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| WRITING | MERMAID | |||
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Click titles below to hear songs from mermaid, a musical tale. All songs written by Rogers & Monroe. The Way I See It Listening, The Way I See It (Reprise) Juba Diamonds |
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mermaid an enchanted musical tale
A One-Act, Comedy/Drama / 4W, 1M
Mermaid is loosely based on THE MERMAID, a Sea Islan, Gullah tale, and tells the story of a motherless girl, Eula, whose father is also a fisherman.
Abused by her new family, Eula's only solace is drawing on scraps of paper in the sand. Disconsolate, she goes to the ocean and unknowingly calls
forth a mermaid who offers life in her undersea world. The mermaid gives Eula magical combs, which illuminate the wearer's true self on the outside.
StepMa and Sista steal the combs and their faces become covered with warts revealing their true natures and mistreatment of Eula. In the end, Eula
realizes that through her art she has the power to create her own world. The music for Mermaid is grounded and rhythmic. It contains more
contemporary elements than Sunday but musical motives associated with the sea link the two pieces.
Mermaid may be presented along with Sunday, as an evening of two related one-acts. Mermaid will place live actors in magical,
physical worlds and will use shadow puppets, animation and projections to give life to the full aesthetic range of the folktale genre.
In Mermaid, sea life will be seen as shadow puppets, and animations will create the worlds of sky and sea, including Mermaid’s realm.
The Yip Harburg Foundation has, generously supported the musical collaboration between bookwriter/lyricist, Alva Rogers and composer, Bruce Monroe.
The Jim Henson and the Yip Harburg Foundations have generously supported the Readings of Sunday and Mermaid.
Reading: The Women’s Project (2004) Daniella Topol, Director. Supported by the Jim Henson Foundation.Workshop: Eugene O’Neill Puppetry Conference (Toy Theater Workshop / Theater constructed by puppeteer, Heather Henson) (2002) |
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