Storyboard:
Persephone
FanninMusicalProductions
Overview
Persephoneutilizesfresh,innovativearrangementsofclassicsoftherepertoiretoretellthestoryofthebeautifuldaughterofthegoddessDemeter,whoseabductionbythegodoftheunderworldresultsinthecoldanddeathofwinter,andwhosereturnresultsintherebirthofspring.Theshowopenswithalight,freshmusicalandvisualtoneevocativeofspringandyouth,butquicklydarkensasthemelodicmotifsofNightonBaldMountainsuggesttheencroachmentofdarknessonthescene,culminatinginPersephone’sabduction.Thesecondmovementissomber,suggestingthefallofwinter,butultimatelyresilientasexpressedbyHolst’sJupiter.Finally,thecloserpresentstheconflictoflightanddarkbeforePersephone’striumphantreturnasaqueen,andwithhertherebirthofspring.
Thevisualconceptspresentedherepresumeamoderatelysizedcolorguard,butcouldbeadjustedeasilytofitalargerorsmallerauxiliary.
Althoughtheshowisdesignedtoworkwithorwithoutit,theadditionofanarrativevoiceovercouldaddanotherlayertothestorytelling.
SetDesign
TheoverallsetdesignforPersephoneusesawidevarietyoffunctional,butsimplepropstotransporttheviewertoanidyllic,Greekcountryside.Themostimportantpropsareaseriesoftrees[thenumberisadjustablewiththesizeoftheensembleandbudget]whichareusedtocompletelychangethemoodofthefieldasPersephoneisabducted.
Each‘tree’isinfactametalrodsandwichedbetweentwomirrorimagetree-shapes,theninsertedintoaweightedbase.Atthedesiredmoment,performerscaneasilyturnthe‘tree’ontherod’saxistopresenttheoppositeside.
Otherpropsincludesmall‘columns’whichevokethesettingofGreecewhilealsoservingasstagingpointsformusicalsolosandfeatures,andalarger‘fallencolumn’whichservesasthestagingpointforoneofourlargesteffects:theendofopener‘abduction’ofPersephone.
‘Column’propsofthistypecaneasilybebuiltinseveralwaysviaatriptoLowe’s,HomeDepot,etc.
OnSideAseveralofthesepropscometogethertoformaseparatestagingareawherethe‘abduction’scenewilltakeplace.Inthecenterofthis‘grove’stagingarea,aslightlyraiseddaiswillhelptodrawtheeyetothePersephonecharacteratthekeymoment,shownherewithanoptionalgraphicdepictingtheancientGreeksymbolforanentrancetotheunderworld.
Colors,Costuming,Flags
Theshowisvisuallysplitbetweentwocontrastingcolorpalettes,onerepresentingspringandrebirth,theotherdarknessandwinter,butthetwoarealsoconnectedthroughtherepeatingmotifofthe‘GreekKey’patterninmanyincarnations.
Opener
Astheshowbegins,theensembleisspreadthroughouttheidyllic,spring-likeset.Themusiciansareinvarious,statue-likeposesinanotherconnectiontotheGreeksetting.Halfoftheguard[thosecostumedinuniform‘B’]arehiddenbehindpropswhiletheotherhalfisgatheredonSideB,dancingaroundafeaturedperformerwhoiscostumedasPersephoneherself.
Thefeaturedperformerneednotbeamemberofthecolorguardproperasherrolewillnotinvolvemanipulatingequipment.Instead,shecouldbeaspecialrecruitforthisproductionwhohasstrongactingand/ordanceskills.
Astheshowbegins,Persephoneandhercircleofdancersbegintomovearoundthefield,‘causing’musicianstobegintomoveandplay.Optionalnarrationpriortothefirsthornlineentrance:
Voiceover[malevoice]:Sheissolovely…likethespringitself…
Atfirst,thelowbrassanddrumlineformupbehindthemandbegintofollowthedancerstowardscenterstage.Next,astheypassashortcolumnprop,afluteduetturnsandbeginstoplay.
Similarly,asthedancerspasstwoothershortcolumns,atrumpetduetandclarinetsoloarealso‘caused’bytheirpassing.Meanwhile,increasingnumbersofmusiciansarebeginningtobegintomoveandjointheformasitfollowsthemaroundthefieldtowardstheSideA‘grove.’
AstheNightonBaldMountainmotifbecomesmorepronouncedandrecognizable,theguardperformersincostume‘B’begintoemergefromtheirhidingplacesbehindprops,individualisticallyspinningastheymovetowardsthefirstarrival/impactoftheshow.Then,justbeforethatfirstimpact,narration:
Voiceover[malevoice]:Bringhertome!
