#roman electra

[bumbling-jester]

give oc lore? 🤲

(only if you want to ofc!! :D)

this has been sitting in my ask box for a while and i've been meaning to answer it so i finally am!!! this is gonna get long and also confusing so i'll put it under the cut

i'm still working out some details of their lore but right now it's all meant to connect in one self-sustained story!!

basically, there's four main characters— Judah (16), Joseph (16), Roman (15) and Daemon (unknown age). Judah and Joseph are childhood best friends and a musical duo with Judah on vocals + rhythm guitar and Joseph on lead guitar. they live in this small town with like nothing much to do, and also like. they're young and they want Out they want adventures and what-not. they see their music as a way of getting out of there, kind of. because they have a bit of a misconception there about what getting popular would do for them. but anyway, Judah is an insanely ambitious dude who'll stop at nothing to get what he wants (which is. popularity in this case) and he also happens to be a huge fan of this occult comic. so one night while he's reading that comic, he's also thinking about his frustration with the fact that he and Joseph are struggling to get their music thing going. this somehow manages to summon a Demon, later to be known as Daemon because they needed a name to call it, who proposes a deal with him. the deal is that Daemon will help Judah and Joseph get popular, but Judah's soul now belongs to him.

Judah agrees and the band DOES gain popularity, mostly because they're able to find Roman, who agrees to be their bassist. Daemon takes place as their drummer. shenanigans mostly ensue throughout their story while they all find comfort in each other since they're all "outcasts" in a way (yes they're all queer yes this is an important part of their story and how they find kinship with each other).

now ok i know it's like "how can the demon be an outcast too?" but i already planned that out a little. basically the demon belongs to this Horde (proper name still pending) and it counts as a lower-class demon. like lower than everyone else. so it's still trying to gain approval and power. the way for the demons to gain power (in this universe, mostly coincidentally with the occult comic that Judah reads!) is to get as many souls and feed off of them as possible. Daemon is kind of a klutz so has no souls, which is why its so eager to help Judah! usually demons in the universe don't respond to calls from anyone younger than 18. mostly because they think most of their demands are dumb. so Daemon thinks it's advanced somewhat through the ranks but it hasn't because it picked up the call of a teen.

there's more to it but it's not concrete so this is all i have rn!! they are my silly little dysfunctional group of friends and i love them. i do have a few songs that are supposed to be written like from their perspective but i'm still working those out too.

thank you for asking about em!!! i've been meaning to talk about them LMAOO

[theophagie]

Welcome back archetypal criticism

[vaultureculture]

Reading Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose again. It's fucking delirious with all the grandiloquent philosophy, theology and the passages in Latin, and it's so fun. Genuinely. What a puzzle of a book. Extremely historically accurate, too. I'm glad to have been taught Latin as part of my curriculum because it means I get to read this in the og version and fully understand it as I go.

This novel combines two of my favorite things, reading and translating. It's my favorite book, has been since I first read it at 13.

[classicslesbianopinions]

look i have another 50 spam blogs to block but in the meantime what if i ran a tragic woman bracket. or maybe a greek myth/literature woman bracket. or an ancient woman bracket.

[texaschainsawmascara]

The Dead Lovers by Edvard Munch / Vienna Cemetery / Lovers of Valdaro / The Lovers of Modena / Hasanlu Lovers / Monumento Rossi / Dave Navarro & Carmen Electra by David LaChapelle / A Memorial to Marriage by Patricia Cronin / Monumento Scarneo / Olavi Lanu / Bronze Age Scythian Couple / The Life & Death of a Relationship - Sue Law / Lovers of Turuel / New Orleans Botanical Garden / Etruscan Sarcophagi / Gravestone commissioned by widow for deceased husband - Mt. Macedon Cemetery / Eternal Love - Frank Kunert / Meant To Be - Bruno Caesar / Roman Sarcophagus / Sarcophagus of the Spouses

[kabuki-writes]

The Laugh of Nero

chapter: 4 chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 5

pairing: emperor geta/emperor caracalla x acacius' daughter!reader

summary: General Acacius faces the consequences of his conspiracy, while his daughter unexpectedly meets Emperor Caracalla alone for the first time.

warning(s): mention of violence | mention of alcohol | swearing | semi-edited | english is not my first language, faults may occur | please let me know if i missed anything

Note: -

word count: 3.6k

Romans loved the story of old philosopher Seneca. He was once the teacher of Emperor Nero almost 200 years ago and although body was dead, his life continued through writings: one of it being the drama 'Octavia'. It was a popular play in the amphitheaters of Ancient Rome and beyond. And it was a favorite of yours.

