CASSANDRA by Bryce Duzan

Scene Three

(The ruins of Troy. CASSANDRA enters.)

CASSANDRA
And so I return to the place of my birth. How strange it feels to be back. I could swear that years had passed since I had seen Troy last, and yet it has been a scant few months. This place…was it really Troy? It is colder now. The wind bites harder than it did. And the silence…is pervading. Where are the children, running and laughing in the streets? Where are the noble men and women, dressed in their fineries? Where…is my home?

King Priam, my father, died here. Noble Hector, my brother, died here. Paris…he is gone too. And the rest…all gone. Ashes by now. This city of splendors, once magnificent, is now just rubble and ashes.

Why did I return? What was I expecting to happen? Did I imagine that my family would be here waiting for me? They are gone now. I just…wish I could see their faces again. I wish I could bid them farewell. I wish I could tell them that I am sorry.

VOICE
Cassandra…

CASSANDRA
Who is there?

VOICE
Cassandra…you’ve returned to us…

(PRIAM enters. He is a specter, wearing torn robes and a broken crown.)

CASSANDRA
F…father? Is that you? It can’t be…

PRIAM
It is, Cassandra.

CASSANDRA
But how? I saw you die. I saw you…

PRIAM
And die I did. But my spirit lingers here. As do others.

CASSANDRA
Others? Who?

PRIAM
Your brothers, Hector and Paris, still linger.

CASSANDRA
Hector? Paris?

PRIAM
Yes. One approaches.

(HECTOR enters. He is dressed much like PRIAM, in cracked armor.)

HECTOR
Sister…?

CASSANDRA
Brother! It is really you!

(CASSANDRA rushes to embrace HECTOR, but he puts out his hand, stopping her.)

HECTOR
You cannot, Cassandra. I am sorry. If I could embrace you, I would. But I am flesh and blood no more. I am a mere phantom, a remnant of what I once was.

CASSANDRA
I see. Father…brother…I am so happy to see you both again. But…why are you here?

PRIAM
I do not know, my daughter. Something holds us here. We are unable to pass on, to descend to the River Styx.

HECTOR
I cannot go! I can’t leave this place knowing I have failed my people!

CASSANDRA
Hector, you did not fail us!

HECTOR
Look around you, sister! Look at our beloved city. Look what they have done to it! And I am to blame. If I had fought harder…

CASSANDRA
No, Hector. Blame me. It is my fault. I saw what would happen and I did nothing to stop it.

PRIAM
You saw what was to come, Cassandra. You saw the future. But we did not believe you. Could not believe you. Yet you tried. You cannot say you did nothing.

CASSANDRA
Then I didn’t do enough! If I could have made you believe me…if I could have found a way…

HECTOR
Then what would we have done, Cassandra? If you had made us believe, then what? We surrender? Give up Paris for execution and Helen to be carried away by that mongrel Menelaus? Why, the Greeks would have burned Troy to the ground anyway!

CASSANDRA
Then…the outcome would have been the same…but no, there must have been something I could have done!

HECTOR
We were at war, dear sister, with a man mad with rage and jealousy. Nothing short of total destruction would have satisfied him. You cannot reason with a man like that.

CASSANDRA
No, I can’t believe that! Father, what do you say? Do you agree with Hector?

PRIAM
What Hector says makes sense. I would like to argue against it, but I find no fault in what he says.

CASSANDRA
If that is true…then I could have done nothing? It was my fate to watch my people die?

PRIAM
Perhaps it was…but that is something we will never know for sure. What you seem to forget, my dear daughter, is that Troy has fallen. It is done. Any impact you could have made or mistakes you think you could have rectified make no difference. The past has been set down in stone, and no mortal force can change that. Do not apologize for what you think you should have done. Rather, look at what you can do now. You have a gift, Cassandra, that is raw and not yet honed. Channel that gift, realize its potential, and use it so that this…doesn’t happen again.

CASSANDRA
…is that what I needed? Simply to hear you say what I knew was the truth? I do not know what miracle, divine or natural, has brought you to me today, father, brother…but I am grateful for it. Your wisdom persists, Lord Priam, even past your untimely demise, and I heed it still.

PRIAM
I am glad that my words still hold some meaning for you, my daughter.

CASSANDRA
Of course, father. You were my inspiration in life. You…meant the world to me.

PRIAM
…and in my hubris, I shunned you.

CASSANDRA
That’s not what I meant–

PRIAM
No, I understand. Forgive me, Cassandra. You are family. You are my daughter. I should have never turned away from you.

HECTOR
Agreed. I, too, am sorry for what I have done, Cassandra.

CASSANDRA
You had no choice. That is my curse. You cannot believe me. You do not need to apologize for what happened. It too…is in the past.

HECTOR
Regardless, I am ashamed that I did not side with you.

PRIAM
It is a powerful curse indeed that would have such an effect…(PRIAM suddenly looks at his hands.) I…I feel the pull. I’m being called to Hades.

CASSANDRA
Father? You must leave so quickly?

PRIAM
It would seem so. It appears that I was waiting for you to return.

CASSANDRA
Then please, stay longer! I am not ready for you to go!

PRIAM
Forgive me, Cassandra. I must…

CASSANDRA
Father, no! Father, please wait!

(PRIAM disappears.)

CASSANDRA

He…is gone. (She turns to HECTOR.) At least you are still here, Hector. You do not feel the pull as well?

HECTOR
No, sister. I remain.

CASSANDRA
Then you still feel like you have failed us?

HECTOR
Look around you, Cassandra. This is what I see every day. Corpses of my people and our homes. How can I think otherwise?

CASSANDRA
I am still here and alive.

HECTOR
You, mother, my love Andromache…and Helen. You four are the remnants of Troy.

CASSANDRA
Do you hate her?

HECTOR
She was the love of my brother. I cannot hate her. But…I wish she had never come here. I wish she had never existed.

