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The Human Horror of What the Gods Gave Me

How would you react if your new wife's home was filled with pictures of her ancestors-and they were only women?

The young and wealthy man Henrik ignores this warning sign when he comes to spend time with his wife's family during their pagan holiday, in Western Washington University’s production of What the Gods Gave Me, written by Eryn McVay and directed by Kayla Adams. 

The women plan to acquire Henrik's semen and kill him on the solstice, but this is thrown off when one of the girls, Victoria, begins speaking privately with Henrik, wanting to learn more about astrology. Victoria begins to question everything she's been taught, and uncovers dark secrets within her already macabre family.

I always find it exciting to see the horror genre explored in a live format, and WtGGM did not disappoint. It doesn’t lean on more tired horror conventions like jumpscares or excessive gore-though audiences should be warned there is onstage violence and blood towards the end of the show. The horror comes from the atmosphere, and the very real nature of living in a cult. 

Arguably, that’s where the emotional core of the story lies. And I felt that the performers did a wonderful job digging into the characters and pulling out very real people, who do terrible things in the process of trying to do what’s right in accordance with what they’ve been taught. I did feel that the portrayal of Margaret and Henrik could’ve been tweaked to better fit the script. Margaret is always a bit too mean to be considered charming, and Henrik’s switch at the end of the show was more abrupt than it could have been.

The production design took on a more realistic tone with the sets and costumes. This was a point of contention between my peers-perhaps a step away from realism would have better suited the script-but I felt that it allowed the characters to stay the main focus. This did mean that any elements of the production that strayed from realism felt out of place. The cliche of the letters being revealed by accident at the most convenient time, or the trope of the rebellious young woman in a period piece who prefers mens clothing certainly pushed me out of my immersion. And all of the characters being portrayed by actors in the same age group messed with my perception of the character’s actual ages. Margaret initially read as being much older than the other girls, and it was too clear that Bedelia was a young adult trying to mimic the physicality of an older woman.

What the Gods Gave Me is a beautifully tragic, darkly comedic piece, and I’m very interested in seeing where it may go in the future, and in seeing McVay’s other work. Western’s production was not the perfect vehicle for being introduced to the play, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying myself quite a lot.

Works Cited:

What the Gods Gave Me. Western Washington University. 15 Feb. 2023. what the Gods gave me | Western Washington University (wwu.edu)

McVay, Eryn. What the Gods Gave Me. 2022.

what the Gods gave me by Eryn Elyse McVay. New Play Exchange. 16 Feb. 2023. what the Gods gave me | New Play Exchange