Orpheus+1

The Death of Love

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 SCENE ONE [MEADOW]

MUSIC: BIRDS CHIRPING

Narrator: Long ago, in a small, lush green meadow, two newly-weds were frolicking and dancing, enjoying their time together. Orpheus, a young man with a lovely voice, and Euridice, a fair maiden, were sitting in the afternoon sun.

Orpheus: Euridice, my love, we shall be together forever now that we are married.

MUSIC: SOUND OF LYRE BEING PLUCKED AND TUNED-HAPPY TUNE

Euridice: (BREATHLESSLY) You really think so?

Orpheus: (LAUGHING) Of course, Euridice. I will love you forever.

Euridice: I guess so, Orpheus. Even if you die before me, I will love you forever.

Orpheus: And if you die before me, I shall always remember you.

SFX: CRICKET CHIRPS-SOFT

Euridice: (UNSURE) It is getting late. Should we be heading back?

Orpheus: We are having such a good time though. Don’t be a worrywart!

Euridice: Come on!

SFX: FOOTSTEPS IN THE GRASS-RUNNING

SCENE TWO [FOREST]

Narrator: After Orpheus leaves to do business the next day, Euridice fancied a walk in the forest.

Euridice: It is such a nice day today. I wish to go for a quiet walk in the forest.

Euridice: (WALKING AND HUMMING, SNAKE SOUND STARTS) OW!!! A snake!

SFX: SOUND OF WINGS FLAPPING

Euridice: Oh my! Hermes is here to take me away!

Narrator: Hermes, the god of thieves, arrives in the forest to take Euridice to the underworld.

Hermes: Do not worry my beautiful Euridice. I will take you to the underworld and the pain will stop.

Euridice: No, please. I must stay and be in love with Orpheus.

Hermes: I am sorry but you must go. It is Hades orders.

SFX: FLAPPING WINGS

SFX: CRYING AND FOOTSTEPS-SOBBING AND RUNNING

Narrator: One day later, Orpheus is searching in the forest for Euridice.

Orpheus: Euridice! Euridice! Where are you? Oh no. I must find my love!

SCENE THREE [VALLEYS, FORESTS, ETC.]

Narrator: After the death of Orpheus’s beloved Euridice, Orpheus was devastated. The great musician became very depressed and uttered no songs and no tunes from his lyre.

Orpheus: (WALKING NOISES, SOBBING) I must get Euridice back or else my life has no meaning. She is my true love and I will find her and get her back from Hades. I will play a song to Hades and it will surely bring her back. If my lyre can move rock, it’ll surely thaw at Hade’s heart. I will stop at nothing until I get my Euridice back. She was cheated from life, but I shall cheat her out of death!

Narrator: Orpheus searched a long time all over the world looking for Euridice, weeping and wandering.

Orpheus: (WALKING NOISES) Why can’t I find the underworld? It has to be somewhere. Oh Euridice, your aura of love will direct me to you. I will rescue you.

Narrator: Then he came to the end of the world, and finally found the underworld.

SCENE FOUR [The Underworld]

Orpheus: Finally! I have reached the gates to the underworld. Now I can go to Hades!

SFX: GATES OPENING AND SOUND OF THREE DOGS GROWLING- RUSTY GATES, SOFT GROWLING

Orpheus: Oh no, it’s Cerberus, the three-headed dog! But I have a plan-I shall use lyre to lull the beast to sleep.

SFX: FOOTSTEP NOISES-CAUSTIOUS

SFX: LYRE PLAYING-SOFT LULLABY

SFX: SNORING-CALM

SCENE FIVE [Near the Hades Throne Room]

Narrator: Orpheus finally arrived to Hades Throne Room, where Lord Hades and Queen Persephone, daughter of Demeter, were sitting, eyes looking coldly down at Orpheus.

Orpheus: (SINGING) Please, lord, let me take Euridice back to the real world.

Hades: (CRYING LIGHTLY) That was such a touching song!

Persephone: (SOBBING) Please, please, please let Euridice go to the sunny world with Orpheus.