CASSANDRA
I understand what you mean, Hector. But she is not responsible for what happened. The gods came in their unknowable ways, cast a spell on her, and brought her here. She loved Paris, truly, and despised Menelaus. She did not wish harm on any of us.

HECTOR
That is true. She was a kind soul, and I saw how she wept with the others at my death.

CASSANDRA
She weeps still for Troy. In her heart.

HECTOR
Truly?

CASSANDRA
Indeed. (Pause.) I think you are a hero, Hector.

HECTOR
(Scoffs.) Please do not patronize me, sister.

CASSANDRA
Hector. You gave your life for us. I will never forget what you did. None of us will, alive or not.

HECTOR
I still failed.

CASSANDRA
But you did what needed to be done. You faced insurmountable odds. Lesser men would have fled, but you stood your ground and fought. It doesn’t matter that you ultimately fell. What matters is that you protected the weak and upheld your duties.

HECTOR
I did…I fought with all my strength. I fought with my dying breath. I fought until I could not move my limbs. (Pause.) Do you forgive me?

CASSANDRA
There is nothing to forgive, Hector. You are my brother and I love you. You could never do anything wrong in my eyes…and you still cannot. (Tears form in her eyes.)

HECTOR
Please…do not cry for me, Cassandra. I could not…I could not bear it.

(HECTOR reaches out to dry CASSANDRA’s eyes, but he vanishes before he reaches her.)

To be continued…

CASSANDRA by Bryce Duzan

Scene Two (cont.)

CASSANDRA
…indeed it is. I pay the price now for what I did not do, rather than what I did.

HELEN
I see. But I still do not understand. Why do you come to me?

CASSANDRA
I seek…finality.

HELEN
What?

CASSANDRA
I…have evaded fate. I should have died at the hands of Agamemnon’s scorned wife. Now I am lost. Stuck between what is and what should have been.

HELEN\
I’m not sure I understand…

CASSANDRA
Fate wove me a web, and I fell off of it, tricky fly that I am. But all I have known is that insidious spider’s home. This place in the fog is new to me, alien and unknown.

HELEN
Cassandra, I…

(MENELAUS can be heard from offstage.)

MENELAUS
Helen!

HELEN
Ugh, the bastard returns.

(CASSANDRA replaces her veil as MENELAUS enters.)

MENELAUS
Helen, are you still sulking here? (He sees CASSANDRA.) Oh! (His demeanor immediately changes.) My sweet, you did not tell me you were expecting guests!

HELEN
My dear, this is…a traveler. From a distant land.

MENELAUS
A traveler, hm? What’s your name, traveler?

CASSANDRA
…Athena.

MENELAUS
Ha! A god walks amongst us, my sweet!

CASSANDRA
I tell fortunes.

MENELAUS
Oh? I have heard of a fortune teller from the now destroyed Troy, a mad prophetess whom my brother took as a trophy. Know you of Cassandra?

CASSANDRA
…The only one I know of that holds the gift of prophecy is myself.

MENELAUS
Hm, I see. Well then, Athena, tell me my fortune!

(HELEN steals a pleading look at CASSANDRA.)

CASSANDRA
As you wish, my lord.

(CASSANDRA makes a show of feeling MENELAUS’ temples and chanting loudly. She then stops and withdraws.)

CASSANDRA
I see…I see a green garden under a cloudless, blue sky. I see your enemies all around you, knees bent as they pay homage. I see a feast, with each of your friends and loved ones, past, present, and some you do not yet even know seated at the table, all toasting your name. I see you, aged but still full of health, laughing and drinking, never a smile fading from your lips. Then…I see you close your eyes and drift into an eternal sleep, still smiling.

MENELAUS
You see all of that?

CASSANDRA
Indeed. I see a life never devoid of happiness.

MENELAUS
Incredible! You hear that, my queen? A life full of happiness. Surely then this Trojan War was the last of my troubles!

CASSANDRA
It would seem so, my lord.

MENELAUS
Truly a remarkable gift you have, dear Athena. Go on, then! Divine my queen’s fate.

(CASSANDRA and HELEN exchange a glance.)

HELEN
My husband, surely our fates are intertwined-

MENELAUS
Oh come, my love, don’t be so bashful! Athena, read her fortune.

CASSANDRA
…very well, my lord.

(CASSANDRA goes to HELEN, again making a spectacle of chanting and feeling HELEN’s temples. Then she takes a step back and clears her throat.)

CASSANDRA
I see…I see dear Queen Helen falling in love…with the one she has married. Too often royal marriages are out of pacts of power and land rather than the true value of love, but Helen and Menelaus soon will find a way to claim the heart of the other.

MENELAUS
Is that so? Truly a happy fortune then! I already love my dear Helen, but it is heartening to hear that she will feel the same soon enough. What do you see after that?

CASSANDRA
I…am unsure. It would appear that the rest of Helen’s fate is untold.

MENELAUS
What do you mean? The gods divine our fates the moments we are born. How can Helen’s fate be in question?

CASSANDRA
Perhaps she has the chance to change it.

MENELAUS
Why would she want to change it? She is the queen to the most powerful king in the world! She has everything she would ever want here!

CASSANDRA
Forgive me, my lord. I did not mean to say that Helen would want to change her fate, only that she the ability to do so.

MENELAUS
And I do not?

CASSANDRA
The vision I received of your fate was complete, my king. The messages of the gods are…often inscrutable.

MENELAUS
(Quickly regaining his composure.)…you are right, my dear. The gods are strange and incomprehensible, and it is a rare gift indeed that you are to interpret their messages as well as you can. (He digs into his pockets and presses a few coins into CASSANDRA’s hand.) Thank you for your gift, Athena. May the gods bless you on your wanderings. (He turns to HELEN.) Helen, I am going to retire now. I expect you will be joining me soon, so ah…please do not tarry too long.

HELEN
As you wish, my king.

(MENELAUS takes another look at CASSANDRA, then exits. CASSANDRA slowly removes her veil.)

