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Medusa Undone

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  4w, 1m

Bella Poynton

A theatrical retelling of the little-known Medusa origin story, Medusa Undone explores how rape culture reverberates through the ages, and calls attention to the great injustice suffered by female victims of abuse.

Medusa Undone

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 1m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades

Details

Summary
A theatrical retelling of the little-known Medusa origin story. Before she was one of the greatest mythical monsters of all time, Medusa was a kind, beautiful sea-nymph in Athena's service. Unparalleled in both her beauty and devotion to the Gods, Medusa catches the eye of the charming but narcissistic Poseidon. Interested only in the passions of the spirit, and not the flesh, Medusa feels she has no choice but to reject the greedy God. For this, she not only suffers violence at the hand of Poseidon, but also incites a deep-seated jealousy in Athena, with horrific and disturbing consequences. Medusa Undone explores how rape culture reverberates through the ages, and calls attention to the great injustice suffered by female victims of abuse.
History
Medusa Undone was the winner of the 8th Annual New Play Festival at Panndora Productions in 2014. Panndora produced the play at the Garage Theatre in Long Beach, CA in 2015. In 2019, Medusa Undone was produced at Post-Industrial Productions in Buffalo, NY and at Otherworld Theatre in in Chicago, IL. 3rd Act Theatre Company in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma mounted a production in 2021.
Keywords
Performing Groups
MEDUSA – Female, 20s, a mortal woman from the sea.
ATHENA NIKE – Female, 20s-30s, the Goddess of War and Strategy.
POSEIDON – Male, 30s, the God of the Sea.
STHENO – Female, 20s-30s, Medusa’s immortal sea-gorgon sister.
CLEA – Female, late 30s to 40s, the high priestess at the temple of Athena.
  • Time Period Greek/Roman/Biblical
  • Setting The temple of Athena Nike and the Island of the Dead. When the world was new.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Strong, powerful and potentially healing. Its psychological truth is stunning.” – Bitter Lemons

“Writer Bella Poynton frames the story as a critique of rape culture… Medusa is the sort of vital feminist character not seen enough onstage.” – The Chicago Reader

“The play does not shy away from the reality of Medusa’s experience—but nothing is included for shock value... Every line in Medusa Undone has been written and delivered with exact precision.” – Pop Mythology

“Poynton’s powerful statement gains even more heft from #MeToo, and is well served by the performances in its Western New York premiere.” – The Buffalo News

“Medusa Undone is not a student production, but I can certainly see it becoming a favorite on college campuses.” – Buffalo Rising

“Since everything about Medusa Undone is exceptional, it’s hard to know where to start!” – The Grunion

Licensing & Materials

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

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Authors

Bella Poynton

Bella Poynton

Bella Poynton is a playwright, director, and theatre scholar from Buffalo, NY. Her plays have been produced and developed at Alleyway Theatre, The Great Plains Theatre Festival, Road Less Traveled Productions, 3rd Act Theatre Company, The Bechdel Group, MadLab Theatre, Otherw ...

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