In his high school career, sophomore Seth VanNatter has been in several performances. However, on May 22, he will play the female role of the goddess Athena in the play, “The Hysterical History of the Trojan War.”

“I’m the only cross-dressed person. It’s fun. I mean, I get to wear a dress and a wig and walk in heels. That’s pretty enjoyable. I have to talk in a really high and ridiculous voice. I have to wear a wig, a dress and heels, and I have to strut like a woman and do more female mannerisms. I learned from copying people in the hallway,” VanNatter said.

The play is senior Ben Figueroa’s independent study project for his theater class. Figueroa said VanNatter was the best person he had to play the role of Athena because he did well in his audition.

Figueroa said, “My play is called The Historical History of the Trojan War. It’s basically the comedy retelling of the classical Greek story “The Iliad,” Figueroa said. “Really when it came down to it, from the people who auditioned, Seth was the best for the role. I didn’t publicize my auditions as well as I should of, so not that many people showed up. He did a really good job reading for it and it’s funny, so it works.”

VanNatter said that this change in role was considered normal in ancient times, and that it reflects Figueroa’s directing style.

“In ancient Greek times they had men play women parts, and (Figueroa felt like that would be fun to have in the show. He wanted the chance to direct a show with some (people) that he has. He’s a pretty fun and relaxed director,” VanNatter said.

He also said he had to adjust to portraying Athena, as he has never played a female in any production he’s been in, especially one as powerful as the goddess.

“It’s really funny. It was really interesting because I had to develop a lot more character than other people, so I had to definitely work a little bit harder at rehearsals to make my character come to life,” VanNatter said. “It’s a little awkward because I’m the only one in heels, and talking in a very high voice, while the guys get to use their normal voices.”

Figueroa said he agreed that it was a bit difficult at first for VanNatter to play the part of Athena because he had to adjust to playing a female role. He said they didn’t want to over overcompensate the vocals and have VanNatter talk in a very “girly” voice, so they’ve found a pitch that works well.

“It’s more important that he act like a character than how he acts as a girl. Some of the vocals are weird because it’s easy to overcompensate and go too far into a high-pitched voice, however, we’ve gotten that to a place where I’m pretty comfortable with it,” Figueroa said. “I haven’t gotten any negative feedback about casting (VanNatter). I’ve had people say, ‘Isn’t Athena a girl?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah,’ and they’re like, ‘Okay. We’re kind of leaning towards him dressing in drag because I think that’s the funniest way to do it. If we tried to make him actually look like a girl, I think it will be, ‘That’s a dude painted up like a girl, that’s weird.’ I think if we go over the top, then it will be more funny than distracting.”

Jim Peterson, director of Theatre and Film, said the one-act play will be a fun and enjoyable show for the audience to see.

He said, “It’s a parody about the Trojan war. There’s a lot of puns in the script, so it is funny. It’s not taken seriously, and (they are) incorporating a lot of modern references and stuff like that to make it approachable as far as the subject material goes.”

Figueroa said he is excited for people to see his play because this is the first play he has directed. While Figueroa found this experience stressful, he hopes that everything comes out all right and he’s believes that it will be a rewarding experience.

“It’s very funny, and it’s got a great cast because some of my favorite actors in this school are involved. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and there’s some audience participation moments. It should keep the audience entertained,” Figueroa said. “If you want to half a laugh, that’s a good reason right there. It’s got interesting historical stuff, but it tells a historical story in a way that’s new and funny. There’s not a greater message; you’re not going to learn anything about how to live your life besides maybe ‘Don’t be a jerk and things will work out for you.’ It’ll just be a lot of fun.”

VanNatter also said he believes being in this show is a great experience for him. He said he  believes that he can be in more versatile roles in the future because there are many different shows out there that have men dressed as women. For example, in the movie “Hairspray,” John Travolta played the female role of Edna Turnblad.

“I can now have a point of reference for if I ever play any of those roles,” VanNatter said. “I’m very grateful to have this experience to enhance my feminine side, and really go over the top for the character. I think there will be a lot of laughter when I first come out because it’ll be a little unexpected to see me all done-up like that. It’s a really funny script, and has a lot of really funny people. I’m looking forward to bringing this fun and exciting show to life.”