IPHIGENEIA AT AULIS [[INTRO POEM HERE]] By Gaia Brusasco Scene I [[Kalchas ninjas his way onto stage from the RIGHT to the Pink Panther Cast of Characters: tune. He hides behind a pillar as Menelaos enters from LEFT, carrying Iphigenia – just wants to get away from Marianne Wald a clipboard he is examining with intense concentration. Iphigenia enters her crazy and over-controlling last from CENTER and sees Menelaos.]] mother and family who just don’t IPHIGENIA: Uncle Menelaos! I came as soon as I could. understand anything MENELAOS: Excellent. I feel we just need to go over the Plan Agamemnon – forever dithering and Vanessa Felso indecisive, can’t make up his mind one final time before tomorrow. Where’s Kalchas? about anything. [[Kalchas jumps out of hiding and startles them]] Menelaos – Makes Plans with a capital Tabatha Barton KALCHAS: Halt!! What is the secret plan meeting password!? P. Needs to follow the Plan. The MENELAOS: Kalchas, we don’t have time for this now – come Plan is everything. over here. Clytemnestra – Over-controlling and Emily Strong KALCHAS: Not before I hear the password! How do I know alternates between sweetly you’re not exceptionally cleverly disguised identity thieves? addressing one character and shouting at another in her next IPHIGENIA: Identity thieves who just happened to know that breath. Micro-manages. this was the time and place for our secret meeting? I don’t Kalchas – Easily excitable and obsessed Zoe Fox think so. with espionage and detectives. Life KALCHAS: It could happen. Tell me the password. goal is to become a ninja. MENELAOS: By Zeus’ thunderbolts, just get over here. Achilles – Flirts with anything that Erin Washburn KALCHAS: Not until you prove you’re actually Menelaos and moves. Iphigenia! Chorus of citizens of Aulis: Niki Barker, Gaia Brusasco, Anna IPHIGENIA: Fine, “hysteron proteron”, now hurry up. Humphrey, Brittani KALCHAS: That was yesterday’s password- Ivan, Anna M&IPHIGENIA: Kalchas! Lichtenstein, Megan KALCHAS: All right, all right, I’m coming – no need to get your McClure, Matanda chiton in a twist. [joins them at the top of the stairs] Mondoa, Jordan MENELAOS: Right. All participants present and accounted for Schwarz ~*~ (finally). The agenda: review the plan, to be enacted tomorrow, to simulate the death by ritual sacrifice of Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, for the purpose of allowing her greater mobility such that she may, as she so chooses, travel to 1 Tauris wherein she may undertake the position of “head MENELAOS: Kalchas, we’ve been over this before. No one needs priestess of Artemis”. Iphigenia, hereafter “the sacrifice” will – to go undercover- IPHIGENIA: Jeeze, Uncle, can’t you just say “I’m going to fake KALCHAS: But I have the perfect disguise all picked out. It’s my death so I can get away from my over-controlling mother really good; no one will suspect a thing! Pleeeeease?? and do what I want to for once”? IPHIGENIA: Oh just let him do it. MENELAOS: …Yes, I suppose that would be a short though by MENELAOS: Very well… you may disguise yourself for no means specific summary. informational purposes – but remember your part of the plan! IPHIGENIA: Okay. Let’s just skip straight to going over the plan; KALCHAS: Yes!!! Don’t worry, I won’t forget. This is so exciting!! I need to get back before my mother notices I’m gone. IPHIGENIA: I’ll see you tomorrow then. MENELAOS: Very well. The Plan. Step 3, point A, subsection MENELAOS: Until then. one. KALCHAS: See you! KALCHAS: Wait, what happened to steps 1 and 2? [they exit in opposite directions MENELAOS: Irrelevant. Tomorrow, Kalchas, you will… KALCHAS: Impart to Agamemnon the terrible prophecy that he Scene Two must sacrifice his eldest daughter to Artemis before he and the Once they’ve gone, the Chorus enters – odd #s from LEFT, even #s from fleet can set sail. Ooh, this is so exciting; I’ve never helped RIGHT, greeting each other] anybody fake their own death before! Chorus: Hey – Hi – How are you doing? Etc. MENELAOS: Correct. Then- Ch2: Did you hear about Agamemnon and the oracle!? KALCHAS: I will secretly infiltrate the base and- Ch3: That he has to sacrifice his daughter before the fleet can sail?? MENELAOS: NO. Then, step 4 subsection C, I will convince It’s crazy right! Agamemnon that this is the only course of action available to Ch4: The most gossip-worthy thing that’s happened around here in him and ensure his cooperation. Step 5, Agamemnon will agree months, that’s for certain. to this course of action. Steps 6 through 12, we will thus Ch1: What do you mean? It’s positively tragic! proceed with the false sacrifice as outlined and agreed upon at Ch4: Tragically interesting for sure. our previous meeting. Ch5: I certainly won’t be sorry to see the Greek army sail away. All IPHIGENIA: Sounds great; I can’t wait. I’ve really got to go now I hear all day long is “Helen, Helen, Helen” and “my helmet is before my mom suspects anything. shinier than your helmet” and “do you think this armor makes KALCHAS: But wait, when will we go undercover? Someone me look fat?”