Meet the cast of Helen of the West by Susan Swavely.

Directed by Peter Hardy. 🎭 Winner of the 2026 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award, Helen of the West is a rich re-imagining of the fabled story of Helen of Troy, now seen as a mail order bride in the American West. Karine Dieuvil (Helen) is a Haitian-American actress making her Atlanta leading-lady debut in this world premiere. Her Atlanta stage credits include the world premiere of A Very Special Hospital (Essential Theatre), Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet and Le Malade Imaginaire (Théâtre du Rêve), all Suzi-recommended productions. On screen, she starred in the feature film The Lemonade Files, winner of Best in Comedy at the Los Angeles International Film Festival, and has appeared across tvOne Network’s Fatal Attraction, Payback, and For My Man. A classically trained, multilingual Afro-Latina artist, Karine has performed on an Atlanta stage every year since 2023 — this year, she returns to ATL to lead one. Love to her community who support her through every season. Find her @KUGHREEN. The struggle persists. For schedule and tickets, visit essentialtheatre.com