OUT LOUD Theatre Presents Ellen McLaughlin's Visceral Adaptation of THE TROJAN WOMEN this Spring
OUT LOUD Theatre is thrilled to present their first production of 2025 - The Trojan Women, adapted by Ellen McLaughlin and Directed by Founding Artistic Director, Kira Hawkridge this Spring. The Trojan Women is the first installment in OUT LOUD's Season 11 entitled "Self". Join the Ensemble as they take a deep dive into OUT LOUD's expansive Season 11 theme and the wholly collaborative process of creating The Trojan Women. Tickets are now available for this LIMITED RUN May 2-9 at The Hawkridge Center for the Arts (THE HCA) in Pawtucket, RI.
Season 11: Self
"OUT LOUD has always aimed to conceptualize, create, and experience our Seasons as fully and authentically as possible - and a large part of that journey has been to enter into each OUT LOUD Season with an overarching theme. Themes haves always been part of OUT LOUD's creative vocabulary, dating back to 2014 with 'Empty Room, Open Mind'. I have found that entering each Season with an expansive concept, investigation, or question grounds us in our process in a way that opens the door to not only the material itself, but our personal relationships to what we are inviting into our lives, often for years at a time. Our deep dive into "Self" - and all of the many and nuanced places that this theme has already taken us as individuals and as a community - feels thrilling to be able to share with our audiences, inviting them to experience our work this Season through this particular lens." - Founding Artistic Director, Kira Hawkridge (Director)
"All growth starts from within. All learning. All change. It’s impossible to change the world without first meditating within oneself. That being said, we live in a world of constant outside noise and influence and disaster and distraction. That inner quiet is hard to come by, and hard to reach. I know I’m certainly no expert. By consciously exploring this idea of “self”, we are making an intentional effort to quiet that outside noise to reach our inner truth. We may not like what we find, but that’s ok. If we don’t, we’ve at least made the important first step towards change and growth." - Ottavia De Luca (Core Ensemble Member, Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Andromache)
"When I think of myself... I can't help but to think about all the people that molded me into the person I am today and on top of that all the places that have had an impact on me and shaped me to be me.
In The Trojan Women, the city of Troy is such a player in this piece and we all call to it. We dream of this city, we know it like 'the backs of our hands, like the roofs of our mouths,' this city has an imprint on all the characters in this piece and I think it's such an important factor to remember. That my being, who I am, is also because of the places I have lived, the place I was born, raised, moved to, learned in. I often think about the first city that I learned, (shoutout to Philly), and I have a strong kinship with it because it taught me so much it has become a part of me. I often call back to it, reminisce about it, and miss it!
Thinking back to Trojan Women we have this intense moment with Troy throughout the whole play and learning about my character through the eyes of this city that is actively falling it's been a powerful process to be a part of to witness Self so fully tied in with the land, the sand, the sea, and the city of Troy." - Eva Farrell (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
In The Trojan Women, the city of Troy is such a player in this piece and we all call to it. We dream of this city, we know it like 'the backs of our hands, like the roofs of our mouths,' this city has an imprint on all the characters in this piece and I think it's such an important factor to remember. That my being, who I am, is also because of the places I have lived, the place I was born, raised, moved to, learned in. I often think about the first city that I learned, (shoutout to Philly), and I have a strong kinship with it because it taught me so much it has become a part of me. I often call back to it, reminisce about it, and miss it!