The plot focused on three days during which the Emperor divorced and exiled his wife Claudia Octavia and married another, his lover Poppaea Sabina. It was indeed a tragedy, that gave the audience a glimpse into the madness of Nero, the wisdom of Seneca and the tragedy of Octavia. Oh how you could relate to Octavia. The divergence between her fear, hatred and sadness against her will to withstand and be wiser than what was thrown against her, it intrigued you. Somehow you felt the same in your current situation. On the one handside you feared the future and displeased the attention of the Emperors on you, yet you wanted to do everything to persevere. In a way, the stoic nature of Seneca's character in this play gave you some kind of guidance too. Stoicism, maybe you needed to stick to that even more as you were not able to control your surroundings as it seemed?

You took your seat in the upper-ranks of the amphitheater, accompanied by two of your closest friends. Cicero was one of the grandsons of senator Gracchus and now served as one of the senate’s transcriptors for as long as he was not old enough to candidate for a political mandate himself. The other one was Lydia, the daughter of General Britannicus, who fought alongside your father countless of times and was now fighting with his legions in the far north of the Empire. "Oh, i hope Scato is going to play Octavia this time! The last time i saw him in the role of Electra - it was just mesmerizing. He is just so handsome", Lydia sighed, as she always seemed to be that actor's number one supporter. You and Cicero laughed in response before you gave your friend a small pat on the shoulder. "I already heard that you approached him after the last play. Beware actors, Lydia. They might be charming, but they're also free spirits," you explained with a smirk on your lips, before Cicero added. "Oh everyone would run, when they hear about her father."

"Come on! Stop it! I am just daydreaming! I know he will never let me spend time with someone that isn't a boring military officer!" Lydia turned her face away because she turned completely red, but as she did, she noticed the black armory of the Praetorian guards, who escorted one of the Emperors to the royal box of the Amphitheater. "y/n, Cicero, look!"

You quickly turned your eyes to the scene and your face went pale in an instant, when you saw the luxurious decorated robe, the blonde-ginger hair and the golden laurel wreath. That profile, the curved nose and the make up... you instantly noticed, which brother was here to witness the play of 'Octavia'.

Nero.

In that very moment, he turned his head in an attempt to take a look at the crowd and you tried your best to keep your head low, while your sight was locked to the stage in front of you.

"Is everything alright, y/n?", Cicero asked irritated, while he tried to make sense of your sudden change of behavior.

"Yes, yes i just... i've never seen Emperor Caracalla here."

"Really? He comes to the theater quite often to watch plays", Lydia managed to say, before the crowd slowly fell silent as the first actor slowly walked on stage. The young woman next to you blushed and you could feel Lydia's hand clinging on your arm as if she needed something to hold on - the actor was indeed Scato and the costume he wore was 'Octavia' - a flowing robe with a long, curled wig and extravagant make-up that captured the sadness of her character perfectly.

But you couldn't really focus. Your eyes went to the royal box, the best place to watch the play in a comfortable isolation from the rest of the spectators. Here he sat, accompanied by an entourage of 'friends' and a little monkey which sat on his lap. Suddenly his eyes went from the stage over the crowd and suddenly, he saw you. Your heart sunk to your feet and you instantly turned back to the stage to witness Scato's monologue. He had seen you... and what you were not able to witness now was how he turned to one of his Praetorian Guards, to which he whispered an order.

You tried to keep calm as you stared at the stage, where Octavia was now accompanied by a chorus, who wept for the terrible treason she had to endure when Nero decided to take another woman as his wife. Meanwhile your fingers clinged into the fabric of your toga-styled dress as you gathered your thoughts. You still recalled the words you'd talked with him at the Collosseum - the way you had his attention. Women would kill for what you were able to get if you just continue - but then you heard the words of your father, you saw his worried eyes in front of you and you knew something was terribly wrong.

