When Bruce DuBose put An Iliad on the Undermain Theatre schedule, he didn鈥檛 know he was going to have a stroke a few months before the production. Lying in the hospital, the artistic director of the long-running Dallas institution wondered if he鈥檇 be able to perform it. The play based on Homer鈥檚 epic poem set toward the end of the Trojan War is nearly a one-man show.
He asked for the script while still in ICU. Rehearsing it has become part of DuBose鈥檚 recovery.
鈥淚 thought it would be good to have that challenge for my memorization and vocally and physically to lean into and help,鈥� he says in an interview at Undermain鈥檚 Deep Ellum headquarters a week before the opening. 鈥淎t the same time, I wanted audiences to still get everything from it. I didn鈥檛 want my ability to stand in the way of that. So I did take some time while I was working on the text again to ask, 鈥業s this going to be good for everybody involved?鈥� I reached a point where I thought we can do this.鈥�
, who turned 65 in May, has performed An Iliad before, and again in a 2019 revival. Written by Lisa Peterson and Denis O鈥橦are, it鈥檚 based on 鈥� celebrated 1990 translation. It鈥檚 the show in the Undermain repertoire most requested by audiences for a return engagement.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like an inspired text, so you can read it multiple times throughout your life and get something different out of it,鈥� DuBose says in the deep voice that has become part of his trademark. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much I can glean coming to it from this place now, especially the difficulty the warriors face. And of course, there鈥檚 a lot in there about mortality, death on a daily basis and overcoming fear.鈥�
Coming back from a stroke
Having returned from an afternoon walk last December, DuBose was home alone when he started having double vision. He collapsed as he walked around trying to figure out what was happening and what to do. Luckily, his girlfriend walked in the door at that moment and called 911.
鈥淚 had just sat down and drank some water. I was thinking maybe I should call somebody,鈥� DuBose recalls. 鈥淪he looked and me and said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e having a stroke.鈥欌�� The paramedics gave him a clot-busting injection and rushed him to the hospital. 鈥淭here was a blockage in my arteries,鈥� he says.
He was in the hospital for a month and has recently completed a rehabilitation program.
DuBose estimates he鈥檚 90% recovered. He鈥檚 made some concessions this time for An Iliad. Normally performed alongside just musician and sound designer , who wrote a score for the show, the production has added a second instrumentalist to replace DuBose鈥檚 usual contribution on guitar. An intermission also has been inserted. But he still stands for most of the production鈥檚 100 minutes.
鈥淭he last thing that鈥檚 coming back is playing guitar, which I鈥檝e been working on every day,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou have to go ahead and tell your body you can do this. Your brain is going to create new neural pathways. The old ones damaged by the stroke are lost. I still have some stiffness.鈥�
DuBose鈥檚 left side was more affected, and he鈥檚 left-handed. To compensate, he鈥檚 been using his right hand while also working to regain his abilities from the left. He鈥檚 undergone physical, occupational and speech therapy.
鈥淚 had to have a therapist dedicated to just swallowing,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou have to learn some techniques that you鈥檝e used your whole life, like slow down your eating and chew. It鈥檚 a little fatiguing.鈥�
Homer鈥檚 epic poetry more than a play
At the top of the interview, DuBose makes it clear he isn鈥檛 looking for sympathy. He says he wants to create awareness for others who have gone through what he has that they will need help from the people around them. Later, he gets choked up talking about looking around the room in rehab and realizing that everyone else there was overcoming obstacles, too.
He mentions a quote, sometimes attributed to Plato. 鈥淓veryone you meet is fighting a great battle.鈥�
It was prompted by a question about the relevance of an ancient text like The Iliad, which is built around Achilles鈥� rage after a fierce argument with King Agamemnon and the death of the Trojan prince Hector. The narration ranges from scenes of war to one-on-one interactions.
鈥淭here are sections of the play where they鈥檙e just quoting Homer completely, and it鈥檚 amazing stuff,鈥� says DuBose, whose character is called the Poet, a stand-in for the author. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 get to hear epic poetry spoken aloud that much in this culture.鈥�
鈥淭he portrayal of war in The Iliad is not like cowboys and Indians,鈥� Semrad says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not one dimensional. It鈥檚 very much about the political aspects, the conflicts within each side. That feels very relevant today because it鈥檚 a universal truth. It鈥檚 just a really true human story.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a description of a war,鈥� DuBose adds, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 also a description of the inner conflict of finding your true self over whatever junk has been laid on top of it.鈥�
Even in the best of circumstances, he says, he has always felt challenged by the poem and the play. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always kind of felt like the first time. It鈥檚 so complex. Paul has created this great soundscape that I have to work with and rely on.鈥�
Besides preparing for An Iliad, DuBose has returned to his voiceover and commercial work. The show as well as the stroke have made him think again about his mortality. Six years ago, , Undermain co-founder Katherine Owens. She originally directed An Iliad.
鈥淗ector at one point says it鈥檚 no longer far away, it鈥檚 right beside me, looming. I don鈥檛 feel that way, but it does resonate a little more personally.鈥�
DuBose realizes there鈥檚 no law that says Undermain, which has been around for more than 40 years, has to go on without him. But he would like it if it did and is trying to create an environment where that will happen organically. To that end, he plans to bring in an artistic associate in the next few months, adding to a small staff that has been with Undermain for a long time.
鈥淲e want that person to be able to create their place the way they want it,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd give us the time to work with each other.鈥�
Details
June 12-29 at 3200 Main St. $12.50-$38.50. .
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and 四虎影院.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and 四虎影院 retain full editorial control of Arts Access鈥� journalism.
