Medea, the Musical
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''Medea, the Musical'' is a 1994
musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
by American playwright John Fisher. The play, a
farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...
, concerns a
theater director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
's attempt to recast ''
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...
'', the
ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...
by
Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...
, as a serious modern commentary on
LGBT culture LGBT culture is a culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. It is sometimes referred to as queer culture (indicating people who are queer), while the term gay culture may be used to mean "LGBT culture" o ...
, which goes humorously wrong when the director's cast and crew refuse to conform to the stereotyped roles he has created for them. The play became a long-running "cult favorite" in San Francisco in the mid 1990s before touring regionally. Not to be confused with ''Medea The Musical'' written by English actress and playwright Hayley Canham which premiered in Cambridge in 2022.


Characters

*The "
Auteur An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...
", or theater director, who has rewritten ''Medea'' and is now trying to rehearse and stage the play, portrayed in some productions by Fisher himself *Paul, who plays
Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
in the production, and while not acting is lead singer of a
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
band, the
Argonauts The Argonauts (; Ancient Greek: ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, '' Argo'', ...
*Elsa, who plays
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...
*Actors playing
Phaedra Phaedra may refer to: Mythology * Phaedra (mythology), Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus Arts and entertainment * ''Phaedra'' (Alexandre Cabanel), an 1880 painting Film * ''Phaedra'' (film), a 1962 film by ...
, Hippolytus,
Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...
, the King of
Colchis In Greco-Roman geography, Colchis (; ) was an exonym for the Georgian polity of Egrisi ( ka, ეგრისი) located on the coast of the Black Sea, centered in present-day western Georgia (country), Georgia. Its population, the Colchians a ...
,
Eros In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the earli ...
,
Apsyrtus In Greek mythology, Absyrtus ( Ancient Greek: Ἄψυρτος) or Apsyrtus, was a Colchian prince and the younger brother of Medea. he was involved in Jason's escape with the golden fleece from Colchis The Absyrtides were named after him. Fa ...
, and other mythological figures from the Greek play *The piano player and stage manager *"The rocker", a young gay rock star *Princess Tamalpa (a mythical
Miwok The Miwok (also spelled Miwuk, Mi-Wuk, or Me-Wuk) are members of four linguistically related Native American groups indigenous to what is now Northern California, who traditionally spoke one of the Miwok languages in the Utian family. The word ' ...
Indian woman after whom
Mount Tamalpais Mount Tamalpais (; ; Miwok languages, Miwok: ''Támal Pájiṣ''), known locally as Mount Tam, is a mountain, peak in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tama ...
is named)


Plot

The Auteur is rehearsing a production of the ancient Greek tragedy ''Medea'', for the "
Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...
festival". He has set the play as a serious commentary on contemporary gay issues. Things start to go wrong when Paul (playing Jason, the hero of ''Medea''), who has not been attracted to women since kindergarten, falls in love with
leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...
Elsa (playing Medea, Jason's lover), a straight
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
. The two, disappointed with what they consider a
sexist Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers primaril ...
portrayal of Medea as a muse and victim of Jason's ambitions in both the original and the Auteur's retelling, conspire to rewrite the play to promote a feminist agenda. This upsets the Auteur, who is hostile to feminism, and "grosses out" the rest of the cast, each of whom has their own reason for resenting the pair's unlikely off-stage relationship. On
opening night A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...
the play falls completely apart, as the cast members revolt against the Auteur's direction. A theater critic from ''
Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...
'' gives the play a glowing review, believing that the chaos was intentional. However, the audience of the play (as attributed by the actors to the real-life theater audience), knows that the play is a failure, both in performance and in its failure to present a coherent commentary on gay issues.