. always has to go undercover to keep an eye out and make sure Ch6: Except Achilles. It would be totally fine if Achilles stayed nothing goes wrong! What if the polis starts to suspect here forever. something?? Ch3: Very true, very true. Ch 2: Then you all haven’t even heard the most recent development! 2 All Chorus: What is it? Tell us?? KALCHAS: NOOOOO! I have a confession to make… I should [[as Chorus excitedly gathers around C2 for information, Kalchas in his have told you at the beginning of all this, but I couldn’t bear disguise – a crazy wig and glasses – sneaks on stage and lurks with them]] the look of betrayal in your eyes. I’m not here to visit my Ch2: Agamemnon sent for his daughter, but in his letter to cousin in the army, that’s just my cover. I don’t even HAVE a Clytemnestra telling her to send Iphigenia he didn’t say that cousin. I can’t reveal my true identity, but I’ve been sent she’s going to be sacrificed, he lied and said she was coming to undercover by Iphigenia herself to make sure everything goes marry Achilles! according to plan. You can’t stop the sacrifice; the show must Ch6: NEVER! Achilles is mine!! go on!! Other Chous members: Woah there, calm down. Ch4: I thought the whole cousin thing was a bit fishy. [[Chorus notice Kalchas in their midst]] Ch6: Wait, so that means you can’t introduce us to Achilles?? Ch1: Who are you? Ch1: But if Iphigenia sent you here, why can’t we stop the sacrifice? Ch4: Your hair is so – stunning. Doesn’t she know what’s going to happen? KALCHAS: Oh I just arrived – visiting my cousin in the army – KALCHAS: I know I’ve kept secrets from you in the past… but it one of Protesilaus’ men you know. was only ever to keep you safe! I recognize that now the time Ch6: Does he know Achilles?!?? has come for me to reveal the truth fully and completely, and I Ch3: Can he introduce us?!? will understand if you can never forgive me. The prophesy Ch5: ANYway… that Iphigenia must be sacrificed… is false. Ch1: Don’t you feel sorry for Iphigenia? She’s getting sacrificed. Chorus: GASP [awkward pause as Chorus considers this] KALCHAS: Iphigenia planned the entire thing herself so that she Ch2: Yeah… can fake her own death; that’s why you can’t stop it. But don’t Ch3: Wow, when you put it like that… worry – we’ve got everything under control. Ch4: Eh, these things happen. [elbowed and glared at by others] I Ch1: That’s – that’s – so cool! mean, a real tragedy. Ch6: We can help too, right!? Ch1: We’ve got to stop it! Ch5: Just leave it up to us! We’ll make sure no one stops the Ch5: But what can we do? We’re just the chorus, no one ever sacrifice! listens to us unless we’re providing interesting backstory, and KALCHAS: Wow you guys are the best! But remember – you even then we’re lucky to get half their attention. can’t tell anyone! Ch6: Let’s ask Achilles to help! Ch3: Have no fear, our lips are sealed! Ch3: YES! He’ll definitely help us; let’s go ask him now! Ch2: We’ll make sure everyone knows what a tragedy it is that Ch4: Well I suppose it would be more interesting than just Iphigenia is going to be sacrificed! standing around here. Ch4: Well this is a recipe for disaster. [[chorus starts to head off to the RIGHT]] 3 *SONG – “DIE YOUNG”* Wee se her arms raised to the pitiless sky Ch solo(Anna H): I see her arms raised to the pitiless sky Oh, what a shame that she came her just to die Ch solo(Nikki): Oh, what a shame that she came her just to die So while we’re here on the shore, Let's make the most of today like she’s gonna die young All: So while we’re here on the shore- Let’s make the most of today cause she’s gonna die young Ch A: Iph-i-gen-i~a Ch B: She’s gonna die young Ch A: Iph-i-gen-i~a Ch A: Iph-i-gen-i~a Ch B: She’s gonna die young Ch B: She’s gonna die young Ch A: Iph-i-gen-i~a Ch A: Iph-i-gen-i~a Ch B: She’s gonna die young Ch A: Iph-i-gen-i~a All: Let's make the most of the night cause she’s gonna die young! All: Let's make the most of today cause she’s gonna die young Scene Three Ch A: Kill her, then set sail [[Agamemnon enters from LEFT with a letter that he keeps opening, folding, Foolproof plan – no way to fail.