Last night was the first night of MYTHappropriation and it was pretty damn exciting to see so much talent in one room.
For those of you new to the world of MYTH, Myth-Appropriation: URBAN LEGENDS is the fourth edition of Rorschach's extreme new play development project, where a group of writers, directors, designers and actors spend 6 days bringing 6 fully realized new plays to life for one night only. The plays are all adaptations of a related group of myths. Previous Myth-Appropriation projects focused on Grimms Fairytales, Creation Myths and the pagan origins of St Nicholas.
All this week we will be getting reports from the field as a different group of artists from MYTHap guest blog here. Hold on to your hats kids and don't forget to come see the event itself on SATURDAY APRIL 25!
Get your tickets here.
From MICHAEL DOVE,
Director of NO NOOKY, NO HOOKY
(Jackie Lawton's adaptaion of the urban Legend, "The Hook"):
Day One of Myth-App is here, at last. The traditional Meet-and-Great-and-Get-Your-Group-and-Myth was tonight. This Myth-App is all about URBAN MYTHS/LEGENDS. You know, those stories that live on in late-night sleep-overs, Boy Scout camps and constant e-mail forwards.Our amazing group will be tackling THE HOOK. Ah, the eternal tale of young love in a car seat interrupted by a homicidal maniac. Who hasn’t been there, eh? Our story will be crafted by the illustrious Jacqueline Lawton (who I worked with on MYTH-APP #1), so it’s in good hands! Or, is it……..HAND?!???
I asked the actors to tell us about Urban Legends they once believed:
Megan Dominy:
SO...I was always a whiz at sneakily moving the Oiuji board when I was a child--I left nothing to chance. While playing with my brother and his friends, I convinced them that a ghost was haunting Dean, who had taken over his room.
The kicker is someone told me a year ago that trying to contact spirits in anyway, including the Ouija board, is a veritable way to incite demons. I never realized this was a risk as a child, and now I think I would be hesitant to partake in any "ouijing."
Melissa-Leigh Douglass:
Ya know, even the Brady Bunch got involved with the urban legend scene.
In episodes #s 72, 73 and 74, the Brady Family takes a trip to Hawaii. And those bad Brady boys found themselves in a mess, when one discovers a Hawaiian Tabu at an ancient burial site. The cursed madness ensues...for three whole episodes.
Thank goodness those Brady boys survived, because what would the Brady Bunch be without Greg, Peter and Bobbie? They'd be left with a cute girl with pigtails, an annoying girl with frizzy hair, and Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!
Kristen Egermeier-Hampton:
I suppose my urban legend either shows the fact that ghosts are real, or debunks the myth that I am sane...take your pick. When I was around 8 years old one evening, my childhood friend Donald and I were playing in my parent's living room while my mom was on the other side of the wall in the kitchen. We both looked to the dividing wall and to our surprise was the figure
of a man in a trench coat, a brim hat, and brace yourselves, raising a knife up as if to strike. He stayed in the striking positing until, after fear, we ran to get my mom. I still look for the creep every time I visit home, he has yet to grace me with his daunting presence.
Annie Grier:
As kids my brother and I loved to toss grapes into our mouths. In an attempt to thwart this dangerous activity or maybe just to save a little cash on wasted grapes, my mother would recount the terrifying tale of grape tossing gone wrong. It all happened at a party where a doctor was demonstrating his crowd pleasing trick of grape tossing. As the crowd became more impressed with his skill he tossed the grapes higher and higher catching every single one. The grapes flew, the adults laughed and the children watched in awe, until one grape thrown high came down with such force that in lodged in the doctor's esophagus. The doctor stopped, his face turned red, someone screamed, "He's choking. Quick do the Heimlich!" The grape was dislodged and the doctor lived. He left the party deeply ashamed by his poor judgment as a medical professional and as he drove off through the dark and lonely night he vowed never to toss a grape, cherry or small tomato again. And that is why no matter what your older brother says, you do not toss grapes into your mouth.
The kicker is someone told me a year ago that trying to contact spirits in anyway, including the Ouija board, is a veritable way to incite demons. I never realized this was a risk as a child, and now I think I would be hesitant to partake in any "ouijing."
Melissa-Leigh Douglass:
Ya know, even the Brady Bunch got involved with the urban legend scene.
In episodes #s 72, 73 and 74, the Brady Family takes a trip to Hawaii. And those bad Brady boys found themselves in a mess, when one discovers a Hawaiian Tabu at an ancient burial site. The cursed madness ensues...for three whole episodes.Thank goodness those Brady boys survived, because what would the Brady Bunch be without Greg, Peter and Bobbie? They'd be left with a cute girl with pigtails, an annoying girl with frizzy hair, and Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!
Kristen Egermeier-Hampton:
I suppose my urban legend either shows the fact that ghosts are real, or debunks the myth that I am sane...take your pick. When I was around 8 years old one evening, my childhood friend Donald and I were playing in my parent's living room while my mom was on the other side of the wall in the kitchen. We both looked to the dividing wall and to our surprise was the figure
of a man in a trench coat, a brim hat, and brace yourselves, raising a knife up as if to strike. He stayed in the striking positing until, after fear, we ran to get my mom. I still look for the creep every time I visit home, he has yet to grace me with his daunting presence.
Annie Grier:
As kids my brother and I loved to toss grapes into our mouths. In an attempt to thwart this dangerous activity or maybe just to save a little cash on wasted grapes, my mother would recount the terrifying tale of grape tossing gone wrong. It all happened at a party where a doctor was demonstrating his crowd pleasing trick of grape tossing. As the crowd became more impressed with his skill he tossed the grapes higher and higher catching every single one. The grapes flew, the adults laughed and the children watched in awe, until one grape thrown high came down with such force that in lodged in the doctor's esophagus. The doctor stopped, his face turned red, someone screamed, "He's choking. Quick do the Heimlich!" The grape was dislodged and the doctor lived. He left the party deeply ashamed by his poor judgment as a medical professional and as he drove off through the dark and lonely night he vowed never to toss a grape, cherry or small tomato again. And that is why no matter what your older brother says, you do not toss grapes into your mouth.
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