Production history


Conception

John Fisher
came out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
as gay at age 23, shortly after graduating with a drama degree from
Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...
. He returned for graduate school, where he wrote and directed plays while studying to be an academic scholar of theater. Dissatisfied with the plays of the time, which he felt depicted gays as unhappy, conflicted, and tragic, he decided to write plays that portrayed gays unapologetically. Most of Fisher's work is gay-themed and includes a historically-based plot (often a retelling of an iconic tragic play or event), a large ensemble cast, an academic thesis as a sub-plot or theme, and elements of comedy, music, and farce. Before ''Medea, the Musical'' he wrote and directed ''Mary!'' (a musical take on '' Mary Stuart''), ''
Oresteia The ''Oresteia'' ( grc, Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of th ...
: The Musical'', ''
Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...
: the Musical'', and ''
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
: The Camp-Drag-Disco-Musical Extravaganza'' (in which upon discovering that
Joséphine de Beauharnais Josephine may refer to: People * Josephine (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Josephine (singer), a Greek pop singer Places *Josephine, Texas, United States *Mount Josephine (disambiguation) * Josephine Count ...
is actually a man, Napoleon decides he is gay and liberates Europe so that all gays can be free). ''Medea'' is (as of now) his most successful work.


Productions

The play was originally produced at UC Berkeley in 1994, when Fisher was a
graduate student Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...
there, with a mostly volunteer cast of Fisher's school friends. It later moved to San Francisco, where it ran for fifteen months with the same cast members at a succession of ever-larger theaters. Most of the play's run was at the 565-seat Stage Door Theater, which later became the
Ruby Skye Ruby Skye was a former popular nightclub located at 420 Mason Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, California, in operation from 1990 to 2017. Building history The nightclub was housed in the Native Sons of the Golden West b ...
nightclub. The play was later produced in Los Angeles, California, and Seattle, Washington in 2000. The play was widely expected to open on Broadway, but plans did not materialize. Fisher and others attribute the lack of interest to the play's being "too gay". Although many gay-themed plays did well on Broadway at the time, all of them (according to Fisher and commentators) allowed straight audience members and conservative gays to keep some distance from the gay themes. In 2005 there was a revival production at
Theater Rhinoceros Theatre Rhinoceros or Theatre Rhino is a gay and lesbian theatre based in San Francisco. It was founded in the spring of 1977 by Lanny Baugniet (who became the theater's General Manager) and his partner Allan B. Estes, Jr. (who became the theater' ...
in San Francisco.


Reception

The play was a surprise hit. Originally scheduled for a limited run the original production played fifteen months in San Francisco. Critics generally (and approvingly) describe the play as self-consciously silly,
campy Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting aes ...
, and "corny". The music was praised as "horrid" and "so absurdly bad it's funny". For example, the main characters fall in love while singing a duet from the musical, ''
Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...
'', that the Auteur in his questionable esthetic judgment had decided to insert into the ancient tragedy. The play also features the actors singing versions of disco classics "
I Will Survive "I Will Survive" is a song by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 as the second single from her sixth album, '' Love Tracks'' (1978). It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. A top-selling song, it is a popular di ...
" and "
Y.M.C.A. YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
" with lyrics rewritten to reflect the play's plot elements, as well as Phaedra's courting her stepson Hippolytus to the tune of
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...
's " Copacabana". One dance number evokes the choreography of Michael Jackson's video " Thriller". Other critics describe the play as intelligent and profound, noting how most of the jokes and plot lines in the play draw parallels between modern sexual politics and Euripides' themes from the Greek version. For example, the straight Elsa seducing Paul away from his gay life mirrors the
barbarian A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either Civilization, uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by som ...
Medea seducing Jason from
Greek civilization The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Minoan civilization, Minoan and later in Mycenaean Greece, continuing most notably into Classical Greece, while influencing the Roman Empire and its successor the Byzantine ...
. Some note that the play spoofs itself, in a "so bad it's good" sort of way, lampooning amateur college productions (for example, the common custom of writing new lyrics for borrowed popular pop tunes) and the foibles of the cast, crew, reviewers, and audience who participate. More recent critics describe the play in retrospect as "dated", in part because of period-references to the 1970s, but also because gay farces and self-referential plays about plays became far more common in mainstream entertainment in the years after Medea's original production.


Awards

The play won six Critics Circle Awards (including Best Musical), the Will Glickman Play Writing Award, the BackstageWest Garland Award, the GLAAD Media Award, the Cable Car Award and the LA Weekly Award for "Best Musical".


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medea, The Musical 1994 plays Comedy plays Metafictional plays Works based on Medea (Euripides play)