HELEN
None of that was true, was it?

CASSANDRA
Of course not. How ironic that the only time someone believes my visions is the time that I have told an utter lie.

HELEN
What did you really see?

CASSANDRA
(A slight smile.) You wouldn’t believe me.

HELEN
No, I…suppose I wouldn’t. I do not, however, see myself falling in love with that man.

CASSANDRA
Neither do I. Even a lie can have truth in it. Your fate is indeed your own if you wish to change it.

HELEN
Change it? But the last time I tried to change it, terrible things happened.

CASSANDRA
The last time the gods were involved. This time it is just you and me. Helen…I changed my fate. You can as well. I can’t tell you what I saw, but I can assure you that your happiness was not a part of it.

HELEN
Will I become like you? Out of sorts with the world? Why are you trying to help me, Cassandra? I, the reason for your people’s demise?

CASSANDRA
I…want to help…because…

HELEN
Because you couldn’t help them. Is that it? You couldn’t help the people of Troy, because they would not believe you. Now you want to help me, because I do believe you?

CASSANDRA
Yes! How do you think it feels, to plead with your own family until your throat is raw and your voice gone just to be laughed at? I tried! I tried to help! I saw the flames approaching, the murder and blood, and I could do nothing!

HELEN
…you blame yourself, don’t you? For what happened?

CASSANDRA
No. What happened was not my fault. I blame myself because I did nothing to prevent it.

HELEN
Cassandra, what could you have done? The people did not, could not believe you. What more-

CASSANDRA
I could have tried! I could have done something, anything! Instead I hid, sunk into insanity and depression. When I emerged from my haze, my people were decimated. I…failed.

HELEN
What happened was not your fault, Cassandra. If anyone is to blame, it is me.

CASSANDRA
I could have made them believe! Like you!

HELEN
I only believe you because I have proof, Cassandra. If I did not have that, I wouldn’t be able to believe you either. (CASSANDRA is silent.) Cassandra…what happened in Troy…whether you want to change it or not, it is done. It is in the past and cannot be changed.

CASSANDRA
I know, Helen…but I only wish…if I could so easily read the future, why is it I cannot also change the past?

HELEN
You have a gift, Cassandra, a strange and powerful gift. Unfortunately, that gift only works one way. Your people…they are gone now. But their spirits do not resent you. They do not blame you for what happened. You were merely a bystander, a survivor of a terrible tragedy. Do not blame yourself.

CASSANDRA
…you are right. I cannot change the past…but I can influence the future, if I put my mind to it. Helen…thank you.

(CASSANDRA embraces HELEN.)

HELEN
You are welcome…Cassandra.

CASSANDRA
You were once my sister, Helen. In my mind…you still are.

HELEN
I…thank you.

CASSANDRA
I should go now. Menelaus is expecting you.

HELEN
Where shall you go, Cassandra?

CASSANDRA
I am not sure where my path leads. However, I wish to return to Troy, to pay my respects.

HELEN
A pleasant journey to you, then. If you need my help, never fear to ask me. I will do everything in my power to assist you.

(CASSANDRA bows slightly.)

CASSANDRA
Thank you, sister. And farewell.

HELEN
Farewell…sister.

(HELEN exits. CASSANDRA turns to leave, then suddenly turns back.)

CASSANDRA
What was that, sister? (Pause.) She is gone. Strange, I thought I heard…

(CASSANDRA suddenly looks afraid. She hurriedly exits. BLACKOUT)

More to come!

CASSANDRA by Bryce Duzan

Scene 1 (cont.)

CASSANDRA
I see those forms moving before me, even now. The soldiers slaughtering each other, the women and children sobbing, lives being snuffed out. The war dragged on and on for years, but for me it was one bloody, endless night. Here I see my beloved brother—our beloved champion—Hector, being laid low by Achilles. There I see the champions of Greece hiding in a wooden steed, ready to pounce on a Troy in the throes of supposed victory. And here, I see Paris ending the bright spark of Achilles, even so shortly after he had won his revenge…

CLYTEMNESTRA
“Bright spark?” Shouldn’t you hate Achilles for what he did to Troy? To your brother?

(At this point, the bodies of the dead rise as restless spirits and depart the “battlefield.”)

CASSANDRA
In this history, yes. But before I saw them die, I saw a glimpse of another history that could have been. I saw Hector and Achilles, fighting side by side, exploring the world, achieving their destinies…but it was not to be. Their lives were snuffed out before their time was due, ended by a foolish war started by foolish people.

CLYTEMNESTRA
What else do you see?

CASSANDRA
I see my family being cut down. I see my once-sister, Helen, being taken by her husband, full of wrath and jealousy. And then I see…nothing more.

(In truth, a lone figure enters, watching CASSANDRA closely.)

CLYTEMNESTRA
Nothing?

CASSANDRA
Nothing.

(CASSANDRA and the lone figure watch each other, then the figure departs.)

CLYTEMNESTRA
I see.

(There is another pause.)

CLYTEMNESTRA
I should go back to the palace. You are free to go.

CASSANDRA
Thank you.

CLYTEMNESTRA
I am sorry for what has happened to you. I know not what you will do now, but I hope…I hope that you find peace.

CASSANDRA
I hope that you shall as well.

(CLYTEMNESTRA nods, then leaves. CASSANDRA watches her go. She then lets out a sigh of relief.)

CASSANDRA
I am free! And that blessed fog that covers my thoughts is back as well. Thank the…but Clytemnestra is right. Where shall I go? What shall I do with my new freedom? The world itself is open, and yet…it is unknown to me. In fact…in all the world right now, there is only one person I know that is still alive and I can easily find. But…would she even want to speak to me? In Troy, I saw into her eyes the night of the conquest. She understood where all others rejected my sight. Yes…she will help me. I should prepare to leave-(She looks around.) Is someone there?

(Pause.)

