The Puppet Oresteia (2008)

[The Puppet Oresteia]

Contents:


I – Iphigenia
or: Happy Families

[Iphigenia in Tauris]

Prologue (in front of the curtain)
Cassandra:
Chorus 1 - Cursed with prophecy

Scene 1: The Palace at Mycenae
(a bedroom off the garden): Iphigenia & Orestes

Cassandra:
Chorus 2 - I ran through the wood

Scene 2: The Seashore at Aulis [calm]
(in front of the bach): Agamemnon & Calchas

Cassandra:
Chorus 3 - Little girl lost

Scene 3: The Seashore at Aulis [calm]
(inside the bach): Calchas & Iphigenia

II – Cassandra
or: Payback is a Bitch

[Greek Girl with Dove]

Cassandra:
Chorus 4 - Joy lives with those

Scene 1: The Palace at Mycenae
(the master bedroom): Aegisthus & Clytemnestra

Cassandra:
Chorus 5 - Cursed with second sight

Scene 2: The Palace at Mycenae
(a guest bedroom off the garden): Agamemnon & Cassandra

Cassandra:
Chorus 6 - See how Apollo

Scene 3: The Palace at Mycenae
(outdoor jacuzzi): Aegisthus, Clytemnestra & Orestes

III – Orestes
or: Never say Never

[Flaxman: Clytemnestra]

Cassandra:
Chorus 7 - The labour pains

Scene 1: The Seashore at Tauris [stormy]
(on the beach): Orestes & Pylades

Cassandra:
Chorus 8 - There she goes

Scene 2: The Seashore at Tauris [calm]
(in front of the bach): Iphigenia & Thoas

Cassandra:
Chorus 9 - Drops of holy water

Scene 3: The Seashore at Tauris [calm]
(inside the bach): Iphigenia, Orestes & Pylades

Epilogue
Cassandra:
Chorus 10 - Noise is like flame

[J. M. Barrie, "Mary Rose" (1920)]

Oresteia - Chorus (9)

[J. H. W. Tischbein: "Iphigenia recognises her brother"]

Cassandra:

Drops of holy water
mixed with blood
I cannot pity you

but farewell
stranger
friend

You’ll tread
your native shore
before me

My city was destroyed
& fate forced me to sail
brought by their oars

their spears
to this dark land
to serve

the servant
of the hunter goddess
tend her altars

where no sheep are sacrificed

[Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris: ll. 645-55; 1110-15].

[Caridad Svich: "Iphigenia Crash Land Falls on the Neon Shell That Was Once Her Heart" (2004)]

Oresteia - Chorus (8)

[Iphigenia & Orestes]

Cassandra:

There she goes
a simple girl
like me

to look at
my city’s
nemesis

teeny-bopper
dark hair
ponytail

a girl
who wouldn’t stain
the bedsheets

of the thirsty
goddess
with her maiden

blood
instead
she snuck off

here

[Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis: ll. 1520-31]

[Image source]

Oresteia - Chorus (4)

[Claude Bovee, "The Sacrifice of Iphigenia"]

Cassandra:

Joy lives with those
who share their beds
with Aphrodite

not those who frolic
with her fucked-up
offspring

Eros
prone to pop a cap
in the best-regulated

arse
at the drop of a
you-know-what

Helen
for example
white-throated

Maenad
who left her
little girl

to bleed for us

[Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis: ll. 547-95].

[Fresco: "Sacrifice of Iphigenia" (Pompeii - 1st century AD)]

Oresteia - Chorus (2)

[The Hall at Aulis]

Cassandra:

I ran through the wood
scenting
new blood

eager to see
our army
tanks & planes

& ships & guns
Their job's
to bring her back

‘that fucking terrorist’
as Daddy calls her
who’s run off

with a man
again
Uncle Cal’s

in charge of cashflow
Colonel Killer
calls

the shots

[Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis: ll. 175-95].

[Philippe Chery, "Costume for Agamemnon" (1802)]