The world depicted by writers in ancient Greece typically wasn’t a happy one. Cities were destroyed, people were slaughtered and the gods had a habit for enacting cruel and unusual punishment.

A small piece of this world can be seen in the Wichita State performing arts program’s version of “The Trojan Women,” a tragedy that was written by Euripides in 415 BC. It’s a melancholy commentary on the barbarism of war that, while not for everyone, tells a powerful story.

The tale is set in the aftermath of the sacking of the city of Troy, where Greek soldiers hid inside a giant wooden horse that was presented to the Trojans as a gift. Once the horse was brought into the city, the Greeks jumped out and massacred every man, woman and child they could, while making slaves of the survivors.

That last part is a central theme of the story, as the entirety of the play is about a group of surviving women of Troy who lament the awful circumstances surrounding them. Much of it is delivered in lengthy monologues, as the women pontificate about how the gods could allow something like this to happen.

The lack of any major set changes or other pieces of visual flair puts the pressure on the cast to deliver compelling performances, and they have succeeded in this endeavor. The bleakness of this tale is brought to life by powerful performances from seniors Sheena Monroe and Karina Williams, as well as several other students.

Monroe steals the show in her role as Hecuba, the former queen of Troy who puts on a powerful display of emotion as she is forced to deal with the losses of her family and her city. It all feels genuine and impactful, with much of the emotional power coming from the aforementioned monologues.

“The Trojan Women” is most certainly not for those who want to see elaborate set design or a single moment of levity, but for fans of powerful performances and disheartening stories, it’s well worth seeing. It’s showing at the Welsbacher Theatre at the Metropolitan Complex at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with additional 2 p.m. shows on Saturday and Sunday. WSU students get in free with a student ID, while general admission is $10.