Persephone Overview - fanninmusic.com

Storyboard:

Persephone

FanninMusicalProductions

Overview

Persephoneutilizesfresh,innovativearrangementsofclassicsoftherepertoiretoretellthestoryofthebeautifuldaughterofthegoddessDemeter,whoseabductionbythegodoftheunderworldresultsinthecoldanddeathofwinter,andwhosereturnresultsintherebirthofspring.Theshowopenswithalight,freshmusicalandvisualtoneevocativeofspringandyouth,butquicklydarkensasthemelodicmotifsofNightonBaldMountainsuggesttheencroachmentofdarknessonthescene,culminatinginPersephone’sabduction.Thesecondmovementissomber,suggestingthefallofwinter,butultimatelyresilientasexpressedbyHolst’sJupiter.Finally,thecloserpresentstheconflictoflightanddarkbeforePersephone’striumphantreturnasaqueen,andwithhertherebirthofspring.

Thevisualconceptspresentedherepresumeamoderatelysizedcolorguard,butcouldbeadjustedeasilytofitalargerorsmallerauxiliary.

Althoughtheshowisdesignedtoworkwithorwithoutit,theadditionofanarrativevoiceovercouldaddanotherlayertothestorytelling.

SetDesign

TheoverallsetdesignforPersephoneusesawidevarietyoffunctional,butsimplepropstotransporttheviewertoanidyllic,Greekcountryside.Themostimportantpropsareaseriesoftrees[thenumberisadjustablewiththesizeoftheensembleandbudget]whichareusedtocompletelychangethemoodofthefieldasPersephoneisabducted.

Each‘tree’isinfactametalrodsandwichedbetweentwomirrorimagetree-shapes,theninsertedintoaweightedbase.Atthedesiredmoment,performerscaneasilyturnthe‘tree’ontherod’saxistopresenttheoppositeside.

Otherpropsincludesmall‘columns’whichevokethesettingofGreecewhilealsoservingasstagingpointsformusicalsolosandfeatures,andalarger‘fallencolumn’whichservesasthestagingpointforoneofourlargesteffects:theendofopener‘abduction’ofPersephone.

‘Column’propsofthistypecaneasilybebuiltinseveralwaysviaatriptoLowe’s,HomeDepot,etc.

OnSideAseveralofthesepropscometogethertoformaseparatestagingareawherethe‘abduction’scenewilltakeplace.Inthecenterofthis‘grove’stagingarea,aslightlyraiseddaiswillhelptodrawtheeyetothePersephonecharacteratthekeymoment,shownherewithanoptionalgraphicdepictingtheancientGreeksymbolforanentrancetotheunderworld.

Colors,Costuming,Flags

Theshowisvisuallysplitbetweentwocontrastingcolorpalettes,onerepresentingspringandrebirth,theotherdarknessandwinter,butthetwoarealsoconnectedthroughtherepeatingmotifofthe‘GreekKey’patterninmanyincarnations.

Opener

Astheshowbegins,theensembleisspreadthroughouttheidyllic,spring-likeset.Themusiciansareinvarious,statue-likeposesinanotherconnectiontotheGreeksetting.Halfoftheguard[thosecostumedinuniform‘B’]arehiddenbehindpropswhiletheotherhalfisgatheredonSideB,dancingaroundafeaturedperformerwhoiscostumedasPersephoneherself.

Thefeaturedperformerneednotbeamemberofthecolorguardproperasherrolewillnotinvolvemanipulatingequipment.Instead,shecouldbeaspecialrecruitforthisproductionwhohasstrongactingand/ordanceskills.

Astheshowbegins,Persephoneandhercircleofdancersbegintomovearoundthefield,‘causing’musicianstobegintomoveandplay.Optionalnarrationpriortothefirsthornlineentrance:

Voiceover[malevoice]:Sheissolovely…likethespringitself…

Atfirst,thelowbrassanddrumlineformupbehindthemandbegintofollowthedancerstowardscenterstage.Next,astheypassashortcolumnprop,afluteduetturnsandbeginstoplay.

Similarly,asthedancerspasstwoothershortcolumns,atrumpetduetandclarinetsoloarealso‘caused’bytheirpassing.Meanwhile,increasingnumbersofmusiciansarebeginningtobegintomoveandjointheformasitfollowsthemaroundthefieldtowardstheSideA‘grove.’

AstheNightonBaldMountainmotifbecomesmorepronouncedandrecognizable,theguardperformersincostume‘B’begintoemergefromtheirhidingplacesbehindprops,individualisticallyspinningastheymovetowardsthefirstarrival/impactoftheshow.Then,justbeforethatfirstimpact,narration:

Voiceover[malevoice]:Bringhertome!