Thinking back to Trojan Women we have this intense moment with Troy throughout the whole play and learning about my character through the eyes of this city that is actively falling it's been a powerful process to be a part of to witness Self so fully tied in with the land, the sand, the sea, and the city of Troy." - Eva Farrell (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
"For the longest time I just thought somebody could just have one side of their personality, but upon putting thought into it I've come to realize we're all like stained glass windows, meaning we have different facets of ourselves that we curate over the years. We're a collection of our environments. Trojan Women explores this by showing the different types of women that are affected by the war, and how the women (chorus and named characters) represent each body and soul, and by showing how we can be not only a mother but also a daughter, craftswoman, farmer, etc. We are not defined by one trait." - Samantha Geer (Season 11 Ensemble Member, Cassandra)
"I think this theme “Self” is a theme that makes people instantly think of just themselves but what some don’t realize is that a person can’t be whole without others and The Trojan Women is a perfect example of that. A city coming together after a tragedy, individuals who think they’re alone until they aren’t." - Konstantina Platsidakis (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
"I believe Self is made up of a million components. How we feel about ourselves, the relationships we have and how they shape our relationship with ourself, upbringing, interests, desires, fears etc. all combine to create our image of ourselves. Self is singular in connotation but it is impacted by our experiences with other beings. These experiences with people are extremely formative to our 'self'. The Trojan Women gives a platform to multidimensional humans who have all experienced life differently but we find them in the same disastrous predicament. It makes one question what they would do in a similar circumstance and allows our current self to explore infinite other 'selves' through these women and men. Experiencing The Trojan Women enriches a sense of self by providing a medium and vehicle for an exploration within." - Hayley Wood (Season 11 Ensemble Member, Helen)
The Process
"It's hard to believe that OUT LOUD has been producing material, both traditional and experimental alike, for almost 14 years. Over the course of this journey, I have been fortunate enough to be able to discover so much about our creative process through trial and error, through simply experimenting in our creative laboratory, year after year, taking with us what "works" and investigating, whole heartedly, what could become more effective in our space. Through these experiences, and through the many many collaborators who have shared their time and talents with us, a methodology was born, honed, and now - able to be shared and learned. However, even at this monumental stage in our evolving history, we are far from done with our experimentation. "Collective Breath" - the name of this living organism we call our method - still feels like something that we uncovered vs something that was made - like a combination of a living thing that is entrusted to our collective to foster and a fossil in the earth - either way something that was already there, in need of certain conditions to be able to flourish and grow, or buried in pieces for us to excavate with care and intention, to reassemble and discover together. I'm fortunate enough to call this process my life's work - to continue of facilitate, foster, and uncover with care and intention, sharing what we find and learning by doing." - Founding Artistic Director, Kira Hawkridge (Director)
"Each experience I have with OUT LOUD is unique within itself because of the collaborative and intuitive nature of this work. I am always blown away when a silly game we made up during early stages of rehearsal turns into stunning, meaningful movement and storytelling in the final product of the production. OUT LOUD’s unique process allows me to forget the typical industry standards that can often lend itself to anxiety and burn out. Being cared for as a person first and an actor second is honestly a life changing experience and has brought me an understanding that things can be different. Getting to be my full self because my thoughts and intuitive actions helped build the show will always make me feel empowered and deeply connected to my character and the production itself." - Daria Lyric-Montaquila (Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Hecuba)
"Coming into the Hawkridge Center for the Arts studio with OUT LOUD Theatre has felt like coming back to an artistic home. From auditioning in the "living room" to having an immersive callback experience and being welcomed into The Trojan Women ensemble. It's been a couple of years since I have found a space and ensemble of people who welcome collaborative devising experiences and for that I'm immensely grateful. In my experiences, as a theatre educator these spaces are around for youth however, it's a lot more difficult to find these same spaces as an adult. I was pleasantly surprised to find that OUT LOUD welcomes intergenerational ensemble members to come and be a part of their theatre making processes and this experience has been so rich because of that quality within the current ensemble for "The Trojan Women." - Eva Farrell (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
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"After years of carving away at the OUT LOUD methodology “Collective Breath”, this feels like the first full production that is putting into practice all we’ve learned over the past decade+. It’s so unique and yet makes so much sense. It can be hard to unlearn so much of the stressful and negative aspects of creating theatre, and with Collective Breath you truly feel like you’re on a wave that you are helping to create. It’s such a blessing to be able to build something collaboratively, while having such a strong framework to hold up all that creativity. It’s beautiful and fulfilling work." - Ottavia De Luca (Core Ensemble Member, Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Hecuba)
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"I went into OUT LOUD pretty hesitant and closed off. During callbacks, I immediately felt like I had found my people. I'm so excited to continue my journey with OUT LOUD. The creative, understanding, and supportive environment allows for young actors like myself to grow to our fullest potential." - Ashley Ouellette (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
