The Queen mourns on behalf of all the bereaved mothers and wives throughout her kingdom. By contrast, Aeschylus, a Greek, empathized with all human loss and mourning.

The defeated Xerxes arrives, alone with his tragic memories. Only his mother greets and embraces him. Tellingly, the Counselors no longer bow and scrape but disown their previous vows of love and loyalty.

A lesson for George W.

“Defeat is an orphan,” then, now and across the centuries. This production, directed by Jade King Carroll, is a gripping re-enactment by an excellent cast of a play initially financed and produced by Pericles, before he became the famous Athenian statesman. You simultaneously weep for the young soldiers uselessly killed in every war, mourn with the women yet cheer for the Athenians.

The staging, with the set designed by James F. Pyne Jr., is elegant and appropriate for McLaughlin’s adaptation of the play, incredibly close to the original. Its 90 minutes of pure drama sets a standard for theater in every age.

The Persians should be required viewing for every one of our presidents, not to mention all presidential and vice presidential candidates. Sadly, I doubt that G.W. could comprehend its depth of meaning or its contemporary application. As for Sarah Palin, it’s too pathetic to consider.