#haoexpression

[aristosmusical]

We do other songs than Slave Woman’s Lament, we promise 😄😄. This is a powerful racing number after the death of Patroclus where Briseis tears into Achilles for the ways he has failed Patroclus, and for the ways she and her fellow slave women have been abused and overlooked.

We had a great time at rehearsal today!! We ran this number with an (almost) full cast for the first time and it’s looking SUPERB.

We adore our cast, from the 19 year olds to the 9 year olds (and younger!). Featuring our lovely producer and co-director Hao leading the kids in physical expression, Muse (@everydayatleast) standing in as Achilles, Ted (@courfeyracs-swordcane) standing in as Dead Body, Katel (@hsiw-i) as Briseis, and Sol (@permets-2) and Gracie leading the Camp Worker/Slave Women Ensemble!

[haoexpression]

Excalibur performance May 5, 4:30pm. Don’t miss it! #haoexpression #movementbasedacting #excalibur #theater #cubberleytheater #paloalto (at Cubberley Theater) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwpbUBBAMLo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=106rw1la2pqfo

[aristosmusical]

We had our first cast read through last Sunday! Here’s the team having fun and taking this lament super duper seriously.

Slave Woman’s Lament is a song led by Briseis and other enslaved women around the Greek camp after the death of Patroclus as they sing about the ways they’ve been abused and overlooked, and as Briseis tears into Achilles for how he failed to protect Patroclus.

Featured lyrics:

WE SING YOUR GRIEF TO MAKE YOU HEAR

WE RISE LIKE SMOKE AND DISAPPEAR

AND GRIEF GIVES WAY TO

GRIEF GIVES WAY TO

GRIEF GIVES WAY TO GRIEF

[IPHIS]

WE CAME SO FAR

[DIOMEDE]

WE BEAR THE SCARS

[IPHIS]

BUT THE GLORY’S YOURS TO KEEP

[BRISEIS]

SO YOU’LL SAY THE HERO LOVED HIM

MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE DID

MY HEART WAS BROKEN

BUT HOW I FELT IT

THE GENTLE GRIEF WHEN HE WAS NEAR

NOW ALL THAT’S LEFT ARE ASHES

YOU WILL BURN HIM DOWN TO ASHES

(As always, libretto by the lovely @everydayatleast! Brisies will be played by @hsiw-I, Iphis will be played by Grace C, and Diomede will be played by @permets-2!)

[aristosmusical]

Our team was lucky enough to get the opportunity to Skype Madeline Miller, the New York Times bestselling author of the book ARISTOS was initially based on, The Song of Achilles! After performing a few of our songs for her, we spoke to her for over an hour about our show, her books, the beauty and power of art, and tables!

[aristosmusical]

We got to see the lovely dancers this last Sunday improv to Cleopatra! (The video gets brighter, I promise)

‘Cleopatra’ is a mythological metaphor about Cleopatra the wife of Meleager that compares her plight of trying to appease her husband’s pride to Patroclus’s similar plight.

Here’s Clara portraying Cleopatra and @courfeyracs-swordcane portraying Meleager!

[haoexpression]

#movementbasedacting #haoexpression #yourexpressionyourway (at Cubberley Theater) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ywQEEgCvb/?igshid=pngjwmpmbxkg

[haoexpression]

“We do not need magic to change the world. We carry all the power inside ourselves already. -J. K. Rowling . . . #findyourexpression #haoexpression #yourexpressionyourway #movementbasedacting #theislandofstories Photo credits Adrien Moll (at HaoExpression) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvKjt3-Acpg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y6u268n8cl2o

[haoexpression]

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” -Beverly Sills . #theislandofstories #movementbasedacting #findyourexpression #haoexpression #yourexpressionyourway Photo credits Adrien Moll (at HaoExpression) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvHOL1cgDsn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1r4qxwqvvox6x