"I enjoy the collaborative process that OUT LOUD does with their performances. Working with the other cast-mates and hearing their thought process on the piece opens you up to endless possibilities. During this process, it has helped me learn that there is no "wrong" choice, but rather an idea that you are trying out. These choices can change over time and melt into something completely different by the end process, but at least you tried something new! It has allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone." - Lily Ferreira (Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Cassandra)
"I am learning new creative vocabulary, ways to express artistic ideas, ways to express feelings. OUT LOUD's Methodology - Collective Breath - helps mitigate the noise in my head and perfectionistic tendencies. Stopping to physically take breaths together is an effective way to come back to yourself and come back to the space with others. The breath is a unifying human expression and a celebration of living." - Hayley Wood (Season 11 Ensemble Member, Helen)
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"Collective Breath is a process I feel so connected to. It feels like a safe space to explore but also to empower others and truly collaborate with everything we bring into a space as artists. I love being able to share my thoughts with the collective and develop a world based on our minds and bodies." - Katie O'Rourke (Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Andromache)
"I had no idea what to expect from my first project with OUT LOUD, but it has challenged me and fulfilled me in such surprising ways. I've gotten to practice being open with people, both emotionally and physically. It's also been thrilling to see a collaborative project come together with such grace and gentleness over time." - Alex Laughlin (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
The Story
"Working on this piece has been a labor of love for our ensemble. We started this process back in January, and have taken time to learn as much as we can about these characters and about this world we have had the privilege to build together. While we have discovered so much in space together over these months, something that has been important from the beginning was to emphasize that this story is not outside of our modern day reality, not a thought exercise to be left on the shelf - that although it stems from an ancient text, the emotional connection that it offers is as urgent and as vital as ever. It's been impossible to engage with this piece and not hear, feel, and work to honor the echoes and threads that connect these women's stories across time, leading us to our present moment, to our current and urgent call for empathy and for action." - Founding Artistic Director, Kira Hawkridge (Director)
"The Trojan Women is a shockingly empathetic piece that explores the human costs of conflict and displacement. Ellen McLaughlin's adaptation makes the story feel timeless, because it is." - Alex Laughlin (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
"The Trojan Women is extremely timely and timeless. The devastation of the utter destruction of a land and its people is a core part of the harsh reality we face in today’s modern society. If you can not see the parallels between this story and our current day circumstances, you aren’t paying attention. My hope is that The Trojan Women speaks to our audiences and inspires folks to take action — especially creating art that holds up a mirror to today’s society and forces people to reflect on their complicity or their resistance." - Daria Lyric-Montaquila (Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Hecuba)
"The Trojan Women shows the direct aftermath of the fall of Troy and the effects it has on the women directly. We follow the women as they mourn their fallen city and wonder what may come of their lives as they are being prepared to be shipped away to Greece." - Lily Ferreira (Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Cassandra)
"The Trojan Women is a gut-wrenching but beautiful play. It follows the story of women who have lost everything after a tragic war. This piece is so important to be engaging with. Women struggle every day and are still actively fighting for our rights just like the women of Troy. I feel connected to the women in this show and how they are objectified and belittled for simply existing. This is still a problem we face in the world today which makes this show so relevant." - Ashley Ouellette (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
"The Trojan Women is a modern adaptation of an ancient Greek play whose themes are applicable to the world we live in today. It is a story of women who are the collateral and spoils of war, from commoners to royalty. These women wait on the shores of their home, Troy, in this liminal time and space, before they are carted off to Greece to be sold to their different owners as slaves, wives, whores, property. Inherently, it feels that in war, women and children are often collateral damages. They are more often than not civilians who are affected by bombings, rounding ups, fleeing, etc. I feel connected as a modern day woman who sees that life has not changed much in the thousands of years of Earth's existence. It's a cyclical story, peace, war, devastation, rebuilding, etc. When will we learn from our history? Is it our destiny?" - Katie O'Rourke (Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Andromache)
"I am incredibly honored to be telling this story in 2025. I find to be tragically relevant. The heightened emotion of a Greek tragedy doesn’t even begin to touch the living nightmare so many are experiencing today, but it feels like a small way in to shed light on the raw emotion of life during war, during helplessness. The power of human connection has been and always be there for us, if we can only see past our blinders." - Ottavia De Luca (Core Ensemble Member, Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Andromache)
"Greek tragedy has been performed for centuries, in many different formats. This script and adaptation provides a unique perspective, making the language not only easier to understand but more raw and to the point. There is no subtext, only pure emotion. OUT LOUD asks the question, "What masks do we wear in our lives, and how does the world around us affect them?" Having an event as dark as the Trojan War makes us ask ourselves, who are we without the mask, who's behind the stained glass window?" - Samantha Geer (Season 11 Ensemble Member, Cassandra)
“The Trojan Women is a story that is always relevant. Unfortunately there are always dark times in the world and although the US is living through one of those right now, there are places that have been stripped to rubble just like Troy was. While in rehearsal the ensemble finds ourselves thinking about the devastating destruction in Palestine and in California with the LA fires earlier this year. The images we’ve seen of homes turned to dust made us think of how scared the people of Troy might have been during this terrifying time and how they found each other and the sea as a comfort." - Konstantina Platsidakis (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
Why we are eager for you to join us...
