From the Archives – “Daedalus in the Belly of the Beast”

Daedalus in the Belly of the Beast (1992)
A collaboration with Teatro La Memoria, Chile.

It was a long and winding road from the Street Theatre back in 1976, and our first bilingual production, The Runaway, in 1977, to this remarkable creation. A co-production of Touchstone Theatre and Teatro La Memoria of Chile — it encompasses both a child’s sensibility and the ominous quality of ancient myth. There’s a lot that could be said about this production that will have to remain unsaid for now, but it was an honor to be in the circle of artists who put it together. Rodrigo Perez’s Daedalus was dressed as a clown, wearing baggy clothes and white face. But as soon as we meet Daedalus’ son, Icarus, it’s clear this is no show for children. Pablo Schwarz’s kinky Icarus wears a tiny red skirt, and his bare chest is decorated with body paint. As King Minos’ daughters, Pauline Urrutia and Amparo Noguera wear tutus over girdles with garters and stockings. And like their mother, Pasiphae (Susan Chase), their left hands are green.

We performed in Bethlehem, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City and represented the U.S.A. at the International Theatre Festival in Santiago, Chile.  Written by Chilean playwright Marco Antonio De La Parra and directed by Alfredo Castro, the production, as one character bluntly puts it: “…is blood and it’s sex”. Designed by Curtis Dretsch of Muhlenberg college.

— Bill George