Classical myths retold with a modern twist

In truth, The Narcissus Collection, a brilliantly directed interweaving and reinterpretation of many myths, might send even a seasoned Latinist running to the nearest Oxford Classical Dictionary. Written by Meiyin Wang, DC '02, the play is the senior project of Laurel Pinson, DC '02, and Jeffrey Little, PC '02, who directed the production. Although the narrator (Elizabeth Prestel, SY '02) insists she's telling a "simple story of situation and loss" or "just another love story," The Narcissus Collection is much more. It's hilarious in parts, sad in others, both heart-wrenching and indifferent. The strength of the production lies in the skills of the director and the actors, who turn a clever script into something truly powerful.

The narrator asks the audience to "imagine, if you will, for all stories to be the truth." The Narcissus Collection does precisely that. Wang has given the characters a whole new dimension of realism. For example, Juno (flawlessly portrayed by Pinson) has much more personality here than in most myths. Instead of being an empty character, capable of little more than PMS, Juno shows sensitivity and truly cares for Jove (Ben Marcovitz, TC '02) and even their dog. When they file for separation, Jove addresses reporters at a press conference. Juno, however, practices her hilariously inept stand-up comedy routine. Pinson delivers the perfect combination of despair and frustration to win both the audience's laughter and pity.

STEVE YBARRA/YH Always stretch before rewriting Greek mythology.

By no means does The Narcissus Collection faithfully interpret the myths. Tiresias (Isaac Laskin, ES '02) is a chain-smoking, foul-mouthed transient. Hades is a homosexual whose dress would make Dr. Frank n' Furter blush. Narcissus (Graham Norris, MC '03) and Orpheus (Jackson Loo, DC '02) make out on a park bench. This is not your mother's mythology. In addition to creative characters, Wang has a talent for great one-liners. When Juno tells Jove that one of his affairs, Semele (Erika Macdonald, SY '02), is pregnant, he simply replies, "It's not your fault." Hippomenes races Atalanta to win her hand in marriage and wins by distracting her with golden apples. The myths call him clever. The announcer calls him a "cheating bastard."

The direction of The Narcissus Collection is nothing short of excellent. Little uses the ensemble beautifully. One moment, they imprison Myrrha as a tree. The next, they reflect Narcissus in a pond. Although the minimalist set consists of a few dangling picture frames and some walls plastered with photos, Little creates many different places. By a change in lighting, which he also designed, the stage transforms from a nondescript field to the bowels of hell. In a particularly fantastic sequence, he superimposes the dialogue of three philosophers speaking from the picture frames, controlled by the narrator's remote control.

The actors, too, help make The Narcissus Collection delightful. Each performs a wide variety of characters, from gods to hellish (and hilarious) creatures. Marcovitz's Jove is a clever politician who loves his wife but can't say no to a "girl in a black dress, maybe with a glass of champagne." Prestel's Echo shows intense frustration due to her inability to articulate. Although Narcissus is gay, Norris doesn't make this the focal point of the character. Rather, he obsesses over trying to unravel some mysterious words and brings the audience into his search for enlightenment.

Mirror imagery fills the play. Narcissus himself is "separated by a mirror from his lover." He states with aggravation, "Everywhere I go, reflection." The set juxtaposes reflection with reality, too. The picture frames are empty, yet the characters treat them as mirrors and paintings. We're seeing not Narcissus as he is, but as he sees himself. Tiresias tells us "boys dissolve into water. Girls branch into trees. It's just a matter of matter." Indeed, transformations take place before the audience on both literal and metaphorical levels.

It's not often a play comes along that is such a cathartic experience. With The Narcissis Collection, Wang and Little introduce us to a whole new side of mythological figures and, in doing so, challenge the way we think about them and ourselves.

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