With bold, vivid language and gripping dramatic conflict, Memnon tells the tale of a powerful Ethiopian king who journeys to the city of Troy to engage in battle during the Trojans' darkest hour. This epic tale from the Greek mythological canon has been overlooked for over a millennium. Until now.
Written by Will Power
Directed by Carl Cofield
Choreographed by Tiffany Rea-Fisher
Co-Produced by the Classical Theatre of Harlem
About the Company
The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) is an American theater company that tells stories through the lens of the African diaspora. CTH combines original adaptations, music, and dance to present great classics of world literature and contemporary works that will stand the test of time. Since its founding in 1999, CTH has presented works ranging from traditional classical playwrights (Anton Chekhov, Euripides and William Shakespeare) to established 20th-century playwrights (August Wilson, Langston Hughes and Jean Genet) to new plays by emerging playwrights. CTH also proudly provides theater-based training and live theater experiences to Harlem youth and their families through its arts education program, Project Classics. The organization incorporates other theater-related programming including Future Classics, Playwrights' Playground, and Revisited Classics to engage new audiences, invest in artistic development and give exposure to emerging creators.
See what the critics are saying!
"This world premiere production of "Memnon," a collaboration between the Getty Villa and the Classical Theatre of Harlem, represents an act of cultural recovery…"Memnon" deserves praise not only for resurrecting a too little-known mythological figure but also for being as at home in the ancient world as in our own."
— Los Angeles Times"Memnon finds inspiration in what it means for a Black man, who's been othered in many ways by the society he was born into, to be asked to fight for it."
— KCRW"It would be hard to imagine a more beautiful venue for this work, and hard to recommend a better evening one could spend at the theatre this summer…and the effect is a production with a lasting, heartfelt impact. In a whirlwind of 80 minutes, the Getty is sure to have audiences thrilled with their annual offering."
— Andrew Child, Broadway World