"This show is done in such a different way than any performances I have been in or seen. Our show is kept small, personal, and engaging. I believe that audiences will be on the edge of their seats the entire performance and won’t be able to look away because of how raw the show and the performance is." - Ashley Ouellette (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
"The rhythmic poignant text, immersive soundscape and a strongly connected ensemble is bound to create a lasting impact." - Hayley Wood (Season 11 Ensemble Member, Helen)
"In a world that feels volatile, even in a safer place, we should never rest or be ignorant. We should engage with the scary, the unknown, the things that feel farther away from our reality than they actually are." - Katie O'Rourke (Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Andromache)
"As our audiences join us in the journey I would be curious if they could ask themselves the same questions as we spiral into this world together. How do you show up in the hardest of times? What will you bring with you? How do you remain in community in the thick of the worst? What I am finding throughout this play is while I am in the midst of the hardest of times, when I look up across the circle from me and see someone else echoing the same thing I am saying, "Yeah this is hard on me too," or saying the exact same line as me because we are in the chorus. When that personal grief turns into collective grief and is mirrored outside of me somehow it gets easier. Knowing that I don't have to carry all of this alone. I'm not the only one going through this there are other folks holding this mess with me, it's still hard, but the load does get a little lighter." - Eva Farrell (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
"I want to tell people that they are in for a powerful piece of theatre that is sure to move them. This is not traditional Greek theatre although in some ways, with its choral voices and movement pieces, it feels timeless. Theatre should be emotional and make you think and that is what you will experience from The Trojan Women, guaranteed." - Greg Geer (Season 11 Ensemble Member, Poseidon / Talthybius)
"I feel like all I ever want from our audience is just to feel. Feel anything. Come with an open heart and mind, let it wash over you. The research, the ensemble building, the tech, all the work that’s been done over the past few months - we are honored to share it with you." - Ottavia De Luca (Core Ensemble Member, Resident Artist + Company Member, Season 11 Ensemble Member, Andromache)
"I think audiences should join us because we are a cast filled with beautifully talented people emotionally and physically. We have created a family from the months of time we’ve put into this show and it’s nothing short of magical. This show has changed me as an actor and will help me take things I’ve learned from OUT LOUD to make me a better artist." - Konstantina Platsidakis (Season 11 Ensemble Member, The Chorus)
PHOTOGRAPHY BY K.O. PHOTOGRAPHY
ART DIRECTION & MASK DESIGN / CREATION BY KIRA HAWKRIDGE
The Trojan Women
Adapted by Ellen McLaughlin
Creative Team
Direction by ***Kira Hawkridge
Assistant Direction by Megan Hamblen
Technical Direction & Stage Management by ***Marc Tiberiis II
Set & Lighting Design by ***Marc Tiberiis II
Costume, Prop, & Sound Design by ***Kira Hawkridge
Assistant Guides: *Audrey Lavin Crawley, *Mikey Pion, & **Siobhan LaPorte-Cauley
Ensemble Collaborators: *Patricia Tulli-Hawkridge & Aleticia Kyle Tijerina
Performance Ensemble
Hecuba
*Daria Lyric-Montaquila
The Chorus
*Vivian Alianiello
Eva Farrell
Alex Laughlin
Ashley Ouellette
Konstantina Platsidakis
Poseidon / Talthybius
*Ray Fournier
Greg Geer
*Alan Hawkridge
Cassandra
*Lily Ferreira
Samantha Geer
Helen
**Beth Alianiello
Hayley Wood
Andromache
**Ottavia De Luca
*Katie O'Rourke
Direction by ***Kira Hawkridge
Assistant Direction by Megan Hamblen
Technical Direction & Stage Management by ***Marc Tiberiis II
Set & Lighting Design by ***Marc Tiberiis II
Costume, Prop, & Sound Design by ***Kira Hawkridge
Assistant Guides: *Audrey Lavin Crawley, *Mikey Pion, & **Siobhan LaPorte-Cauley
Ensemble Collaborators: *Patricia Tulli-Hawkridge & Aleticia Kyle Tijerina
Performance Ensemble
Hecuba
*Daria Lyric-Montaquila
The Chorus
*Vivian Alianiello
Eva Farrell
Alex Laughlin
Ashley Ouellette
Konstantina Platsidakis
Poseidon / Talthybius
*Ray Fournier
Greg Geer
*Alan Hawkridge
Cassandra
*Lily Ferreira
Samantha Geer
Helen
**Beth Alianiello
Hayley Wood
Andromache
**Ottavia De Luca
*Katie O'Rourke
***Leadership
Kira Hawkridge - Founding Artistic Director
Marc Tiberiis II - Head of Production & Design
**Core Ensemble
Beth Alianiello, Ottavia De Luca, Siobhan LaPorte-Cauley
*Resident Artist & Company Member
Vivian Alianiello (Jr. Ensemble), Audrey Lavin Crawley, Lily Ferreira, Ray Fournier, Alan Hawkridge,
Daria Lyric-Montaquila, Katie O'Rourke, Mikey Pion, & Patricia Tulli-Hawkridge
Kira Hawkridge - Founding Artistic Director
Marc Tiberiis II - Head of Production & Design
**Core Ensemble
Beth Alianiello, Ottavia De Luca, Siobhan LaPorte-Cauley
*Resident Artist & Company Member
Vivian Alianiello (Jr. Ensemble), Audrey Lavin Crawley, Lily Ferreira, Ray Fournier, Alan Hawkridge,
Daria Lyric-Montaquila, Katie O'Rourke, Mikey Pion, & Patricia Tulli-Hawkridge