You were so encaptured in your own thoughts that Lydia grabbed your arm again, but this time it was not because she was about to fall for the man on stage, but because a Praetorian Guard was standing right at the side of your seats and pointed at you. "You. Follow me," he ordered in a very demanding tone, while your friends looked at you in shock. They didn't know what you'd witnessed before, so you grabbed their hands and just gave them an encouraging smile. "Don't worry about me, we see each other soon, alright?", you whispered before you stood up and followed the guard upstairs to the place where Emperor Caracalla had his seat.

_________________________________

"y/n, what a pleasant surprise to meet you here! Please, take a seat!", you heard the voice of Emperor Caracalla as you stepped into the royal box of the amphitheater and bowed to him.

"Leave us, Go!", he hissed quickly to his entourage, who - without a word - got up from their seats and left as quickly as they could, but not without giving you a two-faced look. It was almost as if they already knew something you didn't, as if they both pitied and envied you at the same time. You hold their glances to not give in to any mockery they might've had in their minds and would speak out to each other when they were gone. Then it was only you and the young Emperor,... and his pet monkey, which was seemingly busy eating grapes from a bowl of fruit.

With slow, careful movements you approached the seats in the front and sat down beside Caracalla, his eyes never leaving you as you did. "A funny coincidence, is it not? I remember that we talked about 'Octavia' and here we are now", he chuckled, while he leaned back and for a moment, he watched the stage, where Seneca approached Nero about the divorce of his first wife.

"A coincidence, indeed", you answered and followed his glance. There he was, the mad Emperor, who complained about the unfair treatment of him through his own mother, which he cursed over and over again. At that point she was already dead - believed to be murdered by an order of Nero himself.

"You haven't fully answered me back then, when i asked why you see yourself as Nero". The question came from your mouth while you still followed the actor's movements in his luxurious decorated robes, a red wig on his head - it somehow reminded you of Caracalla.

"The play is written to portray him as a monster, am i sitting next to one?"

Maybe it was almost too bold to ask that. You already regretted speaking those words out loud, when his view instantly switched to you, his blue eyes digging into you like a sharp blade. Suddenly, he simply burst into a resounding laughter, that made your lose your breath for a moment, as you stared at him with irritation.

"Gods, you're really amusing", Caracalla grinned wide, showing off his gold tooth. Nonetheless he gave you an answer. "It depends..."

He raised his hand and let his little monkey climb on it. When he reached his shoulder, Caracalla took a grape and fed it to the animal, before it started to groom his wild hair. Not caring about it, he continued. "Everyone views Nero as mad for breaking the chains that his mother and his predecessor layed on him. He never loved Octavia, yet he had to marry her. He never wanted to be Emperor, yet he became one. His mother tried to control him, so much so, that he needed to get rid of this old hag." The last words were almost a hissing tone, as if he was speaking of something he could truly relate to.

"Now everyone is plotting against him, the Gods, his damned first wife, his teacher, all of Rome, only because he started to follow his own path and married the woman he loved. A tragedy, truly - not just for Octavia, don't you think?"

He looked straight into your eyes, waiting for your answer and you sensed that this was a key moment, where you could say something wrong. In a way, you could see what he meant, but there was something he didn't see. Nero broke the chains, yes, but he broke them with cruelty, murder and terror.

"Isn't everything in our lives a tragedy?", you asked and it seemed to please Caracalla, as his bright grin returned, before he turned to the stage once more, crawling his pet monkey while he followed the next scene.

Oh how he could relate to those words. No one could understand the tragedy of his own life, always being seen as the underestimated, 'weaker' and younger brother. But he enjoyed this talk more than he was willing to admit. And he was sure that you were able to understand him to a certain degree, the first woman to do so.

Suddenly, his pet jumped over to you, climbing onto your shoulder and taking a strain of hair to look at your curls.