Then,thefirst,full-ensemblestatementofNightonBaldMountain.
TheremainderoftheOpenerconstitutesachasewithGuard‘A’andGuard‘B’beingopposedtooneanotherinpairsinvariousways.Themusiciandrillservestoseparatethematfirst,thengraduallyallowsGuardAandGuardBtointeractinvariousways.
Asthemusicdevelopinintensity,thedrillbeginstobringPersephoneandGuard‘A’towardstheSideA‘grove’stagingareafortheculminatingeffectofthefirstmovement.
Persephonestandsuponthedaisinthecenterofthe‘grove’stagingareawhiletwoGuard‘B’performersgobehindthe‘fallen’pillartoprepare…
…forthefinalabductionofPersephone.ThetwoGuard‘B’performerspullfrombehindthe‘fallen’pillarahugeblacksilkontwo‘t’poleswhichtheythenrunoverPersephoneonherdaisandthenbetweenthetreepropstowardsbackfield.
AfterthefinalreleaseofMovement1,anothernarration:
Voiceover[malevoice]:Youaremine!
…justastheblacksilkispulledawayfromthedaisrevealingthatPersephoneisgone[theperformeractuallyhavingsnuckoutunderthesilkandnowhiddenbehindthelargepillarpropinthebackofthe‘grove’stagingarea].Guard‘A’gathersaroundthedais,shocked.
Ballad
Duringthebeginningoftheballad[musicallyentirelyplayedinthefrontensemble]themovingensemblescattersacrossthefield,leavingGuardAtodancemournfullyaroundthedaisandPersephone’sabsence.FuturebrasssoloistsgotothesmallcolumnswhileGuardBandtheremainderofthehornlinegotothetreepropstoprepareforthenextmajoreffect.Optionalnarration:
Voiceover[femalevoice]:Thisinjusticeshallnotstand…tillmydaughterisreturned,noflowershallbloom…nogreenthinggrow…theearthisitself,shalldie!
WhilethetrumpetsoloistbeginstheinitialmotifofJupiter,thetreepropsturntotheir‘dead’side,ripplingfromSideAtoSideB.Meanwhile,GuardAmakestheirwaycenterstage.
TheJupitermotifisthentransferredtoasmallensemble,hereshownasatrumpetduetwithatubaandbaritone,stagedontheshortcolumns.GuardAthenintroducestheballadsilk.
ThenthewoodwindsbrieflytakecenterstagewhilethebrassmovetowardcenterstageandGuardBentersontheballadsilktowardsbackfield.
Finally,atthemajor,impactfulstatementoftheJupitermotif,theentireensemblecomestogetherforagrandmusicalmomentandourfirstunisonflagstatement.
AstheballadwindsdownandbegintotranslatetotheCloser,GuardBtransitionstowardstherearofthestageforequipmentchangewhileGuardAstaysfrontfieldtocarrythevisualfocus.Meanwhile,themusiciansrestagefortheCloser.
Closer
InthebeginningoftheCloser,thereturntotheNightonBaldMountainmotifismatchedvisuallybyareturntovisualprominenceofGuardB,andtheconflictbetweenAandB.Thiswouldbeanidealtimeforweaponsifdesired.ForGuardA,thiscouldbeanidealmomentforadancemoment,orareturntotheOpenersilk.
AsNightonBaldMountaingiveswaytoanewmusicalmotif,GuardAcomefrontstageandGuardBmovestowardsthebackfieldpropsdejectedly.Meanwhile,themusicalensemblebuildsintotheclassic‘companyfront’formarrangedtowardstheSideAdais.Optionalnarration:
Voiceover[femalevoice]:Darknessmayfallforatime…butthelightwillalwaysreturn!
Uponthedais,thePersephoneperformerhasmovedintopositionwhiletheeyewasfocusedonSideB,nowcostumedinshadesofgoldtosymbolizehertransformationbyherordealintoaregalfigure.Thehornlineperformsabodyleantowardshertodrawtheeyebeforesteppingoffonthebiggest,mostregalstatementoftheGreatGateofKiev.GuardAexplodesfromthefrontsidelinewithahuge,goldensilkwhileGuardBturnsthetreepropsbacktotheir‘spring’side.
Afteraninitialhalf-time,slowforwardmotion,themusiciansdrillthenevolvestomakeapathwayforthePersephonecharactertomovecenterstage.
TheformthenclosesdownaroundPersephonecenterstageforthefinalimpactoftheshow.Severalhornplayers[woodwindssoastohaveaminimalimpactonvolume]thenliftPersephonetriumphantlyintotheair.
Meanwhile,thefullguardfillsthefieldwithgoldasthefinalmajesticstrainsoftheGreatGateringout.
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