World Mythology - Monday, March 3rd - 2th Period

[atreideslioness]

Ghani was in her usual spot on her desk as they arrived.  "Welcome back, class.  I trust you all had a productive and relaxing break.  Unfortunately, it's over, and you're stuck with me this morning." 
 

“Little information about the origin of theatre has survived. The information we do have comes from wall paintings, decorations, artifacts, and hieroglyphics that show the importance of successful hunts, seasonal changes, life cycles, and stories of the gods. From these we see the necessity of passing along the experiences of the old to the young through art, storytelling, and dramatizing events. This practice gave the youth of a culture a guide and a plan for their own lives,” she said, beginning to sort various handouts into piles. 

 It was a lot of papers.  Boggle in fear. 

 “Now you’re probably going, ‘what does this have to do with mythology’?  Well, it’s rather simple, really.”

“Theatre emerged from myth, ritual, and ceremony. Early societies perceived connections between certain actions performed by the group or leaders in the group and the desired results of the whole society. These actions moved from habit, to tradition, and then on to ceremony and ritual. The formulation of these actions, and the consequent repetition and rehearsal, broke the ground for theatre.”

“The earliest example of ceremony and ritual evolving towards theatre comes from ancient Egypt.  "Pyramid texts" dating from 2800 to 2400 B.C., contain dramas sending the dead pharaoh off to the underworld. These dramas also serve to enforce the continuity of life and the pharaoh's continued power. There is also the Memphite Drama, recounting the story of the death and resurrection of the god Osiris, and the coronation of his son Horus. The most important Egyptian drama, though, was the Abydos passion play. Like the Memphite drama, the Abydos passion play concerns the story of Osiris. The paramount Egyptian myth, this drama was enacted at the most sacred place in Egypt, Abydos- the burial site of Osiris.  Performed annually from 2500 to 550 B.C. and full of spectacle, this passion play is the first of its kind ever recorded and is the first example of theatre.”

“Now, while I’m sure most of you are still convinced that civilization on this world, including theater, began with the Greeks, the fact is that this world's earliest report of a dramatic production comes from the banks of the Nile. It is in the form of a stone tablet preserved in a German museum and contains the sketchy description of one, I-kher-nefert (or Ikhernofret), a representative of the Egyptian king, of the parts he played in a performance of the world's first recorded "Passion" Play somewhere around the year 2000 B.C. This Egyptian Passion bears a notable resemblance to the Passion Plays of the twentieth century. Its purpose is obviously the same as that of the one at Ober-Ammergau, or the Tyrolean, or the Persian Passion Play of Hussein . . . the principal object, as always, being to keep vivid in the minds of the faithful the sufferings and triumph of a god. In the case of the Egyptian "Passion" the central figure was the legendary king-divinity, Osiris. According to the historical legend, Osiris ruled wisely. He was treacherously murdered and his body was cut in pieces and scattered. His wife, Isis, and his son, avenged his murder, gathered up the pieces of his body for pilgrimage relics, won back his throne and established the cult of Osiris-worship. We know that Passion plays in his memory were performed annually at Abydos, Busiris, Heliopolis, and elsewhere.”

Ghanima grin was slightly feral as she began dropping handouts on desks.  “The acting of those days must certainly have been quite as realistic as that of any modern stage, for later Greek historians tell us that many actor-warriors died of the wounds received in the "sham" battles between the enemies of Osiris and the forces led by his son, Ap-uat. The play closes with the resurrection of Osiris as a god and the foreshadowing to all the faithful of their own final resurrection.”

“The exact procedures are largely unknown, but it is believed that there were great celebrations among people combined with secluded, sacred rituals performed by the priesthood inside the temple. Some of these rites were public, however, and the processions which emerged from the temple were attended by masses of commoners. Perhaps the most important reason for the widespread popularity of the Cult of Osiris was the promise of eternal life to each and everyone, commoner and king alike.” 

“For your handouts today, because I know you all love my packets, we have a schedule of the ritual, the legend itself, information about Isis, Osiris, and Set, and another Handout about the rituals. 

“Today, we are putting on the Abydos version.”  Ghanima looked around the class sternly. “There will be no actual dying, do I make myself clear?”

“Our actors for the day are…”  Ghani held up her candy dish, folded paper tags clearly visible inside as she began drawing out names.  “Hrm… for the staring role of Osiris, Valentine.  For the devoted wife, Isis, Teddy Altman.”  No, she wasn’t even attempting to hide her amusement at that.  Lucky Teddy.  “Last, but not least, as everyone’s favorite upstart, Set, Michael Guerin.  Gentlemen, if you’d be so kind as to come up to my desk in a moment?”