CASSANDRA
Strange. I thought I heard someone call my name. It floated gently upon the wind…(She suddenly looks frightened.) This place isn’t safe…I must go.

(CASSANDRA exits.)

(BLACKOUT)

SCENE 2

(The palace of MENELAUS. A gaudy, lavish throne room. MENELAUS and HELEN sit arguing.)

MENELAUS
So what do I have to do? Must I execute every man who enters my court?

HELEN
You are imagining things, my husband. He did not “make eyes” at me, and I certainly did not pay him any special attention. He simply greeted me, as is customary.

MENELAUS
Bah! Say what you will, I know what I saw! And I will not have you traipsing off with the first young man who strides into my throne room. Not again!

HELEN
Fine then, perhaps you will have me wear a blindfold, so that none may look into my eyes? Or perhaps a mask, so none may see my face? Will you still execute them for giving me a questioning look, wondering why the Queen of Sparta wears a mask? Will you still kill them in jealous rage for looking upon a beauty that they cannot see? Go on, then! Kill them all! Kill every man who helped you get me back, for surely they only served you for a decade because each and every one of them had their eye on me too!

MENELAUS
Enough of this! If I had known my wife had been replaced with a harpy, I would have left you to rot in Troy!

(MENELAUS exits, with HELEN shouting after him. CASSANDRA enters, veiled, watching this.)

HELEN
Left me in Troy?! You were responsible for hundreds of deaths, of your friends and your enemies, of soldiers and of innocents, and all you can say is that you should have left me in Troy?! You sicken me, you monster! You heartless wretch! I hope you get what’s in store for you! I hope you fall into Hades, and every soul you have wronged each tears you to pieces and devours you! You-

CASSANDRA
It is not becoming of the queen to curse her king, least of all not in public.

(HELEN whirls around.)

HELEN
Who are you?

CASSANDRA
A simple traveler, from a far-away land.

HELEN
Please, leave me be, I do not need my fortune told today.

(She makes to leave.)

CASSANDRA
What an oddly prescient thing to say.

(HELEN stops and turns back to CASSANDRA.)

HELEN
Do I know you?

CASSANDRA
An interesting question. What does it mean to truly know someone?

HELEN
Do I know your name, then?

CASSANDRA
Indeed, you have known it, though I’m sure it’s a name that you have not uttered in many months.

HELEN
It can’t be…

(HELEN reaches out and removes CASSANDRA’s veil.)

HELEN
Cassandra…!

(HELEN embraces CASSANDRA, who slowly reciprocates the gesture.)

HELEN
Gods above, it’s really you! You’re alive! I was so worried…

CASSANDRA
Yes, I live. As far as I know.

HELEN
What happened to you? After the siege…

CASSANDRA
I was taken by the one named Agamemnon.

HELEN
I know him. He is Menelaus’ brother.

CASSANDRA
Was.

HELEN
What? He’s dead? How? You didn’t-

CASSANDRA
No. Not I. His wife, Clytemnestra, was the one who did him in.

HELEN
Menelaus will be furious when he hears. So you must have escaped?

CASSANDRA
Yes. She meant to kill me too, but I managed to convince her to let me go. And now I am here.

HELEN
Have you heard from others? Other survivors?

(CASSANDRA remains silent.)

HELEN
I see.

CASSANDRA
No word. I fear the worst for them all.

HELEN
I’m sorry, Cassandra.

CASSANDRA
As am I. Their deaths were meaningless.

HELEN
…what brings you here?

CASSANDRA
Helen. You are the only one I know who has survived.

HELEN
It would seem that way. Do you need a place to stay? I’m sure I can provide you with-

CASSANDRA
No. I cannot stay here, especially if your husband figures out my relation to Agamemnon.

HELEN
You’re probably right. Then…what can I do for you?

CASSANDRA
You know what I was known for in my homeland.

HELEN
I have heard things, yes.

CASSANDRA
Then you know my condition.

HELEN
I suppose. I don’t know what you’re getting at, Cassandra.

CASSANDRA
Please, Helen. I saw into your eyes, I saw that hint of recognition that finally broke through the curse…I dictated everything that would happen to Troy. Everything!

HELEN
Cassandra, what are you talking about? You’re starting to frighten me…

CASSANDRA
Helen…I can see that which has not yet come to pass. I can see into the future.

(HELEN balks, laughing slightly.)

HELEN
Wh…what? You jest…and here I thought you were serious!

(CASSANDRA takes HELEN by the arms and looks into her eyes.)

CASSANDRA
No, Helen, listen to me. You were there when I declared that Troy would burn. And you saw me that terrible night when it happened. I looked into your eyes, and I saw that you understood. Don’t turn away from me now. Please. You know that I was right.

(HELEN squirms, physically reacting to what she is being told.)

HELEN
You…you are right. You described everything…down to the last detail. It only struck me as the soldiers of Greece breached the walls that it was your words that were ringing in my ears. But…that’s impossible. Nobody can tell the future.

CASSANDRA
You can. If you were touched by a god.

HELEN
A god? Truly? You’ve been blessed by a god?

CASSANDRA
Not blessed, no. Cursed. By Apollo. I am doomed to tell the future and no man, woman, or child shall believe me.

HELEN
By Apollo? But why?

CASSANDRA
He…told me that he loved me. But I could not love him back.

HELEN
You rebuked him.

CASSANDRA
I had to! He is a god. Our lives mean nothing to them. We live and die in the time it takes a god to blink. I could give myself to him, be his plaything, and then be tossed aside when he had grown bored of me. Or I could have refused him. Either way, I paid the price.

HELEN
It is truly a terrible thing to catch the attention of the gods, no matter how “pure” their intentions may seem. My dear Paris could attest to that…judge our contest, win the woman of your dreams…they forgot to say that he’d also cause a war that would end in his people’s demise.

More to come!