"Dondus, no! Don't hurt the fair lady!" In an instant, Caracalla jumped from his seat, but before he tried to take the monkey again, he noticed your sudden yet beautiful laugh and how you reached out to pat Dondus carefully, softly, with your filigran fingers. How he wished that those fingers would touch him in that very moment, while his hands stiffened.

"It is fine, please - don't worry", you said quickly, since the monkey didn't hurt you in any way - in fact the way he climbed on your shoulders, touched your hair with his tiny fingers and groomed them with interest in his dark eyes, was very cute. And your reaction was honest.

"I think, he likes you", Caracalla mumbled, while he returned to his seat, still watching you how gentle you were with Dondus, one of his only 'real friends'. It was his own pet, his alone and caring for him often calmed his mind. Just as you did in this very moment since no word came from his mouth - he just watched. Why, just why does he have to share you with Geta soon...

Slowly he reached for his cup of wine and poured it down in an attempt to numb his thoughts over this damn fact.

"You said you see yourself in Octavia, but you could be Poppaea", he whispered, his eyes locked on yours.

"I could be," you responded, the focus laying on 'could', while you were still playing with the little monkey. In a way you started to find your path in this game. "Either way my fate would end in death then."

Caracalla laughed boisterous once again in response to your words, while he raised his cup. "And yet you would live in delight instead of agony. Let us toast to the inevitable death of us all". You took your cup and followed his toast.

"To the tragedy of us all." As you drank a first sip of your wine, you still saw how he looked you straight into the eyes. It was clear that he just waited for the next chance to say something and this time he was closer than before, leaning over the armrest of his throne. The Emperor was close enough for you to smell the scent of his perfumes and the wine on him.

"I just know we will have a lot of fun, once we see each other more often," he chuckled. His words hit you, but you tried your best not to drop your mask of neutrality. You'd almost began to enjoy this conversation up to this point. What did he mean by that?

Should you ask? No, it would be terribly impolite to question something like that in the presence of an Emperor. Only your lips parted, while you searched for your next words. Caracalla was the one to grin again, his gold tooth shimmering in the lights that came from the stage of the theater. And his next words rang through your ears like a bell.

"Don't forget to thank your dear father, once you're back home."

_________________________________

Marcus Acacius walked through the hallways of the Imperial Palace, escorted by the Praetorian Guard. He was not in chains, but wore his dark brown leather armor with the wine red whool cloak and his helmet under his arm - the armor of a General. In fact, he didn't really know why he was even here in the first place. It was quite early for a new war campaign, but he stopped to question them long ago anyways. It wouldn't be a surprise, if the Emperors had already found a new target for their obsession. The mere hunger for expansion was enough to never satisfy both Geta and Caracalla, who simply took military like Acacius and moved them on a map as if they were simple toy figures. The glory of Rome was what they promised the people, yet all the older man had seen was death and despair over and over again - even though he always came back with a victory laurel wreath on his head. What an irony.

The fact that everything was like the last times he was called to the palace, made him unobservant to the fact that he was walking straight into a trap. He was sure that his secret was still a secret - that he and the senators were safe in a way. Maybe safe enough to carry out their plan once the time was ready for it. How wrong he was on this...

When he stepped into the throne room, the guards behind him closed the door and he greeted Emperor Geta according to the protocol in situations like these. "My Emperor", he said with his fist on his chest and his eyes locked on the young man, who stood in front of one of the two elaborately designed thrones, which were placed on a platform at the center of the room.

"General Acacius! It is good to see you again. Come forward...," Geta called and his waving hand was a signal for him to move, to come closer. As he did, Marcus noticed that the other twin was missing, but this wasn't a surprise too since Caracalla was often 'occupied' with other things. In reality, he simply hated politics and rather threw himself into diffent forms of pleasure in an attempt to escape the stuffiness.

They were not alone, a couple of Praetorian guards stood at their distinct positions as they always did and therefore the general simply ignored them.

Meanwhile Geta had to force himself to keep a straight face, when the traitor approached him as if nothing happened at all, as if he was not about to put a sword into his neck with those filthy senators - just as Julius Caesar got betrayed by his kin and the senate as well. The young Emperor would not let this happen again.

"Tell me, General, why did i call for you?"

