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Discus

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  2w, 2m, 3any gender (adult)

Becca Schlossberg

This heartbreaking and candid contemporary reimagining of the Greek myth of Apollo and Hyacinth explores powerfully relevant themes of class, power, justice, accountability and – above all – change.

Discus

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m, 3any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

Hyacinth is dead. Well, no, not yet; he's lost in the Nether Place. But what happened? Who killed him? Wait, did someone kill him? And where's Apollo? That's all Hyacinth can remember at first: that his life truly began the night he locked eyes with the great god Apollo...

Discus boldly reimagines the often-overlooked queer love story of Apollo and Hyacinth: a heartbreaking and candid play that challenges us with its powerfully relevant themes of class, power, justice, accountability, and – above all – change.

History
Discus premiered at Hunger & Thirst Theatre in New York City on 19 March 2022. Directed by Jenn Susi, the production featured Philip Estrera, Victoria Fragnito, Patrick T. Horn, Patricia Lynn, Rita McCann, Alexander Settineri and Alejandra Venancio.
Keywords
Performing Groups

TITANS
ZEPHYRUS – God of the western wind (F)
NOTOS – God of the southern wind, sister to Zephyrus (gender fluid)
BOREAS – God of the northern wind, sister to Zephyrus (gender fluid)

OLYMPIANS
APOLLO – God of music and poetry and healing and many other things (M)
ARTEMIS – God of the hunt, Apollo’s twin sister (F or NB)
HADES – God of the underworld (gender fluid)

MORTALS
HYACINTH – A Spartan prince (M). Doubles as GANYMEDE, a mortal servant of the gods.

M = Male, F = Female, NB = Non-binary, GF = Gender fluid (i.e., you can cast an actor of any gender in this role)

  • Time Period Greek/Roman/Biblical
  • Setting The space in between life and death and many other locations in ancient Greece.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Provocative... challenging... a post-modern look at the classic queer love story.” – DC Theatre Arts

“Playwright Becca Schlossberg's Discus brings a fresh and, for an essentially tragic tale, tremendously fun version of the myth of Hyacinth and Apollo to the stage... Discus is worthy of a wreath of laurels.” – Thinking Theater NYC

“The provocative new indie interpretation conflates the central tale of Apollo and Hyacinth with other characters and episodes from the myths of the gods, current vernacular and word plays with more traditional language, and the established male and female figures with some gender-reversed casting, for a challenging look at the universal themes of class and power, justice and accountability, remorse and repentance, and the possibility to change for the better when inspired by love.” – DC Theatre Arts

”This is a beautiful work. Sweet and intimate, with still the epic threads that are sewn into any myth involving the pantheon. Playwright Becca Schlossberg's work exists both in the then of the original myth and the now of contemporary mores.” – A Work Unfinishing

“Highly sylized [and] well paced... [A] faithful yet innovative new retelling of this ancient love story.” – Lavender After Dark

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Becca Schlossberg

Becca Schlossberg
Becca Schlossberg is a writer/performer. They are best known for their play Just Like I Wanted, a drama about teen suicide, which has been performed around the world. Their play 3boys is published by Original Works Publishing and received a 4-star review by Time Out magazine ...
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