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dragonlady7via http://ift.tt/2mnMdo1:
sadcypress:
Gospel at Colonus - We Will Never Drive You Away.wmv
When you first hear about the show The Gospel at Colunus, it sounds like the kind of idea that should never work. Sure, why NOT try doing the least-loved, most fragmented work in the Oedipus trilogy? And as a musical? And have the chorus be a gospel chorus? And while you are at it with that original cast, WHY NOT have the Blind Boys of Alabama ALL PLAY OEDIPUS? And fuck it, invite Morgan Freeman, too. He can ALSO BE OEDIPUS, because the world so rarely gives us nice things.
And the thing is, IT FUCKING WORKS. ALL OF IT. Last year, a local company here in DC produced the show and you better believe I showed up. The weekend I had a ticket, DC as a center for our government was turning nastier, as the president was making moves toward his unjust and unconstitutional immigration bans and speaking out against refugees entering our country. There were so many of us here who were angry and mortified and trying to find any way we could to stop the president and make people welcome here.
And it turned out that Sophocles had my back thousands of years ago, and when The Gospel at Colonus reached this number, I burst into tears. It’s the most joyous affirmation that the most wretched and dispossessed among us, even Oedipus himself, can find welcome and sanctuary if we make it for them. It’s not outside of our reach, we literally just have to be willing.
(Your picture was not posted)
sadcypress:
Gospel at Colonus - We Will Never Drive You Away.wmv
When you first hear about the show The Gospel at Colunus, it sounds like the kind of idea that should never work. Sure, why NOT try doing the least-loved, most fragmented work in the Oedipus trilogy? And as a musical? And have the chorus be a gospel chorus? And while you are at it with that original cast, WHY NOT have the Blind Boys of Alabama ALL PLAY OEDIPUS? And fuck it, invite Morgan Freeman, too. He can ALSO BE OEDIPUS, because the world so rarely gives us nice things.
And the thing is, IT FUCKING WORKS. ALL OF IT. Last year, a local company here in DC produced the show and you better believe I showed up. The weekend I had a ticket, DC as a center for our government was turning nastier, as the president was making moves toward his unjust and unconstitutional immigration bans and speaking out against refugees entering our country. There were so many of us here who were angry and mortified and trying to find any way we could to stop the president and make people welcome here.
And it turned out that Sophocles had my back thousands of years ago, and when The Gospel at Colonus reached this number, I burst into tears. It’s the most joyous affirmation that the most wretched and dispossessed among us, even Oedipus himself, can find welcome and sanctuary if we make it for them. It’s not outside of our reach, we literally just have to be willing.
(Your picture was not posted)
