Orfeus, A House Music Opera
WORLD PREMIERE AT LONDON’S YOUNG VIC THEATRE
PREMIERE POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19
LOGLINE
Orfeus, a former military assassin turned musician, must decide whether to return to a life of violence after his wife is kidnapped by his adoptive father: a vengeful fascist whose realm he escaped.
CHARACTERS
ORFEUS – a musician and former military assassin
EURIDICE – a poet
PLUTO – ruler of Undersphere
THE FURIES – three sister spirits, servants of Pluto
· MEGARA, the Jealous
· ALECTA, the Fierce
· DEMETER, the Avenger
THE SHADES -
· ATLAS – ORFEUS’ friend and fellow warrior, whom ORFEUS is ordered to fight in the Undersphere Arena. Later reappears to ORFEUS as a ghost. Also a spirit in Undersphere.
· AURORA – the gatekeeper of Overness. Also a spirit in Undersphere.
· ARCAS – a political prisoner in the city of Undersphere. Also a spirit in Undersphere.
THE MAYOR OF OVERNESS
A FRIEND OF EURIDICE
CITIZENS OF UNDERSPHERE
CITIZENS OF OVERNESS
STORY
As an orphaned child, Orfeus was adopted by Pluto, the fascist ruler of Undersphere, who governs his citizens through fear of the outside world. Reared as a military assassin, Orfeus is ordered to kill Atlas, his best friend who was unjustly condemned of treason. Renouncing violence, Orfeus flees Pluto’s realm and meets the poet Euridice on the road to Overness: a land of freedom and passion. As she helps him learn to live a new life filled with music and kindness, they fall in love and are married.
Three months later, when Undersphere’s military guards—The Furies (Megara, Alecta, and Demeter)—inform Pluto that Orfeus has married Euridice and abandoned the life he was raised to live, the jealous dictator orders The Furies to kidnap Euridice, knowing that Orfeus will return to Undersphere to reclaim her. Once Orfeus realizes Euridice is gone, he does indeed determine that Pluto is to blame; swearing that he will stop at nothing to rescue his love, including returning to the violence he rejected, he races back to Undersphere.
Back in Undersphere, Pluto decides that he must break Orfeus’ spirit to keep him in the kingdom. Pluto orders The Furies to attack Orfeus on his way back to Undersphere: Megara attempts to seduce him, Alecta attempts to return him to a life of violence by forcing him to kill someone who attacks him on the road, and Demeter curses him with a spell that will cause Euridice to die as soon as he looks her in the eyes.
In Undersphere’s darkest dungeon, Pluto tries unsuccessfully to turn Euridice against Orfeus, torturing her mind and threatening her. Soon thereafter, Orfeus arrives; father and son bitterly confront each other. Pluto confesses that he did for Orfeus what no one did for him: teach him to survive in a violent world. Orfeus replies that in teaching him to be strong, Pluto nearly crushed his soul; if he truly loves Orfeus, he will set him free with Euridice to live their lives in peace. Pluto asks Orfeus if there is any possibility for them to love each other as parent and child. Orfeus shakes his head, and Pluto sends him off to meet his wife, knowing she will die because of Orfeus.
The moment before Euridice’s cell door opens, Demeter tells Orfeus about the death curse, mockingly encouraging him to open the door and greet his wife. In despair, Orfeus sings a song he composed with Euridice; once a love song, it is now a sorrowful lament. Demeter is so moved by the music that Orfeus is allowed to leave with Euridice, but he is warned not to look her in the eyes until they reach the gates of Overness, where the curse will be broken. But if he looks her in the eyes, or if he reveals the curse or its cure, she will die.
Orfeus escapes with Euridice, and they start out for Overness. However, she soon begins to wonder why he refuses to look her in the eyes, eventually suspecting him of treating her as a pawn in the struggle with his father. Becoming agitated and finally enraged, she grabs him and forces him to face her, mere steps from the safety of Overness. Upon seeing the love in his eyes, she smiles and collapses into darkness, destroyed by the curse, as Orfeus sinks to his knees alone in silent shock.