A Brief History of Helen of Troy

by Mark Schultz

Charlotte is fifteen and grieving over the loss of her beautiful mother. Her relationship with her father is put to the test as she discovers sex, ambition and 'beauty products'. Inspired by Euripides but with its sights set firmly on contemporary America, A Brief History of Helen of Troy is an unsettling examination of complacency culture and the politics of beauty.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre

86 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2005

About the author

Mark Schultz is an American writer and illustrator of books and comics. His most widely recognized work is the creator-owned comic book series Xenozoic Tales, which describes a post-apocalyptic world where dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures coexist with humans. In 1993, Xenozoic Tales was adapted into an animated series titled Cadillacs and Dinosaurs and a video game of the same name. Schultz's other notable works include various Aliens comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse and a four-year run on the DC Comics series Superman: The Man of Steel. In 2004, Schultz took over the scripting duties of the Prince Valiant comic strip.

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, rounded up.

I love it when a play breaks all the boundaries and just goes for broke, and boy howdy does this ever. The playwright keeps the audience on its toes, never knowing if what is happening is reality, or if protagonist Charlotte has gone totally bonkers. While the play is savagely funny, it also ponders some very heady issues around grief, beauty, sexuality and teenage angst. Love to see this preformed, or even direct it myself. Immediately ordered Schultz's other two plays in print. Bravo!

[Izzie Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually horrifying to read because the main character is so fucked up but I thoroughly enjoyed this piece, can’t imagine seeing it staged though that would be a lot. very interesting.

[Phoebe Meikle · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Emma]

Friggin Helen of Troy she's the worst.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern interpretations of classical myths always attract attention with their freshness and unexpected angles, and the play “Everything Will Be Different: A Brief History of Helen of Troy” is no exception. This text, adapted for theatrical productions, explores the famous story of Helen of Troy, but through the prism of modern drama, which allows us to look at the heroine and her fate in a different way.

Structure and language of the work

The text is characterized by a dynamic structure, which makes it convenient for embodiment on stage. The story is presented through monologues and dialogues saturated with the inner feelings of the characters, which gives the actors space for deep emotional interpretations. The language is simple and modern, making the Greek myth more accessible to the viewer without simplifying its symbolism and cultural significance.

Characters and Interpretation

In this play, Helen of Troy appears not just as an object of desire and a cause of war, but as a person struggling with the realization of her own role in history. Her image is revealed with special attention to emotional aspects - she is a woman, a hostage to circumstances, who realizes the consequences of her actions and tries to find meaning in the chaos of events around her.

Supporting characters, such as Paris and Menelaus, are also given the opportunity to show new facets of their characters, which gives the work a multi-layered character. This is not just a story about love and betrayal, but a reflection on freedom of choice and destiny.
Opportunities for theater

The work offers a wide range of possibilities for directorial interpretations and visual design. Scenography can range from minimalist solutions to elaborate sets symbolizing the destruction of Troy and the inner world of the characters. This text is ideal for contemporary theaters looking for new forms and original approaches to timeless themes.

Conclusion

“Everything will be different: A Brief History of Helen of Troy” is a work that combines classical drama and modern artistic solutions. It reveals new facets of the myth, making the viewer think about the nature of heroism, love and responsibility. For those looking for inspirational theater productions, this work will be a godsend.

To find out more about contemporary theatrical interpretations and cultural events, visit visionifestival.it, which offers an extensive overview of creative projects and performances.

[Jordan Jackson]

I did a monologue from this way back in high school for a theater project, and it is still is my go-to monologue. When I age out of being able to somewhat pass for a 15-year-old from far away, I don't know what monologue I'll do instead. This one is just really good.

The play itself is kind of a mess, but not in a poorly-written way. There are scenes that are fascinating to read (Charlotte goes to her school counselor to ask how to become a porn star. I think in a different story, that could have been explored SUPER CAREFULLY in a funny and insightful way.) There's just a lot of crazy stuff happening all the time.

I'm not sure exactly what I was supposed to get out of it or what feeling I was supposed to come away with. It was just a lot. It might just be me not being accustomed to reading plays. Maybe someone more savvy than me would get it. I was just along for the ride. So I don't really have any idea how I'd rate this play at all.

But a lot of the monologues in it are like so great.

[margaret gahagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

i kind of have no words to even describe this play? like it was just so wild and i didn’t dislike it at all but i feel like it was almost so deep that its casually written nature doesn’t fit. idk. it was good but choppy and ended abruptly. i think it needs time to sink into my brain more maybe? and then i might get it?

[Viki Gyo · Rating 3 out of 5]

weird fucking play but lowk those are the best kind,
I still need to look into the analytical side of things but I love when writers just write without hesitation because of judgement or how successful it’ll be they just do it because they have a specific artistic intention in mind

[Doug S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An evocative and surreal play about the fantasy of what it means to grow up.

A Brief History of Helen of Troy or (Everything Will Be Different - as the name it is licensed under in the US) tells the story of Charlotte, a teenager who feels lost after her mother's death (or leaving? disappearance?) I'm not entirely sure if Charlotte's mom has actually died or has just left the family.

Charlotte uses the ancient story of Helen of Troy as a means to cope with this loss. She finds interest in beauty and pornography while dismissing true friendship.

The play never fully states what is real and what is imagined. It is up to the production team and audience to decide how much of Charlotte's activities are acted upon and what is purely a thought experiment as a way of survival.

The themes of the play are quite dark with a few moments of brevity mixed throughout.

[Kaysy Ostrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm doing a monologue from this for my audition tomorrow (AAAAANERVOUSNESS) and the monologue is GREAT. The play itself has it's great moments but, forgive my french, it's fucked up. The main character, 15, has been emotionally abused by her father who tells her she isn't pretty and will never be loved and then she tries to validate herself through sex. Some of the scenes are imagined so you don't know if some of the things actually happened or not. Either way, it was not a boring read and I got a great monologue out of it so it was worth it for me, although not something I would highly suggest or anything.

[idiomatic · Rating 4 out of 5]

messy but so precisely designed for me