Trojan Women

'The Trojan Women (After Euripides)' Where: Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades When: 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays, Sept. 8 to Oct. 1. Previews Sept. 1 to 3 Admission: $38 to $42 Info: (310) 440-7300 or http://www.getty.edu

Now is the summer of our discontent. If you'd like a little theatrical relief from all that's ailing America's body politic, Anne Bogart and SITI Company are probably not your ticket. FOR THE RECORD: Tragedian's name: The subheadline in an earlier version of this online article misspelled the name of ancient Greek tragedian Euripides as Euripedes. Their new adaptation of Euripides' "The Trojan Women," which begins previews Thursday at the Getty Villa's outdoor amphitheater, aims to rekindle the original political intent of a play that drives home an unrelentingly dark vision of what war does to victims and victors alike.

It's Trojan women the way you've never seen them before--skirts swirling, handsclapping, heels tapping--in Deborah Lawlor's 19-character "The Women of Guernica," a flamenco-infused adaptation of Euripides' classic tragedy, updated to 1937 Spain. "The idea started when I reread 'The Trojan Women,' and I could see flamenco music in it," explains Lawlor, who has been a longtime fan and student of the dance form.

'The Trojan Women (After Euripides)' Where: Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades When: 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays, Sept. 8 to Oct. 1. Previews Sept. 1 to 3 Admission: $38 to $42 Info: (310) 440-7300 or http://www.getty.edu

"The Trojan Women," at its best, is a tough grind for cast and audience. And the Old Globe's new version, at the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, is not "Trojan Women" at its best. Euripides' 2,400-year-old war protest, believed written to censure his native Greece's aggression on neighboring islands, is an almost-unrelieved litany of misery and atrocity after the Greek conquest of Troy.

Washington held USC to 14% shooting in the first half and coasted to a 68-47 victory Friday night in a women's basketball game at the Lyon Center. The Trojans, who fell behind by 20 points at halftime, managed to cut the deficit to 11 with 15 minutes remaining. But the No. 7-ranked Huskies, led by Amy Mickleson's 17 points, gradually built up the lead. USC (4-12) was led by Rosalind Hodge, with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Shaundra Green added 13 for the Huskies (15-2). USC plays at No.

I find the vitriolic criticism unleashed by Laurie Winer on the production of Euripides' "The Trojan Women" unjustified and based on misunderstandings about the performance conventions of Greek tragedy (" 'Trojan' Tale Drowns in Excess," Calendar, June 12). There are three points that Winer attacks: the music (by Mimi Seton) and choreography (by Holly Harbinger); the adaptation by the director (Michael Arabian), and the "gimmicks" in the staging.

Ancient Greek tragedies are rarely staged in small theater--and basically never in our large houses--because they're intimidating to audiences and they demand a rhetorical and visceral passion daunting to most actors and directors. One experience with a Greek classic you would not regret is the stinging, moody evocation of the suffering of a captured city in director John Neville's production of Euripides' "The Trojan Women," exceptionally produced by the L.A.

South Dakota State forced 25 turnovers and upset No. 19 USC, 67-63, Friday night at Brookings, S.D. The Jackrabbits (2-0) were supposed to be a convenient stop for the Trojans on their way to Sunday's matchup with No. 6 Ohio State. Megan Vogel scores 22 points as the Jackrabbits posted their first win over a ranked team in three tries since moving to NCAA Division I. In all, they are 27-16 against Division I opponents since moving up at the start of the 2004-05 season.

When it was stated in the Morning Briefing (April 6) that Ohio State was the only other university, besides Michigan, to win NCAA championships in football, baseball and basketball, one school was forgotten. The many football and baseball NCAA championships won by the University of Southern California are well known. People forget that the USC also won the NCAA basketball championship when Cheryl Miller was there. B.R. PARTRIDGE West Hills

In terms of octane, Michael Cooper kicked the USC-UCLA women's basketball rivalry from unleaded to premium when the Trojans coach directed one of George Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" at the Bruins after a win last month. "I put some gasoline 91 -- not that 89 but 91 -- on it," he said recently. "Runs a little hotter." Sizzling, even smoldering, perhaps, because a crowd of 8,006 showed up at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday to witness the Bruins crush the Trojans, 74-56. That was the fifth-largest crowd ever to watch a UCLA women's basketball home game.

"The Trojan Women": A review in Friday's Calendar section of the play "The Trojan Women" at City Garage misspelled the first name of actress Alisha Nichols as Alicia.

WOMEN Arizona 74, at USC 61: Ify Ibekwe scored 27 points and Arizona shot 52% from the field in the second half to beat the Trojans. The Wildcats, 10-14 overall and 3-10 in the Pacific 10 Conference, shot 70% in the first half. Heather Oliver scored all 15 of her points over the final three minutes for USC (12-11, 6-6).

South Dakota State forced 25 turnovers and upset No. 19 USC, 67-63, Friday night at Brookings, S.D. The Jackrabbits (2-0) were supposed to be a convenient stop for the Trojans on their way to Sunday's matchup with No. 6 Ohio State. Megan Vogel scores 22 points as the Jackrabbits posted their first win over a ranked team in three tries since moving to NCAA Division I. In all, they are 27-16 against Division I opponents since moving up at the start of the 2004-05 season.

Snow-covered roadways. Temperatures hovering in the 30s. Skies the color of gray primer paint. But the USC Trojans did not travel all the way to Minnesota for spring break. They came for the NCAA tournament, something the Trojans had not been invited to since 1997. It won't be a short trip.

Coaches love to talk about "seizing the moment," which is something the USC women have been trying to do all season. After near misses against nationally ranked Connecticut and Colorado, the Trojans didn't let a big moment get away Sunday, rallying from a 12-point second-half deficit to stun No. 6-ranked Stanford, 59-56, in front of 1,444 at the Sports Arena.

Cherie Nelson, 6-3 sophomore forward, scored 32 points for the third time this season Friday night as USC defeated Arizona, 96-60, Friday night in a Pacific 10 women's basketball game at Tucson. USC is 8-4 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-10; Arizona is 5-5 and 0-2. Tonight, the Trojans will face Arizona State (5-5 and 0-2) at Tempe, Ariz. Nelson hit 15 of 18 shots. Karon Howell, making 9 of 12 shots, added 18 points for the Trojans. Arizona was led by Dana Patterson with 26 points.

The USC women's basketball team, almost healthy and nearly whole, will play host to Stanford tonight in a Pac West basketball game at the Sports Arena. The Trojans (22-3 overall, 6-0 in the conference) have only a few nagging injuries and remaining sniffles to report after more than a month of physical problems. Scoring leader Cheryl Miller will return for her third game since suffering a mild concussion in the Trojans' win over UCLA Feb. 1.

The final score read 67-47 in favor of USC, which got a season-high 19 points from guard Rometra Craig. The numbers suggest the Trojans had dominated the California Bears in a Pac-10 game Friday, before 719 at the Sports Arena. But numbers had little to do with this game. Friday was the first game for Cal since the death of junior forward Alisa Lewis, 20, who died Monday of bacterial meningitis.

Behind a dominating performance by Keao Burdine, USC's women's volleyball team capped an undefeated season by defeating Florida, 25-30, 30-27, 30-19, 30-26, in the NCAA championship match Saturday before 7,261 at Reunion Arena in Dallas. It was the second consecutive national title for USC (35-0), which extended its NCAA-record win streak to 47 matches.