The Green Dragon
A modern myth
A play in three acts
The Ogre
The events of 9/11/2001, as with a lot of people, had a profound effect on me. Later that winter, a friend was putting together a theatre festival for that February, and in a moment of brashness, I claimed a spot before I had even written the play. I gathered some actors I knew and put together a night of loosely linked monologues about people in a world like our own reacting to the attack of a Green Dragon on their town. It didn't come out very well, but hey, I was young.
Later on, I read the work of Joseph Campbell, namely, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, and was deeply changed by it. I decided to rewrite the old "play" into an epic three act (with a prologue and an epilogue). The first act was about the community staggering to it's feet after the horrible attack, and serves as the impetus to send the hero on his way. The second act is a fantastic voyage in which the hero searches for a way to defeat the Green Dragon. The third act is his return, and the community returning to normalcy and moving on.
The play was given a staged workshop (with some puppetry and choreography) in 2004 by Cuchipinoy Productions. It was directed by myself and featured Susan Barnes Walker, Anna Payumo, Michelle Tidmore, Gabriel Martinez, Anthony Ciccoteli, and Jason Specland. It has never received a full production.
Cast
Actor 1 Female, late 20's - Plays Catherine, Rachel, Witch-Goddess, and others
Actor 2 Female, 40's - Plays Debra, Maddie, Spider-Woman, David's Mother and others
Actor 3 Female, 20's - Plays Emily, Eve, and others
Actor 4 Male, 20's - Plays Jacob, Ogre, Gus, and others
Actor 5 Male, 20's - Plays David, Sun-King, and others
Actor 6 Male, 20's - Plays Jeremy and others
Model of the Spider Woman mask
Set Requirements
Act I is generally set in the city park, with action moving between people in one location to the other. Act II requires a lot of fantasy elements quickly moving from one scene to the other. I envision the use of a lot of puppetry and masks and projections. Act III is back in the city. Apartments, rooftops, bus stops, etc.
Description
The Green Dragon is a myth set in the modern world. It tells the story of a community staggering to its feet after a devastating loss, sending a hero out to avenge them, and then finally healing and moving on.