Acacius brows furrowed, while he looked to the map table, which was standing alone in front of the great window. It was untouched.

"I thought you might answer me that, your Grace. The last time we talked, you granted me a pause before i will regroup my legions in Ostia and start the next campaign in Numidia."

Geta's laughter filled the room in response to the General's words and it took him even more strength to not scream at him.

"Oh, don't worry, Acacius. This plan hasn't changed yet."

Yet. A feeling of unease creeped up his body, as he stood still, his eyes locked on the pale, gingerblonde royal, who stood in front of him in a toga of black and gold.

"But let us be honest now, shall we? I question your loyality to me and my brother, to Rome. As i know, you're meeting with members of the senate," Geta called out and even though this was true, Acacius kept a straight face, hiding his fear in trained perfection.

"As you know, my dear wife is the daughter of senator Galba. Is it now regarded as treason to meet with my father-in-law?"

Geta stepped forward, closing the distance between him and Acacius in an instant, while his jaw clenched in anger. His mind was like a volcano, ready to erupt at any second.

"Do you think we're fools!?", he hissed with an even more aggressive undertone that grew louder with each word. Marcus had to tackle the urge to say 'Yes', in fact there was even so much more he wanted to say right now. That they were tyrants, mad, arrogant and overall spoiled little brats, which he cursed at every given second of his life.

"We know what you're up to Acacius - a snake amongst the men we regarded as the most loyal to our father and to us. How dare you turn against us and plot with those maggots from the senate, even though you've seen that they were not able to rule an Empire for yourself! Have you no respect for Emperor Septimius Severus, who gave you all what you're now!?"

It was too late, he obviously knew. And Acacius was not even able to put in words how much he hated himself for not being able to keep it as a secret long enough. It not only put his own life in danger but the rest of his family too, his wife... his daughter. His jaw clenched at the mere thought of the consequences that might errupt in the aftermath of this audience. Yet he couldn't hold back what was laying under his tongue for so long: "You father still holds my greatest respect and loyalty even after his passing... may the gods grant him peace in elysium. But i've seen your shortcomings many, many times. You lack the wisdom and restraint he had, yes maybe even the love he had for Rome and its people. You and your brother are not worthy of the crowns he placed upon your heads."

Geta's eye twitched and he grabbed a dagger, placing it right in front of Acacius' throat. His whole body trembled in pure wrath at the audacity of that General's words.

"I should kill you now Acacius! I should kill you and all those filthy senators for that treason!", he screamed at him, while his opponent only responded with a cold and collected gaze. This look alone made him Geta even more aggressive and hateful towards Marcus, but killing him would only create another problem - so he went with the path he had already planned in his mind.

"My brother was right, you are a Brutus. But we're not Julius Caesar", Geta hissed against Acacius, leaning his head to the side for a moment, as he studied his stern facial expression. Oh how much he hated it that he didn't fear him. The Emperor wanted to change that.

"We should start all over again, shall we? As a hero of Rome, the people won't be pleased with you being crucified publically... But we can still kill your wife... your daughter?", he started and noticed how - even for a second - the corners of Acacius' mouth twitched, as if he wanted to say something against this. Now there was fear, something Acacius tried desperately not to show, but Geta still noticed.

A wide, knowing smile appeared on his face and he nodded in silent agreement. "Ah, now you see the consequences. Yes, i am not above killing you kin and let you watch... but it would be such a shame, such a waste... especially for your beautiful daughter. I wonder how you will explain to her, that you threw her young life away because of your pride"

The blade of his dagger was dangerously close as the tip touched his skin at his neck, while Acacius stood in an almost frozen position.

"I have a proposal for you, Acacius...it is the only option to safe your own life and the ones of those you love the most - wed your daughter to me."

Geta's word hit Marcus like a lightning bolt. His eyes widened in response to the request of the Emperor in front of him. And his heart broke in that very moment.

"I will not sell out my daughter like this", he answered with a firm tone in his voice, but Geta only smirked and leaned forward, whispering in his ear with an amused undertone. He knew that Marcus wasn't able to say 'No' in any way. He loved his daughter too much to watch her die.

