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A rock superstar loses the innocence of his original vision simultaneously
with the culture’s loss of its ideals, as the 1960’s devolve
into the 80’s.
The play retells the archetypal Orpheus myth within the context of 1960’s-1980’s
America. The hero is a rock star who is chosen by the god Apollo to introduce
a cultural renaissance into the spiritually barren cold war society of
the late 1960’s. It is to be a new “Golden Age” for the
Earth, based on an expanded vision of the nature of human existence and
the principles of universal human brotherhood, harmony, and tolerance.
Structurally, the play contains a unique dynamic equilibrium between three
distinct elements. First, the action onstage represents the life of the
60’s rock star. Second, the Gods, located on an elevated platform,
serve as a kind of chorus—commenting and wagering on the action,
as they constantly bicker among themselves. We see the mighty struggle
between Dionysus and Apollo, who battle each other by manipulating events
on Earth
Finally, there is the video element. This is used to depict historical
events as well as a series of prophetic dreams, sent to the hero by Apollo,
in which Orpheus re-enacts the archetypal Greek myth. These serve to refresh
the audience’s recollection of the ancient myth and foretell events
of the play’s modern action on stage. At one point, Orpheus becomes
unable to distinguish dream from reality, and action is portrayed simultaneously
onstage and on multiple video monitors placed throughout the theater.
Familiar song fragments from the era (with their emotionally potent sense
memories) are employed to support and enhance the dramatic action.
The love story of Orpheus and Eurydice serves as a metaphor for the archetypal
theme of the loss of innocence. The hero, like the flower power culture
of the 60’s, loses the innocence of his original vision and eventually
succumbs to the dissipation of drugs, which leads to his ultimate downfall.
To regain his love, he must go through the hell of drug rehab. But he
stumbles again, and tragedy ensues. There is redemption, however. In the
Epilogue, we are given a universal message of hope for the millennium:
Human beings and cultures alike cycle through experiences which involve
self-consciousness shattering the blissful illusions of the innocent state,
in order to evolve to a higher level of understanding and awareness. Pain
is inevitably involved, but-- in the end-- hope ever leads us to fearlessly
enter the darkness of nether regions to regain the light.
Robert Salerno
La Jolla, CA
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