lifestyle a British doll-mender on holiday played by Alice Neave (COL ’16) — are to the suffering around them leads the audience to consider how passive we maybe toward war. Have we, like Lotte, ignored the Trojan women? Another benefit of the collision of two time periods is the resulting mixture of language. Hecuba and the ot her Trojan women describe the destruction in illustrative poetry. Each monologue is a work of art in and of itself. Meanwhile, the obtuse soldier Mica, played by Ben Prout (COL ’15), serves to make a mockery out of the soldiers and provides much of the play’s comic relief. “The script is these two balancing acts,” Lillian said. “A big part is the distinction between the poetry with the Trojan women and the non-poetry, a more realistic way of speaking.” The opposition of lyrical tragedy and satirical humor adds to the
many layers of “Trojan Barbie” and speaks to the talent of Evans and the cast. The impact of “Trojan Barbie” is further increased by the actors’ dedication to their roles. Alexandra Waldon (COL ’15) is stellar in her modernization of the vain and manipulative Helen, complete with a haughty, “mean girl” demeanor. Meanwhile B e t s y Helmer (COL ’13) is completely committed to her depiction of the manic and nonsensical Cassandra, a Trojan woman who is misunderstood to be as mentally unstable. All members of the cast push their characters to the extreme, making the show all the more noteworthy. “Trojan Barbie” is an interesting and innovative look at ancient and modern warfare that is as challenging as it is entertaining. Buckle your seatbelt and prepare for this memorable car-crash encounter.
“Is it 3000 years ago or
two years ago? Is it Baghdad or is it Turkey?”
— Zoe Lillian (COL ’13)
ALL PHOTOS SARAH LIPKIN/THE HOYA
CLASHING CULTURES Women, including Emma Clark (COL ’13), lament the fate of their families and blend the cultural lines the play creates.
roots from the garden
The Legacy of Jersey Drivers, Devils and Diners
O
ne day toward the beginning of the semester, I was on my way to my work-study job in a Center for Social Justice van with a bunch of other Georgetown students. It was during that awkward ice-breaker stage when we didn’t know one another very well, and someone suddenly shouted, “Is anyone here from New Jersey? Because the driver of the vehicle in front of us is not representing you well.” To be fair, every state accuses another of being home to the worst drivers in America, but the fact that this particular New Jersey plate was struggling to grasp the notion of the traffic circles in D.C. is merely evidence of the awesomeness that is the Garden State; that is, we create and abide by our own traffic laws. Traffic circles are horrible, confusing and ineffective, which is why New Jersey invented the jughandle over fifty years ago, proving that New Jerseyans are just so ahead of their time. Although it may sound contradictory to exit on the right side of the road in order to go left, this arrangement is perfectly efficient. Other states eventually took notice of New Jersey’s genius idea and adopted the jughandle as part of their own traffic systems. What
If New Jersey is as terrible as “Saturwas the specific reason for the first Jersey jughandle? Who knows, but who really day Night Live” makes it out to be, why cares? In New Jersey, we do whatever the is it the most densely populated state? Clearly it must have a lot of redeeming hell we please. Speaking of which, New Jersey is also qualities if more people live there than one of two states that has a ban on self- in Alaska, Montana and Arizona comservice gas stations. (The other state is bined. New Jersey has so much characOregon, but New Jersey passed the law ter that it is even geographically shaped like a person kneeling on first) I’m personally not a fan the ground. Without New of depending on other people Jersey, you can say good-bye to do things for me, but chatto Monopoly, whose streets ting with the world’s friendliare all named after locations est gas station attendants at in or near Atlantic City. CamWawa while I sit in my car AllieDoughty den was the site of the first isn’t half bad. drive-in movie theater, and So you still think that New Jersey is the armpit of America? Only if north Jersey holds the world record the armpits that you’re familiar with for the most shopping malls in such a look and smell like an orchard of roses condensed area — there are seven major and lilacs and we complemented by lus- malls within a 25-square mile radius. Not to mention the legendary Jersey cious tomatoes and blueberries with such a perfect balance of sweetness and Devil, which, in a nutshell, is a creature tartness that you’ll wonder why there that stalks the Pine Barrens and freaks isn’t a picture of them on our otherwise out anyone lucky enough to see it with boring license plates. The only scenario its eccentric combination of animal feain which New Jersey could resemble an tures. With the body of a kangaroo, the armpit would be if said armpit were coat- face of a horse, the head of a dog, the ed with multiple layers of garden-scented wings of an oversized bat, the antlers of Old Spice. You wish your armpits smelled a deer, a forked tail, clawed hands and cloven hooves, this beast is truly one of that good.
a kind. Where else besides New Jersey would you have the opportunity to see such a thing? For those of you who have never been to the lovely Garden State: If you take away one message from my column, let it be that in New Jersey, you have access to almost everything you could ever want. One minute, you can be basking in the sun at the Jersey Shore. If too many shoobies (this term was originally exclusive to New Jersey jargon and was later stolen by Nickelodeon’s “Rocket Power”) are cramping your style, within half an hour, you can either be apple-picking or taking in the scenery of open fields and horses farms. New York City and Philadelphia are both just a train ride away — but honestly, why would you ever want to leave New Jersey? Most importantly, if at any point during the day or night you have a craving for bacon and eggs, you can stop at one of our 24-hour diners — they don’t call New Jersey the Diner Capital of the World for nothing.
Allie Doughty is a senior in the College. This is the final appearance of ROOTS FROM THE GARDEN this semester.
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