Performed at Patrick's Cabaret, Minneapolis
The Gryphon, an interdisciplinary physical-theatre performance, is a mythological tragedy, the story of a young man who unwittingly commits a horrible crime. For his punishment, the God Apollo changes him into a gryphon, the mythological beast half-lion and half-eagle, and banishes him to a cave for eternity. Suspended above him is a beautiful white raven, the key to his salvation. Within the cave walls reside the ghosts of a murdered family. The Gryphon's ensuing struggle to remember his past yields a battle between free will and destiny that leads to redemption unsought. The text of the show is comprised of a collage of poetry from the classic Greeks, as well as excerpts from Ted Hugh's celebrated Crow.
Credits
Created and Developed by Paul Herwig and Jennifer IlseProject Initiator – Paul Herwig
Scenic Design - Shari Nyman and Paul Herwig
Choreography - Jennifer Ilse
Musical Composition and Aural Design - Marc Doty (Museslave)
Lighting Design - Paul Epton
Cast - 6 (Penelope Freeh, Shari Nyman, Jennifer Ilse, Paul Herwig, 2 children ages 7-9)
Duration - 90 min.
Reviews
City Pages Review"The Theater Gallery, responsible for last year's ridiculous and wonderful Z.A.P. KUNST!, reveals growing ambitions in mounting this dense, multidisciplinary, company-created exploration of ancient myths. There is no paucity in the imagination brought to the stage here, particularly in the two central performances by Paul Herwig (as the title character, with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body of a lion) and Jennifer Ilse (as a caged raven). The two performers communicate with each other in a series of guttural clicks and whistles as much as in words as they wait for an uncertain salvation from the gods and torment each other by retelling their own versions of the story of genesis. Unfortunately, at times the creativity of the production overwhelms it. But for Herwig and Ilse's meticulous body movements and peculiar, detailed relationship, nothing in the production seems fully developed. As a result, there are times when the stage feels buried in cacophony, with bells and whistles blowing, actors repainting the scenery, children dancing, and poetic monologues pouring forth, all at the same time. This is forgivable, however, as certain allowances must be made for wild inventiveness and vaulting aspirations. The price to the audience of seeing a theater group evolve is occasionally watching them make a mess on stage. Disorderly though it may be, THE GRYPHON is never less than fascinating."
- Max Sparper, The City Pages, September 26, 2001
Star Tribune Review
"(The Gryphon) takes place on a set with suggestive elements: a bird cage (with a white raven) off to one side, the gryphon's cavelike home on the other and screens in the center and to the side. The performers scribble runelike things on the screen... There are many striking moments in the show, whose cast includes two young actors and Penelope Freeh of James Sewell Ballet. Their down-on-all-fours urgent-tapping depiction of furies coming out of Pandora's box is wonderful. And Herwig and Ilse, who play the half-bird and the white raven, respectively, are earnest and committed. As the heavily made-up title character, Herwig snorts, grunts and changes his inflections to suggest many different realms. He's an impassioned performer... Ilse ticks and flits, pointing her head with the peck-like curiosity of crows..."
- Rohan Preston, STAR TRIBUNE, January 9, 2001