Pei Day

Would it really be a Rorschach play if something surreal or metaphysical wasn't taking place somewhere on stage? My answer is no. If it isn't the devil making an appearance (which has happened three times) or people dying and coming back to life (which happened about a dozen times in one show) would our audiences even know they were watching a show at Rorschach?

References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot has a lot of things going on that make it a Rorschach show. Today I introduce you to the cast of characters that inhabit Acts I and IV. This time the meta comes from a talking cat (second time we have had one of those prowling Casa), a talking coyote (first time for that one) and the anthropomorphic moon (Rahaleh was the last one to take a stab at that one). What does it take to make these wonderfully weird creations of Jose Rivera come to life? Well costumes and research have a big part to play in allowing the actors to be the very best talking, walking and acting creatures of dream that they can be.

Today's entry will borrow heavily from other peoples research and work so the drawings are Pei Lee's our Costume Designer and the words come from Jacqueline Lawton's Dramaturgy.

Danny Gavigan returns after his Rorschach Debut in Rough Magic to play our coyote.

Coyote:

The coyote has grayish-brown to yellowish-brown fur on top and whitish fur on its underparts. It has large triangular ears on the top of its head and a long, narrow muzzle. It has a black nose, yellow eyes and a long, bushy tail. One way to tell the coyote apart from wolves and dogs is to watch its tail when it runs. The coyote runs with its tail down. Dogs run with their tails up and wolves run with their tails straight out.

Coyote often plays the role of trickster, although in some stories he is a buffoon and the butt of jokes and in a few is outright evil. His personality strengths are humor and sometimes cleverness. His personality weaknesses are usually greed or desire, recklessness, impulsiveness and jealousy. Coyote is often the antagonist of his brother Wolf, who is wise and good natured but prone to giving in to Coyote's incessant demands. In Tongva Mythology, it is Coyote who is tricked. Coyote challenges "The River" to a race. Coyote is victorious, but collapses from fatigue. The river laughs at him and takes the name "Hahamongna," which is said to explain the noise made by the upper Arroyo Seco which sounds similar to laughing.


Yasmin Tuazon joins the Rorschach five timers club in her role of the cat.

Cats:

A cat believes in itself, her walk can assure you that much. She is independent, has a mind of her own yet she is gentle enough to be liked by all. A number of myths have surrounded this animal since ages. In ancient Europe, she was believed to be an evil spirit. Those were the bad days for cats. Now, cats have become a part of almost every household. They have the power to win the hearts of their owners through their elegance, dignity and off course, their soft purrs and mews can have effect on you almost instantly.

· Myth: Cats always land on their feet.
· Fact: While cats instinctively fall feet first but that does not mean that they will not receive any injuries.

· Myth: Cats should be given milk everyday.
· Fact: Some cats have lactose intolerance. So, they should not be forced to have milk. A grown up cat can have its nutrients even without having milk.

· Myth: A cat's sense of balance is in its whiskers.
· Fact: Cats have whiskers as "feelers" and not to have balance.

· Myth: Cats smother babies
· Fact: Nothing can be more false than this. There has not been even a single case in the whole world so far.

And Scott McCormick is the moon.

The Moon:

The Full Moon seems to have some odd effects on both people and animals. They go bananas! Did you know that the word "lunacy" comes from lunar? Did you know that once people thought there were little green men living on the moon? Take a look at some of these superstitions:
· A full Moon on Christmas day brings bad luck.
· Two full moons in the same month will cause severe weather in the following month. It's also called a blue moon!
· The moon is made of green cheese!
· It is unlucky to look at the new Moon through a window for the first time.
· Chickens lay more eggs under a Moon in its last quarter.
· A full Moon during harvest means a good crop.
· A new Moon brings good fortune.
· Blowing nine times on a wart while the Moon is full will make the wart go away.
· A wish while looking up at a new Moon is thought to come true within the year.
· It is best to cut your hair when the Moon is waxing; it grows strong and healthy.
· It is unlucky for a child to be born when the Moon is waning.
· A ring around the Moon is a warning of rain to come.
· Bowing to a new Moon and turning over silver coins will result in doubling your money by the end of the next cycle.