Hades: (SURPRISED) But he is cheating me out of souls! I won’t do it.

Persephone: (PERSUASIVE) Come on Hades. If you let him go, I’ll promise to stay with you for six extra weeks in the underworld.

Hades: (THINKING) Hmmm… six extra weeks of winter. I like it. Very well Orpheus, you may take your wife back. Your plea has moved me.

Orpheus: Oh! Thank you!

Hades: (FIRMLY) I will only let Euridice go live with Orpheus on one condition: Orpheus, you must promise to not look back at your wife until you have reached the realm of the living. She will stay behind you, but if you even take the tiniest peek back at Euridice, she will have to return with Hermes back to the underworld.

Orpheus: (OVERJOYED) I agree!

MUSIC: ADVENTUROUS MUSIC-EX. CAN-CAN

SCENE SIX [Lord of the Dead]

Narrator: So, Orpheus and Euridice start their journey back up. What seemed like eons passed. And in these hours, Orpheus is thinking…

Orpheus: (SUSPICIOUS) I am not sure if Hades is telling the truth. He could have tricked me in some way. But I know I shouldn’t look, for if I do, Euridice would only have to go back to the underworld. I know I’m so close to the living world because I can even see the light, but I must look. No! Get a hold of yourself Orpheus! You know what, I can’t stand it anymore! I’m looking!

MUSIC: SCARY MUSIC-LEADING TO SOMETHING BAD

Narrator: Orpheus looks back at his wife, and all he sees is the beautiful, soft face of his beloved wife, Euridice. But, Hermes appears in thin air and starts to take Euridice back to the underworld. While Hermes takes Euridice back down, he says:

Hermes: I’m sorry, Orpheus. You did not trust Hades. Even he, lord of the dead, keeps his promises. For that you cannot have Euridice.

Euridice: Farewell.

Orpheus: (SOBBING) How could I have mistrusted Hades about Euridice? Even though he is the lord of the dead, I should have believed that Euridice was behind me all along. Now I have lost her forever!

SCENE SEVEN [NYMPHS]

Orpheus: [(LIGHTLY SOBBING; TALKING TO HIMSELF)] My Euridice is gone!

SFX: PLAYING SAD MUSIC-SAD LYRE MUSIC

Narrator: Meanwhile, wood nymphs in the area hear the music and became curious.

Nymph 1: Hey. Let’s go ask the lovely man to dance with us.

Nymph 2: Hello sir, come join us.

Orpheus: I’m sorry, but I don’t have the will to do anything fun any longer.

Nymph 1: Dance with us!

Orpheus: You have to understand I just can’t!

Nymph 3: Oh really? You don’t look busy.

Orpheus: Because I lost my only love, Euridice. She could have easily lived but I had to look at her. Because of me she will be wandering in the underworld for eternity. Now all I can do is sit here and mourn for her. There is no time for dancing!

Nymph 2: (SARCASTICALLY) Oh that is so sad. What a great sob story. (SARCASM STOPS) Well if you don’t dance with us we will kill you!

Orpheus: I don’t want to dance, all I want to do is see Euridice again!

Nymph 3: If you want to die, we will give you a painful death. We will rip you apart so that you will be erased from this world.

Orpheus: Hey wait. What did you-

SFX: CLOTH RIPPING SAVAGELY

Narrator: It was too late. The nymphs ripped Orpheus up and threw him into the ocean.

SCENE EIGHT [LESBOS]

Narrator: Soon after, the Muses found Orpheus’s body thrown upon the shores of Lesbos. They gave him a proper burial and hung his constellation in the sky.

Calliope: (SOBBING) Orpheus, my son! Why?

Urania: Grieve not, sister. Orpheus will be able to go live with his wife again. Doesn’t that make you happy?

Clio: (SADLY) If only that snake hadn’t bitten Euridice. Orpheus could’ve still been alive.

Calliope: Oh, no! Don’t say that! It makes it all so much worse!

Narrator: But as Urania said, Orpheus was happy now, because he was with his wife once again.