We are thrilled to be involved in presenting a special staged reading of a new verse play: No Commoner Tale, or The Final Trials of Helen of Troy.

Helen of Sparta arrives at the dysfunctional household of Troy's ruling family, complete with brides-to-be, an all-seeing sister-in-law, warriors in preparation, and a devoted servant with his beloved royal chicken. But before the Trojan ships are launched in the would-be queen's defense, a jury of siblings must decide the fate of one of their own--and understand what really brought Helen to Troy.

 

No Commoner Tale, or The Final Trials of Helen of Troy is a timely, new verse play that tells the messier version of a familiar story, in a world where women are traded for political advantage and even the most valiant men will sacrifice integrity to protect their power. 

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What's the story behind this piece?

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Back in October, Quinn reached out asking if Classics on the Rocks had any interest in new verse work, mentioning that he had script that dealt with rape culture and the way men are taught to behave - a script that borrowed from Shakespeare’s style. Reading it, our artistic director was taken aback at how well-written and in tune it was with Shakespeare’s use of language.

 

The idea to present No Commoner Tale as a staged reading came from our company's approach to Shakespeare and classical theatre: we are minimalistic with sets and costumes, so that the words of the plays are the real stars of our productions. With a staged reading, that is highlighted tenfold, so it felt like a perfect fit for us, while also helping with the continued development of this play.

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Tickets can be purchased below via PayPal. The performance will be general admission, but we are adopting a pay-what-you-can mentality and have several pricing options. Limited availability! Advance reservations are strongly recommended.