CASSANDRA by Bryce Duzan

Scene 1

(The outdoors. CASSANDRA sits by the edge of a lake. Her clothes are simple. She stares into her reflection in the lake, as if studying herself. Her face is passive, but there is a hint of surprise present as well.)

CASSANDRA
I don’t understand. Before, I felt like I trailed behind history, like a shadow. I never saw the things that happened around me, I only saw ahead. And now, just minutes before, I saw myself walk into that room…saw the hands around my throat…felt the blade in my heart. I was…afraid. I knew that my death was at hand. I knew that my time had come. I could feel my legs straining, beginning to propel my body forward…but something changed. Inside of me. I turned and ran. Ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Until I was far out of the palace. Now…now I feel a fog around my mind. I can’t see ahead anymore. And it feels… so magical. I can finally see, really see what’s around myself. The cool water (She splashes the surface of the lake), the vibrant colors of nature around me. It is all so beautiful. And so…peaceful. Yes, my mind feels peace once again. It’s been so very long. But…I still don’t understand. Why did I run? What changed? Why did I do the opposite of what I saw when every time before I have followed my vision? What…(She looks up.) it comes again.

(CLYTEMNESTRA enters in the direction of where CASSANDRA now looks. She is regal, wearing a dress that would normally be considered beautiful, but is now smeared with blood.)

CLYTEMNESTRA
Ahh, there you are. You ran so far away from me.

CASSANDRA
And you followed me.

CLYTEMNESTRA
Indeed. I came to finish what I started.

CASSANDRA
What you started?

CLYTEMNESTRA
You know what happened to my husband. And now you know too much. I have to make sure that you won’t tell anyone.

CASSANDRA
(Aside.) Oh gods, they’re back. The visions. I see her lover. He is only a few seconds away. Once he arrives, they will both kill me here, by the lake. My blood will drain into its waters, and I will join nature here. I am…so tired. So why does my body strain against these visions of death? What makes me want to press on? If…if I can convince her that I’m not a threat…maybe she will let me live. (CASSANDRA slowly
stands and speaks to CLYTEMNESTRA.) And what makes you think that I will tell someone what I know? What makes you think I care what happened to Agamemnon? And even if I did tell someone, do you think they’d believe me? I’m a foreigner. Beyond that, I’m insane, remember? A fallen priestess who thinks she can see the future.

CLYTEMNESTRA
Even so, you were my husband’s concubine! You laid before him and destroyed our marriage!

CASSANDRA
I never touched the man! I have never given myself to anyone, and I will stay that way. Agamemnon is no exception.

CLYTEMNESTRA
Why did he bother to bring you back to Greece, then?

CASSANDRA
As a trophy, I suspect. “The Insane Prophet of Troy.” I was supposed to be a setpiece, a piece of treasure taken from the war.

CLYTEMNESTRA
…Suppose I were to believe what you say. What do you propose, then?

CASSANDRA
Let me live. Let me live and I will leave this city. I have no place here as it is.

CLYTEMNESTRA
And where will you go? Your home of Troy is now destroyed, its people scattered, if not slaughtered.

CASSANDRA
I’m aware. I know not where I will go. I suppose I will try to find my lost kin…if any still live.

CLYTEMNESTRA
Tell me…what happened at Troy? Agamemnon did not speak of it.

CASSANDRA
(CASSANDA turns away.) It…was a terrible tragedy. My people were brave, but bravery does not win wars. In the end, the reward for their bravery was only death. I saw them cut down before me, bodies piled high, flames licking the friends and family I once knew so well…twice. I saw it once with my mind, then again with my eyes. Imagine…seeing the ones you love die before you. Not once, but twice.

(There is a pause. CASSANDRA cries softly. CLYTEMNESTRA does not know what to say. A silence passes between them for several seconds. Suddenly, AEGISTHUS enters, wielding a knife stained red with blood. He immediately sees CASSANDRA.)

AEGISTHUS
So you’ve caught her here, my love? Very well. Then let us end this. (He begins to walk towards CASSANDRA. Silently, CLYTEMNESTRA puts a hand to his chest, stopping him.)

CLYTEMNESTRA
No.

AEGISTHUS
What? But you told me she has to die!

CLYTEMNESTRA
She has convinced me otherwise.

AEGISTHUS
And you would believe the lies that this-

CLYTEMNESTRA
(CLYTEMNESTRA glares at AEGISTHUS.) She has suffered enough.

AEGISTHUS
Suffered? How has she suffered compared to the way that the lying Agamemnon has caused you to suffer?

CLYTEMNESTRA
Aegisthus, enough. Go back to the palace. And…and clean yourself up.

(AEGISTHUS looks at himself, then at CLYTEMNESTRA, then to CASSANDRA.)

AEGISTHUS
…fine.

(He marches off. CLYTEMNESTRA looks back to CASSANDRA.)

CLYTEMNESTRA
You must think me very petty to say I have suffered compared to what you’ve gone through. Agamemnon killed my first husband and our child and forced me to become his wife. But I can’t imagine that that can compare to…to…

CASSANDRA
I think you quite the opposite, actually. I think you are quite brave to stand up to someone like Agamemnon…even if your methods are not to my liking.

CLYTEMNESTRA
I was backed into a corner. I hope that one day, if the same were to happen to you, you might find a better way of solving it. But…thank you. I don’t think anyone has called me brave before. How strange! To think that I was going to kill you merely minutes before, and now you are complimenting me!

CASSANDRA
Strange indeed.

CLYTEMNESTRA
I…am sorry. I didn’t know. I just…saw you with him and I flew into a rage. I had no idea–

CASSANDRA
Don’t apologize. You did what you thought was needed to be done. You were backed into a corner.

CLYTEMNESTRA
But if I had only known…

CASSANDRA
Then Agamemnon would still be alive. That man of cruelty would go unpunished for his deeds, and things would continue as they had before. I may not agree with your choice of punishment, but I do agree with justice. What you did was just. That is all.

(Another silence passes between them.)

CLYTEMNESTRA
I’d like to know more about Troy. About what happened there.