"We may not have the actual script, so you’ll get to make parts of it up, but we are lucky enough to have something possibly even more important.”  Ghanima drew one more name out of her bowl.  “Naminé, would you be kind enough to come forward and take the Stage Manager's prompt book and diary?  It will be your job to keep the actors on-task, and make sure the play reaches its proper end."

“Actors, there is a box over here with your costumes which can be modded to be maskless, slightly too small/big/etc.  Students, please read over the handouts, and familiarize yourself with the story.  The show will begin momentarily.”

[Please wait for my massive OCD is up!  Standard disclaimers apply, see store for details.  No students were harmed too badly during the making of this production.]

Comments

Sign-In

[atreideslioness]

Theatrically!

Re: Sign-In

[blessed_twice]

Wyatt Halliwell, King of the Britons

Re: Sign-In

[im-afrog.livejournal.com]

Adam Park

During the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

Compare notes about your vacations, take notes on the class, or fall asleep with your hangover. Just don't be surprised when drops handouts on your head.

Re: During the Lecture

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Michael was taking notes.

Right up until Ghanima said he had to act. Then he was just staring.

Re: During the Lecture

[itsjustlanguage.livejournal.com]

Hoshi took notes and tried not to worry about a mischievous puppy who had been growling at her shoes when she left her dorm room to come to class.

Wait, She said WHAT?!?!?!

[atreideslioness]

She's seriously going to make people act this out. Don't you'd wish you'd brought popcorn?

She said WHAT?!?! : Actors

[atreideslioness]

Actors, go to the corner to find your costumes and try and figure out what the heck you're going to do. Or plot to overthrow the teacher. As you do.

Re: She said WHAT?!?! : Actors

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"At least I don't have to be Isis", Michael muttered to himself, trying to figure out if he could get the mask on without showing the whole class his eye.

Re: She said WHAT?!?! : Actors

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

Naminé stepped forward uncertainly. She was already irritable (http://palestshadow.livejournal.com/20615.html) from spending the morning arguing her fashion choices with her own sandals, and this was not going to be helping much. The last time she and Valentine had collaborated (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhighdorms/1291431.html) on a work ... well. The less said about that, the better.

She said WHAT?!?!?! : Other Students

[atreideslioness]

Go ahead, boggle at your classmates. Ghani doesn't mind. She thinks it 'builds character'.

Re: She said WHAT?!?!?! : Other Students

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders did wish he'd brought popcorn. But, barring that, he pulled his PDA off his belt and proceeded to make a whole pile of jujubes. Which, yes, he'd absolutely share.

Wait, She said WHAT?!? : The Peanut Gallery

[atreideslioness]

Because Ghani may or may not have handwavily put up a poster about this in the Teacher's Lounge. Any adults who are here to watch the chaos can mingle here.

The Play!

[atreideslioness]

"Places, please, and quiet in the peanut gallery." Ghanima called out. "Naminé, they're all yours."

The Play: The Banquet

[atreideslioness]

You've got some moddable props, and a basic idea of the script. Go to it.

The Play: The Death & Isis at the River

[atreideslioness]

Oh, gee, is that a cardboard box coffin? Would it fit Osiris? Stay tuned!

The Play: Maiming, part two.

[atreideslioness]

Man, Set has some sibling issues, doesn't he?

The Play: The Ressurection

[atreideslioness]

Just like it sounds. Need a handy uber-God to pass judgment on Set? Who's closer to a God than your Stage Manager?

After Play Discussion

[atreideslioness]

Questions, comments, mockery of your fellow students. Let's talk about what we learned.

Re: After Play Discussion

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"I learned that I still hate the theatre," Naminé declared.

Talk to the TA

[atreideslioness]

If Mr. Kessler hasn't run off to Mexico.

Re: Talk to the TA

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Where Billy was over spring break is actually classified. But it wasn't Mexico, and now he's back. He does have a bit of a tan though.

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

She's here, for all your talking needs.

OOC

[atreideslioness]

Because I have the OCD of DOOM today, and the world can't end until we all have photos of Teddy Altman in a dress.

Seriously, I have no idea how this is going to turn out. Major props to my victims participants for being willing to humor me in trying this.

Actors, there's more than one version of the play's events/timeline online, feel free to Google it and claim she gave you differing versions.

Re: OOC

[notthehulk.livejournal.com]

Teddy is crying on the inside.

I, however, can't stop giggling.