"One option, General. She either becomes my wife - and i will make her Empress of Rome. Or she will be crucified alongside your pathetic senators..."

He would always choose her life, but at what cost.

_________________________________

Tags:

quuinyoung koshkahhh mmkkzz analves pandora-journey ange-olras tellynojelly targwh0re h3k3t onelemonoat whitenoise808 spooky-cupid dev1lbella onelemonoat hawraa-alzubaidi omg-hellgirl the-holy-pigeon justnobodynothingmore fandomblogs-stuff justnobodynothingmore superblyspeedydragon deliciousfestsalad moon-390 lv9su harmfulb1tch apollonshootafar zalera8310 sweetffcts lvspedri soltik capitanostella weepingfashionwritingplaid labellapeaky

[atheneum-of-you]

I'm so happy so many people have found my tiny library useful! l've added a few more books for everyone!

Books Inside:

Ancient Greek Religion Jon D. Mikalson

Ancient Greek Cults Jennifer Larson

Ancient Greek Divination Sarah /les Johnston

The Odyssey Homer

The Homeric Hymns A Translation, with Introduction and Notes by Rayor Diane J

The llyad Homer translated by Stanley Lombardo

Apollodorus The Library, Volumes 1 and Il Sir James George Frazer

The Orphic Hymns Athanassakis

Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens

A History of Ancient Greece Robin Waterfield

The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Religion Esther Eidinow and Julia Kindt

A Companion to Greek Religion Daniel Ogden

Theogony Hesiod

( donated by @angieisreading )

Magika Hiera Ancient Greek Magic and Religion Christopher A. Faraone, Dirk Obbink

Antigone, Oedipus the King, Electra Sophocles, H.D.F. Kitto, Edith Hall

The Bacchantes Euripides

The Oresteia Agamemnon The Libation Bearers The Eumenides Aeschylus W. B. Stanford, Robert Fagles

Euripides II Andromache, Hecuba, the Suppliant Women, Electra The Complete Greek Tragedies - Euripides II

Sophocles Oedipus Rex

Medea Euripides, Michael Collier, Georgia Machemer

Aristophanes Clouds, Women at the Thesmophoria, Frogs A Verse Translation, with Introduction and Notes Stephen Halliwell

Heracles of Euripides Euripides Michael R. Halleran

Euripides Iphigenia at Aulis Christopher Collard James Morwood

Lysistrata Aristophanes, Jeffrey Henderson

(donated by @anyrisse )

Women's Dress in the Ancient Greek World Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Underworld Gods in Ancient Greek Religion Ellie Mackin Roberts

Understanding Greek Religion Jennifer Larson

The Gods of Ancient Greece Jan N. Bremmer and Andrew Erskine

Restless Dead Sarah Isles Johnston

Myths of the Underworld Journey Radcliffe G. Edmonds III

Marriage to Death Rush Rehm

Greek Religion Walter Burkert

Greek Popular Religion in Greek Philosophy Jon D. Mikalson

Greek Magic J.C.B. Petropoulos

Greek and Roman Necromancy Daniel Qgden

Gods and Garments Cecile Brøns

Bride of Hades to Bride of Christ Abbe Lind Walker

Aphrodite's Tortoise Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Ancient Mystery Cults Walter Burkert

Ancient Greek Love Magic Christopher A. Faraone

Cult of Aphrodite Laurelei Black

Aphrodite's Priestess Laurelei Black

Festivals of Attica: An Archaeological Commentary Erika Simon

Games and sanctuaries in Ancient Greece Panos Valavanis translated by David Harty

Divine Mania Alteration of Consciousness in Ancient Greece Yulia Ustinova

Omens and oracles Divination in ancient Greece Matthew Dillon

Cults and Rites in Ancient Greece Essays on Religion and Society Michael H. Jameson, Allaire B. Stallsmith etc.

Pharnabazos, the Diviner of Hermes. Two Ostraka with Curse Letters from Olbia Andrei Lebedev

Some are pdfs and some are epubs but all of them are free for your reading enjoyment and learning!

l'll be adding more as time goes on and at the requests and suggestions of others so if you think something is missing or have a request please don't hesitate to ask me to add it!