CASSANDRA
I…I don’t know if I can tell you.

CLYTEMNESTRA
I know that it is difficult for you, but all I have heard are rumors and hearsay. I want to know the truth.

CASSANDRA
The truth…the truth is hazy, itself shrouded in rumor.

CLYTEMNESTRA
You do remember what happened, though?

CASSANDRA
As if it were yesterday. The spirits of the dead follow me, whispering their stories. I could not forget them if I tried.

CLYTEMNESTRA
Then, please. Tell me.

CASSANDRA
If that is what you wish.

(Suddenly, the once serene setting explodes with action, as the siege of Troy plays out in front of CASSANDRA and CLYTEMNESTRA. Warriors battle, citizens run screaming in terror, and the sound of fire rages as CASSANDRA’s memories play out in front of her.)

Keep checking in every month for more installments!

“This is a writer’s festival,” I tell them, again and again, “it’s about the writers getting a chance to put up this completely new work and see how it lands when kicked out of the nest. It’s not about your vision. Your job is not to tell the story for them, or to edit their script, or to show off how brilliant you are at blocking. Your job is to ensure the reading is watchable and to help the actors interpret the work as best they can so the playwright can see where their words are working- or not working.”

Then I tell them they won’t be getting paid for their time. Cute, huh?

The way I see it, the directors for the San Francisco Olympians Festival are like the board of a non-profit: there to advise, to support and offer their leadership and unique expertise- and also to take a back-seat when it comes to “the big night”, which should be all about the playwrights. So much of the American theater and film scene is dominated by directors (and I say that as a director myself) that I think it’s important for writers to be the center of attention when they can be- because those opportunities are few and far between. Think of it this way: how many screenwriters can you name vs. how many directors? Chances are, if you’ve seen any movies at all, you can name at least three of the latter, and if you can name even one of the former (who isn’t also a director), I suspect you are either a writer yourself or a film buff. Now think about how many SF Olympians writers you can name vs. how many directors. If the number of writers you can now put a name (and a face) to exceeds the numbers of directors, I consider that a success for the festival. One of the reasons the directors aren’t paid is that, like a non-profit board, we want their investment to be a purely spiritual one. They are there because they care about fostering new work, and the mission of the festival. The way I see it, the kind of person who happily donates their skill and time for free has the right attitude for the kind of event the festival is seeking to be.

The first year of the festival, almost all the plays were directed by the writers themselves, but as the festival has been growing, more and more directors have wanted to get involved- and a number of the writers have directed the work of other writers involved, looking to expand their own skill set and try something new. This year we had the largest number of directors in the history of the festival. On one hand, this is a blessing- I want the festival to be a place to try new things, meet new people, form new working relationships, and most importantly, create new art that reflects the diverse voices of this theater community- and that includes the voices of the directors! The difficult side has been trying to figure out what to do with our growing list of director collaborators, who are so very much valued and welcome, but for whom we haven’t yet laid much groundwork of support for- or done a fabulous job of crediting. I myself have completely forgotten to thank the directors most nights of the festival and I swear it isn’t intentional: it’s just that I’m not really used to having them around in such abundance. Or really, at all. Mentally factoring them in, even on the most superficial level of remembering to thank them at the end of the festival each night, is easier said then done, as we continue to grow faster than we can currently keep up with.

But we are trying. This past year we created a Director Coordinator position, thanks to Amy Clare Tasker’s proposal that someone who could deal with directors specifically could make their lives easier while also making mine and Jeremy’s lives easier. We had, for the first time ever, a directors-only orientation meeting, and going forward, our Art Director, Cody Rishell, is creating an online program template to allow each show to update and edit the programs before they go to print- ensuring we get everyone credited as they should be credited (so long as they remember to credit themselves). For the first time in the history of the festival, each show was given a materials budget- not a huge one, but something to make it easier to rent rehearsal space, make photocopies, or buy a cast some backstage treats. We actually brought in a designated stage/house manager (Linda Huang) so that directors would have a point of contact for tech (previous years it was me… and you can imagine how that went). Next year, we won’t be doing audience voting (as much as we love watching the glee in people’s eyes as they hop on the stage to cast their vote) and so we’ll have more time and less distractions on the back end to thank the directors. And as always, we will use the website to archive each year of the festival so that everyone receives their due credit in posterity, if nowhere else.

A good theater friend of mine once told me he didn’t believe in bows of any kind. In his opinion, shows should end when they end in the script, the lights should come up and the audience should leave, still thinking about what they saw, no curtain call to break them out of the headspace the show took them into. I see the validity of his idea, but I don’t agree with it. I think it’s important to give people a bow, and to say thank you. I’m not always great at remembering to do that myself, but it is important to try.

To Anthony Miller (Hestia/Dionysus), Neil Higgins (Mnemosyne and Themis), Rebecca Longworth (Athena/Rhea), Annie Paladino (Phoebe & Theia/Tethys), Sara Staley (Aphrodite), Amanda Ortmayer (Iapetus/Hermes), Jeremy Cole (Prometheus), Colin Johnson (Hephaestus), Karen Offereins (Coeus & Creos/Ares & Eris), Tracy Held Potter (Hades), Michaela Goldhaber (Demeter), Christy Crowley (Oceanus), Katja Rivera (Poseidon), Charles Lewis III (Atlas), Charlie Gurke (Rhea) and Amy Clare Tasker (Hera): our deepest thanks. This festival would not have been the same without you. We hope you enjoyed yourself, and are as proud of the work as we are. We hope you realize what a difference your presence and guidance made as these writers put these newborn children out into the world for the first time. We hope you had fun. We hope you will return to play with us again next year.

And no, we still won’t be paying you.

Sincerely,

Stuart Bousel

Executive Producer of the San Francisco Olympians Festival

The festival returns to its home at the Exit Theater (156 Eddy Street in San Francisco). Tickets will remain a very low $10.00 per night and can only be purchased in cash, at the Theater, starting half an hour before the show begins.