Then,thefirst,full-ensemblestatementofNightonBaldMountain.

TheremainderoftheOpenerconstitutesachasewithGuard‘A’andGuard‘B’beingopposedtooneanotherinpairsinvariousways.Themusiciandrillservestoseparatethematfirst,thengraduallyallowsGuardAandGuardBtointeractinvariousways.

Asthemusicdevelopinintensity,thedrillbeginstobringPersephoneandGuard‘A’towardstheSideA‘grove’stagingareafortheculminatingeffectofthefirstmovement.

Persephonestandsuponthedaisinthecenterofthe‘grove’stagingareawhiletwoGuard‘B’performersgobehindthe‘fallen’pillartoprepare…

…forthefinalabductionofPersephone.ThetwoGuard‘B’performerspullfrombehindthe‘fallen’pillarahugeblacksilkontwo‘t’poleswhichtheythenrunoverPersephoneonherdaisandthenbetweenthetreepropstowardsbackfield.

AfterthefinalreleaseofMovement1,anothernarration:

Voiceover[malevoice]:Youaremine!

…justastheblacksilkispulledawayfromthedaisrevealingthatPersephoneisgone[theperformeractuallyhavingsnuckoutunderthesilkandnowhiddenbehindthelargepillarpropinthebackofthe‘grove’stagingarea].Guard‘A’gathersaroundthedais,shocked.

Ballad

Duringthebeginningoftheballad[musicallyentirelyplayedinthefrontensemble]themovingensemblescattersacrossthefield,leavingGuardAtodancemournfullyaroundthedaisandPersephone’sabsence.FuturebrasssoloistsgotothesmallcolumnswhileGuardBandtheremainderofthehornlinegotothetreepropstoprepareforthenextmajoreffect.Optionalnarration:

Voiceover[femalevoice]:Thisinjusticeshallnotstand…tillmydaughterisreturned,noflowershallbloom…nogreenthinggrow…theearthisitself,shalldie!

WhilethetrumpetsoloistbeginstheinitialmotifofJupiter,thetreepropsturntotheir‘dead’side,ripplingfromSideAtoSideB.Meanwhile,GuardAmakestheirwaycenterstage.

TheJupitermotifisthentransferredtoasmallensemble,hereshownasatrumpetduetwithatubaandbaritone,stagedontheshortcolumns.GuardAthenintroducestheballadsilk.

ThenthewoodwindsbrieflytakecenterstagewhilethebrassmovetowardcenterstageandGuardBentersontheballadsilktowardsbackfield.

Finally,atthemajor,impactfulstatementoftheJupitermotif,theentireensemblecomestogetherforagrandmusicalmomentandourfirstunisonflagstatement.

AstheballadwindsdownandbegintotranslatetotheCloser,GuardBtransitionstowardstherearofthestageforequipmentchangewhileGuardAstaysfrontfieldtocarrythevisualfocus.Meanwhile,themusiciansrestagefortheCloser.

Closer

InthebeginningoftheCloser,thereturntotheNightonBaldMountainmotifismatchedvisuallybyareturntovisualprominenceofGuardB,andtheconflictbetweenAandB.Thiswouldbeanidealtimeforweaponsifdesired.ForGuardA,thiscouldbeanidealmomentforadancemoment,orareturntotheOpenersilk.

AsNightonBaldMountaingiveswaytoanewmusicalmotif,GuardAcomefrontstageandGuardBmovestowardsthebackfieldpropsdejectedly.Meanwhile,themusicalensemblebuildsintotheclassic‘companyfront’formarrangedtowardstheSideAdais.Optionalnarration:

Voiceover[femalevoice]:Darknessmayfallforatime…butthelightwillalwaysreturn!

Uponthedais,thePersephoneperformerhasmovedintopositionwhiletheeyewasfocusedonSideB,nowcostumedinshadesofgoldtosymbolizehertransformationbyherordealintoaregalfigure.Thehornlineperformsabodyleantowardshertodrawtheeyebeforesteppingoffonthebiggest,mostregalstatementoftheGreatGateofKiev.GuardAexplodesfromthefrontsidelinewithahuge,goldensilkwhileGuardBturnsthetreepropsbacktotheir‘spring’side.

Afteraninitialhalf-time,slowforwardmotion,themusiciansdrillthenevolvestomakeapathwayforthePersephonecharactertomovecenterstage.

TheformthenclosesdownaroundPersephonecenterstageforthefinalimpactoftheshow.Severalhornplayers[woodwindssoastohaveaminimalimpactonvolume]thenliftPersephonetriumphantlyintotheair.

Meanwhile,thefullguardfillsthefieldwithgoldasthefinalmajesticstrainsoftheGreatGateringout.

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