Erusicqwn

(E.ri.sik.thon)

Readers’ Theater Version

Cast of Characters

Narrator

Erysichthon – brother of the King of Thessaly

Mestra – his daughter

Woodcutter 1 / Poseidon

Woodcutter 2

Woodcutter 3 / Slave Trader

Woodcutter 4

Servant 1 / Dryad 1

Servant 2 / Dryad 2

Servant 3 / Dryad 3

Dryad 4

Solones – Mestra’s boyfriend

Act I

Chorus enters with masks. Narrator enters without mask. While he speaks, a musical cue will be given and all readers will sing the Hunger theme (C-G-Ab-G), holding each pitch as long as desired and moving between the three tones as desired.

N: (Gives an introduction.)

When the Narrator has finished his introduction, the voices will fade to nothing and the Narrator will give 5 beats on a drum which will announce the beginning of the following chorus. (last beat on the drum should coincide with the beginning of the chanting of the text). The chorus is to be chanted rhythmically by all except the Narrator who is not in the chorus. As they speak their lines, they lower their masks. A fairly rapid tempo is recommended.

All: Sing of joy and sing of sorrow

Sing today and sing tomorrow,

Sing of times past and hereafter

Sing with weeping , sing with laughter,

W’s and E: Sing of pain and sing of pleasure,

Sing of labor and of leisure,

Sing of building and destroying

Sing with loathing, sing enjoying

E: Sing of sanity and madness,

M. and S.: Sing of happiness and sadness,

D’s: Sing of silence, sing of speaking

E, M, and S: Sing of losing and of seeking.

E: Sing of taking

D’s and M: sing of giving,

All: Sing of dying, sing of living.

E: Sing of selling, sing of buying

D’s: Sing of praying,

W’s, M, and S: sing of lying.

E and W’s: Sing of ripping and of rending,

D’s, S, and M: Sing of joining and of mending

All: Sing of fixing, sing of breaking,

Sing of having and forsaking.

The following are chanted in 4-part canon, first begun by D1 – D4 chanting their lyrics and immediately followed by W1 – W4 chanting their lyrics (in canon). When W4 reaches the end of his lyrics, the piece continues with Mestra maintaining the rhythm.

D’s: Sing of planting and of growing,

Sing of harvesting and sowing.

Sing of hurting, sing of healing

Sing of pains and joys of feeling.

W’s: Sing of pain and sing of pleasure,

Sing of labor and of leisure,

Sing of building and destroying

Sing with loathing, sing enjoying.

M: Sing of father,

E: sing of daughter,

M and S: Sing of marriage

E and S: and of slaughter;

E: Sing of famine, sing of feasting,

E, M, and S: Sing of passions never ceasing.

All:(slowly ) We, the shadows of the living

From the past, these songs are giving,

Hark unto our ancient noises:

Joyful cries and weeping voices.

At the conclusion of the Prologue the players will all sit down with their masks raised, with the exception of Erysichthon and Mestra.

N: Erysichthon is standing alone in a room in his palace, having just retuned from a month-long stay with his brother, Triopas, King of Thessaly. His daughter, Mestra has seen his retinue returning to port while she was in the forested hills above the town. She has just run down the mountainside to greet her father on his return.

Scene 1

E: Mestra!

M: Father! I heard you returned!

E: I missed you, my child.

M: For your smile have I yearned!

E: My sweet daughter, come, there’s much to be told.

Oh, yes, love from your uncle. Now I’m eager to hold

A brief conference with you.

M: I gladly will hear

Whatever you say.

E: Well, then, draw near. (pause)

Since you saw your mother last

Ten silent, mournful years she’s passed

I Hades’ realm. Yet even now

I still recall the sacred vow

I made to her before she died:

That I would keep you safe beside

Me and protect you with my power

And might until your wedded hour.

This I have done. But there was more

Which to your mother I duly swore.

So now I shall fulfill her last request:

To grant the bridal dowry you deem best.

Speak your desire –

M: But father, I can’t –

E: Whatever you wish, I gladly will grant!

M: Sweet Papa! My dowry? What more can I say?

For you’ve already given me all I desire.

You’ve given your kindness and care day by day

With a love which seems never not ever tire.

E: But surely there is some direction

Through which I might display affection

I’ll offer you a golden crown,

A silver fountain in the town.

A necklace made of sapphires:

Whate’er your heart desires.

M: I’ve all that I could ever need

To ask for more would be sheer greed,

Yet I could wish

For a beautiful home

In which to raise children of my own

Showing them the love which you shown

To me these many years.

E: My dearest child, our minds are one –

At your command, it shall be done.

To show the love

And the care I have for you

Tomorrow we will build with strength anew:

a mighty palace with a splendid view

Of all the lands around.

M: Oh Papa! Why, thank you! A palace for me!

E: A proof of my love for the whole world to see.

Let its fountains be lined with lapis lazuli.

In silver and gold let the halls be tiled

Let princes from near and far to see

The dowry entrusted to you, my dear child.

So to the gods who’ve blessed our days

A sacrifice shall we prepare.

M: An offering of thanks and praise

To sanctify our house in prayer.

E: The gods shall hear your prayers, my child,

And that which we’ve begun

Let us continue to build upon,

For long generations to come.

So now my faithful men I’ll call

And offer them employment

In this monumental work which shall

Serve us all in life’s enjoyment.

N: She kisses her father’s hand and he bestows a gentle kiss on her forehead. She then turns and runs off excitedly to share her good news.