Press inquiries or other questions can be directed to sfolympians@gmail.com.

December 5 @ 8 PM

Hestia by James Kierstead, directed by Anthony Miller
Not all homemakers are created equal.

Dionysus, or Die oh! Nice, us! by Lily Janiak, directed by Anthony Miller
The party god is re-imagined as a deeply unpleasant nerd in a feminist play that hates its own feminism and wants to die.

December 6 @ 8 PM

Mnemosyne and Themis, or The Broken Frame by Larissa Archer, directed by Neil Higgins
A matriarch’s death pits two sisters against each other in a battle of passion versus pragmatism, the past versus the future, and instinct versus intelligence.

Mnemosyne and Themis, or Leaving Earth by Susan Sobeloff, directed by Neil Higgins
Facing their waning Titan powers, two sisters Mnemosyne and Themis gather their respective daughters for a last family reunion.

Athena, The Musical by Roberta D’Alois and Marilyn Harris Kriegel, with lyrics by Roberta D’Alois and Marilyn Harris Kriegel, and music by Roberta D’Alois, directed by Rebecca Longworth
Even goddesses buy elections. But will Twenty-five million get Marley Nathena what she wants?

December 7 @ 8 PM

Phoebe & Theia, or How to Get to Tartarus by Amy Clare Tasker, directed Annie Paladino
The Titan goddesses of light are plunged into darkness as they struggle to understand why they have been banished to Tartarus, the metaphysical gloom deep inside the earth. In this Beckettian landscape, Phoebe and Theia wrestle with their culpability in the defeat of the Titans.

Aphrodite, or The Love Goddess by Marissa Skudlarek, directed by Sara Staley
A gorgeous starlet, a sexy war hero, a cuckolded sap of a husband. The Aphrodite-Ares-Hephaestus love triangle as you’ve never seen it before — in 1940s Hollywood!

December 8 @ 2 PM

Iapetus by Neil Higgins, directed by Amanda Ortmayer
A mysterious man appears at the doors of an asylum. Is he delusional or is he, as he claims, an immortal Titan who wants to teach the doctors a lesson?

Hermes: The Computer That Wanted To Love by Kirk Shimano, directed by Amanda Ortmayer
A computer seeks to find his place in a land without wi-fi hotspots.

December 8 @ 8 PM

Prometheus: Playing With Fire by Jeremy Cole, directed by Jeremy Cole
Mythology repeats itself when a scientist working with genetically-altered clones takes pity on them and helps them against the Administration’s wishes.

Hephaestus or Heffy by Colin Johnson, directed by Colin Johnson
A deformed, disgruntled man of power attempts to solve the problem of his philandering wife.

December 12 @ 8 PM

Coeus and Creos or 12.12.12 by Evelyn Jean Pine, directed by Karen Offereins
Two rebellious Titans, twins who despise each other, are thrown by blood-thirsty Zeus into the depth of into Hades’ underworld. Coeus and Creos, one scientist, one poet, vow to use Hades’ power of invisibility to destroy the Olympians, god by god, experiment by experiment, line by line.

Hades by Robert and Benjamin Cooper, directed by Tracy Held Potter
The Underworld: a nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to die there.

December 13 @ 8 PM

Tethys or In The Deep by Meghan Kathleen O’Connor , directed by Annie Paladino
When Tethys and Oceanus are replaced by a lustful, hot-headed Olympian, Tethys must come to terms with her new life. But are a loving husband and 3,000 daughters enough? And can she drown out the voices lost at sea, calling for her help?

Demeter or In the Silence of Tangerine Groves by Patricia Milton, directed by Michaela Goldhaber
A high-powered perfume executive, stressed to the point of exhaustion, has a nervous breakdown in the middle of a product pitch. Yanked from the land of men, she journeys to the land of women — where she struggles to come to her senses.

Decemeber 14 @ 8 PM

Oceanus or The Death of All Dolphins by Evan Winchester, directed by Christy Crowley
Two Sea Desk employees struggle to write a press release explaining the freak airborn death of Sharky, the star bottlenose dolphin. But what if Sharky’s collision was only the first sign of some greater calamity gliding up from the deep?

Poseidon or Caenis and Poseidon, by Bridgette Dutta Portman, directed by Katja Rivera
Set in classical Greece, Caenis and Poseidon is the story of a defiant young woman who transforms into a man — and the vengeful god determined not to let her get away with it.

Decemeber 15 @ 2 PM

Atlas, or Do a Good Turn Daily by Charles Lewis III, directed by Charles Lewis III
A cranky old man, an obnoxious teenage boy, and a precocious nine-year-old girl. It’s a hot summer day in 1995. Who knows where they’ll go from here?

Ares and Eris, or The Upper Hand by Claire Rice, directed by Karen Offereins
An anarchist and a Tea Party leader walk into a bar, they both order car bombs.

December 15 @ 8 PM

Hyperion by Seanan Palmero & Clint Winder, directed by Stuart Bousel
Hyperion is reincarnated as the apex of a bootlegging empire during Prohibition. Shit happens, hilarity ensues and miscommunication among well meaning underlings jeopardizes the family business.

Artemis and Apollo or Twins by Stuart Eugene Bousel, directed by Stuart Bousel
Artemis is a loner, Apollo is a golden-boy, both as dangerous as they are beautiful, but will we ever truly know why they come together to murder fourteen children?

December 19 @ 8 PM

Rhea by Maria Leigh, directed by Rebecca Longworth, musical direction by Charlie Gurke
On December 21, 2012 the Maya calendar ends and the apocalypse begins. At the end of the world, as buildings crumble and are washed away, there is only one thing to pray for: may I be the water and not the rock.

Hera by Barbara Jwanouskos, directed by Amy Clare Tasker
Hera is sick of Zeus impregnating mortals, so she impregnates one of her own…

December 20 @ 8 PM

Chronus by Christian Simonsen, directed by Stuart Bousel
Chronus is the Father of Zeus, and the Father of Time. Both will turn against him.

