
“The Cure at Troy" at Riverside Theatre -- January 30 through February 9.
Thursday, January 30, through Sunday, January 9
Riverside Theatre, 119 East College Street, Iowa City IA
A thrilling adaptation of Sophocles’ play Philoctetes by celebrated Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, The Cure at Troy serves as the first 2025 production at Iowa City's Riverside Theatre, the show's January 30 through February 9 run treating audiences to what Broad Street Review deemed "a rousing exploration of how our dark impulses threaten to shatter the soul – and how the light of compassion can temper our baser urges."
Heaney's compelling adaptation of Sophocles' classic Greek tragedy delves into themes of morality, deception, and the human condition. The Cure at Troy's narrative finds Odysseus seeking out the banished Philoctetes in hopes of gaining a strategic advantage for the Greeks in their prolonged siege of Troy. He enlists the son of Achilles in an elaborate deception to steal a weapon of immense power. But in the conflict between private and public morality, do the ends justify the means?
Sophocles' ancient text finds new urgency in this adaptation by Irish poet and Nobel Laureate Heaney. Born in Northern Ireland in 1939, Heaney's works often reflect the rich tapestry of Irish rural life and history against the backdrop of prolonged conflict. The Cure at Troy contains some of Heaney's most famous lines, including the Chorus's reflection that sometimes "hope and history rhyme." Riverside Theatre's latest presentation offers a unique opportunity to experience Heaney's masterful blend of classical themes with modern sensibilities, promising an evening of thought-provoking and inspiring theatre.
Riverside's producing artistic director Adam Knight returns to the directing chair for The Cure at Troy, his other recent presentations including Scalia/Ginsburg, A Case for the Existence of God, The Trip to Bountiful, and last summer's Shakespeare in the park Julius Caesar. “Coming into the new year after such an eventful 12 months, it felt important to go back to the well with this very old tale,” says Knight. "Not only was the work of Sophocles instrumental in defining Western theatrical traditions – it was also the product of a society engaged in the first bold, fraught democratic experiment. Bringing to life the words of Heaney, considered by many to be the greatest 20th century poet, feels appropriate in this UNESCO City of Literature."
Kelly Garrett serves as the play's stage manager, with additional members of Knight's creative team including: assistant stage manager Nat Payán; scenic designer Kaelen Novak; costume designer Cassandra Williams; lighting designer Haven Haywood; sound designer Dakota Parobek; and props designer Stephen Polchert. Frequent Riverside actor Tim Budd (A Walk in the Woods, The Weir, Henry V) portrays The Cure at Troy's Philoctetes, and the six-person ensemble is completed by Aaron Stonerook as Odysseus, Mark Worth as Neoptolemus, and Cristina Goyeneche, K. Michael Moore, and Olivia Winters as the Chorus.
The Cure at Troy, its presentation made possible by generous support from The Robert E. Yager Charitable Trust. runs at the Iowa City theatre from January 30 through February 9, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A special talkback with the performers and director, hosted by Miriam Gilbert, will take place after the matinee on Sunday, February 2, and attendance at that day's performance is not required to participate. Admission is $15-39, and more information and tickets are available by calling (319)259-7099 and visiting RiversideTheatre.org.