'ARGONAUTICAL'
Object Transformation & Greek Drama
Scene
– on a wet day in an old Hellenic Museum. The cast begin as teens
and become the Greek heroes and heroines as the play unfolds.
Phineus: Muesums are pretty boring – You can
see why the place had to close.
Meleager: Yeah, statues aren’t exactly exciting.
Nestor: That depends on the story.
Juno: What story?
Nestor: The story that the statue represents…
(He picks up an umbrella and uses it like a sword on the group)
I mean it could be Cadmus slaying the dragon…
Medea: (Wrapping the yellow material around one
of the group) Or King Midas turning everything to gold.
Dragon: (Holding up the red material) Or that
guy who killed the bull thing…
Nestor: You mean Theseus and the Minotaur.
Dragon: Whatever.
Aeetes: What about that one with the fleece…
Jason: Jason and the Argonauts.
Pelias: What happened in that one?
Nestor: It’s basically about this guy, Jason,
who ends up getting a sheepskin made of pure gold.
All: How?
Nestor: Well, first it has to do with his uncle, Pelias,
who stole the throne and then wouldn’t give it back unless Jason
got the Phrixian fleece from Colchis… It’s too hard to explain
– just watch.
(The Argonauts sit at the front of the stage and watch the story
unfold. As each character is needed, they stand up and join the show.
The Muses come to life and act as narrators for the audience)
Muses: In the far off kingdom of Iolcus, on the shores
of the Aegean Sea, the wicked Pelais ruled from a stolen throne.
Urania: But troubling signs were read in the heavens.
He sent for Phineus, blind prophet and king of Thrace, to act as oracle.
Phineus: (Prophesying to Pelais) Your crown
is stolen and your rule is corrupt – the house of Pelais shall
fall and he shall bow before Iolchus’s rightful king.
Pelias: My house shall fall? How may I know the man?
Phineus: He shall come down from the mountains wearing
only one sandal…
