Undone

This piece was first written for performance at the Studio Theatre, Sydney Opera House, as part of a series of stories around the theme of dancing, called In Four Four. The series was produced and composed by me, and included writers Barbara Blackman and Brian Castro. This is my take on the theme, Undone is a contemporary take on the Greek myth which explains the creation of the seasons through the story of Persephone, daughter of the Earth Goddess, Demeter, who was kidnapped by Hades, King of the Underworld. Demeter's grief at the loss of her daughter turns the earth barren and people begin to starve. Eventually Zeus intervenes and orders Persephone's return to Demeter - if she has not eaten since her descent into Hades. But Persephone has eaten - three pomegranate seeds - so a compromise is reached, where the girl is shared between the two gods. Hence, spring is when Demeter prepares for Persephone's return, summer is her time on the surface, autumn as she prepares to go back to Hades, and winter, for her time below. But how does Persephone feel about this transaction? In this contemporary telling, Persephone is coming of age, despite her mother's attempt to keep her in childhood. Persephone loves to dance, when her mother thinks she is sleeping. She dreams up a lover who carries her away, to the nightclub world of Undone, where the sensuality of movement is not out of place. Written, composed and produced by: Gretchen Miller Sound engineers: Phillip Ulman, Russell Stapleton, Angus Kingston. Music performed and improvised by: Sandy Evans (saxophones), Alister Spence (piano), Brett Hirst (double bass) and Phillip South (percussion) Thanks to the Australia Council New Media Arts Fund and the Sydney Opera House for funding the development and performance of the original live production at the Opera House Studio.