Zeus by Megan Cohen, directed by Stuart Bousel
The ruler of the universe travels the Earth knocking up women and seeking existential redemption, using a mélange of texts from Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Top 40 pop songs, all lovingly re-imagined by the Bay Area’s most frequently produced female playwright.

This year’s festival includes the acting talents of:

Bruce Alvin, Christina Augello, Patrick Barresi, Annika Bergman, Mikka Bonel, Candace K. Brown, Megan Briggs, Kat Bushnell, Linda Ruth Cardozo, Bill Chessman, Andrew Chung, Tony Cirimele, Melissa Clayson, Tom Cokenias, Jeremy Cole, Lisa Darter, Laura Domingo, Julie Douglas, Danielle Doyle, Lisa Drostova, Colleen Egan, Juliana Egley, Siobhan Doherty, Caitlin Evenson, Catz Forsman, Jean Forsman, Jeff Fisher, Cameron Galloway, Jan Gilbert, Dana Goldberg, Ben Grubb, Matt Gunnison, Don Hardwick, Eric Hannan, John Lennon Harrison, Allene Hebert, Dashiell Hillman, Joan Howard, Travis Howse, Colin Hussey, Paul Jennings, Kate Jones, Tavis Kammet, Kat Kneisel, Dan Kurtz, Helen Laroche, Scott Leonard, Will Leschber, Arielle Levine, Charles Lewis III, Juliana Lustenader, Luna Malbroux, Jan Marsh, Brian Martin, Marilet Martinez, Nolan Mecham, Theresa Miller, Tonya Narvaez, Eden Neuendorf, Allison Page, Annie Paladino, Sunil Patel, Carla Pauli, Anthony Pingera, Mary Powelson, Hannah Quigg, Scott Ragle, Dorothy Reading, Evangeline Reilly, Sara E. Renauer, Shane Rhodes, Jessica Risco, Annette Roman, Jessica Rudholm, Stacy Sanders Young, Kim Saunders, Sarah Savage, Ronen Sberlo, Louel Senores, Claire Slattery, Paul Stout, Nick Strubbe, Brian Thomen, Sam Tillis, Peter Townley, Alaric Toy, Nick Trengove, Aaron Tworek, Richard Wenzel, Shay Wisniewski

Our twelve artists this year are:
Emily Barber, Molly Benson, Emmalee Carol, Liz Conley, Brett Grunig, Chelsea Harper, Kaitlinn Jan, Kelly Lawrence, Emily Martin, Cody Rishell, David van Patten and Brandon Witte

All the artwork associated with the festival remains on display at the Café Royale in San Francisco (800 Post Street) for the month of December!

Well, now is your chance!

We are now accepting submissions for the 2013 San Francisco Olympians Festival, a multi-discipline, nationally recognized new works theater festival based at the Exit Theater in San Francisco!

Proposals due by midnight on November 30th, with the line-up for next year’s festival to be announced 12/12/2012. Our first meeting will be in January of 2013.

The festival will take place in November of 2013, from November 6-November 23, Wedesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Each night of the festival will consist of the staged reading of either a full-length play or a series of shorts, inspired by characters or figures from the Trojan War and associated legends. The figures, and the lengths of the plays we’re looking for, are specified below.

There are no submission fees. The Olympians Festival is non-exclusive and does not retain ownership of any play created for it, beyond the initial staged reading. Participating writers should be local and will be expected to help promote the festival and contribute a raffle prize of their choosing to be raffled off on the night their play is read. They are also expected to attend 4-6 meetings over the course of the year and our auditions, which happen about a month before the festival.

Writers are encouraged to submit as many proposals for as many topics as they like. Applications for a topic can be submitted by individuals or writers can work in pairs, or teams of three or more. Writers may be picked for more than one project, and should note that they’d like to be considered for more than one. Each proposal should be 500 words or less and answer three questions:

1) Why you?
2) Why this god/character/object?
3) What is your idea?

All proposals should be submitted electronically to Stuart at sfolympians@gmail.com.

2013′s subjects are as follows. Only one is currently claimed and submissions are currently welcome for all:

Week One: The Greeks (11/6-11/9)

Wednesday, November 6: Argive Heroes
Short: Ajax Major
Short: Ajax Minor
Short: Nestor
Short: Diomedes
Short: Teucer
Short: Patroclus
Short: Thersities
Short: Neoptolemus

Thursday, November 7: The Brothers
One Act: Menelaus
One Act: Agamemnon

Friday, November 8: The Brains
Full-Length: Odysseus

Saturday, November 9: The Brawn
Full-Length: Achilles

Week Two: The Trojans (11/13-11/16)

Wednesday, November 13: Trojan Women
Short: Hecuba
Short: Laodike
Short: Andromache
Short: Polyxena
Short: Cruesa
Short: Chryseis
Short: Briseis
Short: Oenone

Thursday, November 14: The Brothers
One Act: Paris
One Act: Hector

Friday, November 15: The Prophetess
Full Length: Cassandra

Saturday, November 16: The Survivor
Full Length: Aeneas

Week Three: The War (11/20-11/23)

Wednesday, November 20: The Tools
Short: The Shield
Short: The Helmet
Short: The Spear
Short: The Sword
Short: The Golden Apples
Short: The Ships
Short: The Chariot
Short: The Bow

Thursday, November 21: The Place
One-Act: The Walls of Troy
One-Act: The Plains of Illium

Friday, November 22: The Reason
Full Length: Helen (CLAIMED)

Saturday, November 23: The Final Solution
Full Length: The Horse (CLAIMED)

Definitions:

Short- Ten to Fifteen Minutes
One-Act- Twenty-five to Seventy Minutes
Full Length- Sixty Minutes to Two Hours

Happy Brainstorming! We look forward to your submissions!