Philoctetes (by Sophocles)

Genesius Guild Radio Productions

Sophocles’ Philoctetes. Although less well known than his Oedipus Rex and Antigone, this play has especially received notice lately in Seamus Heaney’s adaptation entitled “The Cure at Troy” – with the evocative words spoken by the chorus: “History says, don't hope / On this side of the grave. / But then, once in a lifetime / The longed-for tidal wave / Of justice can rise up, / And hope and history rhyme.” The story takes place near the end of the Trojan War – the Greeks have found out that they need to retrieve a warrior who had been wounded and left behind on the island of Lemnos. Only he – Philoctetes – and the bow he had as a gift from the dying Heracles – would allow them to finally defeat Troy. We begin as Odysseus has arrived on the island, bringing Neoptolemus, the son of the now dead Achilles, to help him. Neoptolemus will soon be forced to test his own integrity against the deception planned by Odysseus.

Credits:

Narrator - Kathy Calder

Odysseus - Matt Walsh

Neoptolemus - Tyler Henning

Philoctetes - Andy Curtiss

Chorus (1) - Guy Cabell

Chorus (2) - Jason Dlouhy

Chorus (3) - Marc Nelson

Merchant / Spy - T. J. Green

Heracles - Phillip Dunbridge

Director / Organizer / Sound Editor - Mischa Hooker

Translated by Ian Johnston, adapted by Mischa Hooker

Sound effects: Daniel Simion and Mike Koenig

Background music: Royalty Free Music

Theme music: Chopin, Waltz in A flat Major, Opus 69, number 1, performed by Olga Gurevich.