Theatrefolk Featured Play – Myth-o-logues by Janice Harris

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight.  Myth-o-logues by Janice Harris is a fantastic one-act and classroom resource. Pick and choose from this must-have collection of monologues from Greek Mythology’s greatest characters. Great for in-class and online study and performances!

Cassandra (the Trojan prophetess no one believes) is here to be your Greek mythology tour guide. She’ll lead you through stories of war, relationships and the origins of good and evil. She’ll share all before old Charon ferries the whole audience across the River Styx. Will you listen? Will you learn? Will you believe?

Why did we publish this play?

I love this title. It describes this play perfectly – a collection of monologues about Greek myths. This is a great way to introduce both (myths and monologues) in one package. You can even put them all together for a unique monologue driven production – which will make it really accessible for an online performance.

Middle school teachers – you will want this play in your classroom!

Let’s hear from the author!

1. Why did you write this play?

I wrote this play because I wanted to give my students a more comprehensive understanding of traditional Greek stories and characters, particularly in the context of the study Greek theatre history.

2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences.

The topic of the play is Greek Mythology. The theme changes with each character as the performers explore the characters— faithfulness, loss of love, revenge, power, etc.

3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play?

At this particular time, I visualize an online performance. See below.

4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be?

I would encourage those producing this play to have your actors do a lot of research on the whole storyline of each character. This will strengthen the portrayal of each character as the students do the character study needed for a successful performance.

5. Why is this play great for student performers?

This play is good for student performers for several different reasons. The monologues are of different lengths, so a student can choose one that fits his/her comfort level. (My method for assigning monologues or scenes is for students to submit several choices. I make the final assignment.) The subject matter is cross-disciplinary. The material can be performed by a beginning or advanced level student. Character study is necessary for a successful performance.

6. Do you have any tips or suggestions for those who are performing this play online?

I think this play is particularly suited to an online performance. I can picture a performance of individual actors appearing on the screen. As narrator, Cassandra could be in the center. The focus could shift from actor to actor, the screen could fade in and out. There is a great opportunity for students working on the technical side of the performance online. Actors could easily perform in their own rooms or yards, in a garden, or even on a stage, observing social distancing. There is plenty of room for creativity in an online performance.

Get your copy of Myth-o-logues right here, right now!

Not right for your group right now? Search our play catalogue to find one that your performers will love!