As usual a massive thank you to Lord Hermes Dôtor Eaôn/Lord Hermes Arkhos Phêlêteôn for the idea, this library is a dedication and offering to him and adding to it is all in his name ♡

[whencyclopedia]

Tyche

In Greek mythology, Tyche is the goddess and personification of good luck, chance, and fortune. Tyche's popularity grew after the Classical period when many cities and officials across the Greek world and the Mediterranean adopted her as their patron deity and sacrifices were made at her shrines. Her popularity endured for hundreds of years.

Tyche was represented in many forms of art and was instantly recognisable by her mural crown and the rudder and cornucopia she held. Various writers describe her as 'all-powerful' and 'wise'. Her Roman counterpart is the goddess, Fortuna.

Birth & Family

According to Hesiod (c. 700 BCE) in his Theogony, Tyche was one of the many daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys and a sister to many, including the Oceanids Electra, Ourania, Metis, Styx (goddess of the underworld), and Calypso. As a daughter of Oceanus, Tyche was said to have a connection with the water, which is evident in the rudder she holds in artistic representations of her. Other sources claimed that she was the daughter of Zeus, even though she is mentioned as his cousin in the Theogony.

Continue reading...

[lesbian-thesbian]

Okay so. Pylades and Orestes.

“Orestes Fasting and Pylades Drunk” is the title of the chapter of Les Miserables in which Grantaire and Enjolras die hand in hand. We know it. We love it. We cry about it.

In this chapter title, Enjolras is compared to Orestes and Grantaire is compared to Pylades.

Orestes and Pylades are Greek figures in various plays including Electra, Orestes, The Libation Bearers. Orestes considers Pylades to be his closest friend, trusting him entirely.

In the Roman era, their relationship was represented as romantic in a dialogue written by Lucian of Samasata titled Erōtes (Affairs of the Heart). This dialogue uses Pylades and Orestes as the central figures in a discussion about homoerotic friendships.

Bringing it back to our boys…Enjolras does not see Grantaire as his Pylades until their final moments, but Grantaire’s devotion to Enjolras is just as unwavering as Pylades’ devotion to Orestes.

Anyway! Here are some of my favorite interactions between Pylades (Grantaire) and Orestes (Enjolras) that I was able to find floating around the web. :)

Please send more quotes if you find them!!!

[deathlessathanasia]

"Another chapter appears, as set out in the manuscript [Anonymus Florentinus], to list the impious. … After this come five cases of variously wicked people (three of them rapists) who shared the same fate, being struck by a thunderbolt: … Alphaeus, the son of the River Sangarius, taught Athena to play the flute and after trying to rape the goddess was struck by a thunderbolt from Zeus. Ardys the son of Hippocoon tried to rape Hera when she was traveling to Argos and was struck by a thunderbolt from Zeus. Phorbas the Thesprotian fell in love with Demeter and, when he tried to rape the goddess, was struck by a thunderbolt from Zeus." (Alan Cameron, Greek Mythography in the Roman World)

"For although he [Ixion] received a sweet life among the gracious children of Cronus, he did not abide his prosperity for long, when in his madness of spirit he desired Hera, who was allotted to the joyful bed of Zeus. But his arrogance drove him to extreme delusion; and soon the man suffered a suitable exquisite punishment. Both of his crimes brought him toil in the end. First, he was the hero who, not without guile, was the first to stain mortal men with kindred blood; second, in the vast recesses of that bridal chamber he once made an attempt on the wife of Zeus. … Ixion brought upon himself the four-spoked fetter, his own ruin." (Pindar, Pythian 2)

"Hera, while she was being nurtured by her parents, was raped by one of the Gigantes, Eurymedon, and she became pregnant and bore Prometheus. Zeus, after marrying his sister and learning of the event, punished Eurymedon by throwing him into Tartarus, and Prometheus, under the pretext of fire, was bound in chains. The story is in Euphorion." (Scholion to Iliad 14.295)

"Electra, daughter of Atlas, had two sons, Iasion and Dardanus, by Zeus. Now Iasion loved Demeter, and in an attempt to defile the goddess he was killed by a thunderbolt." (Pseudo-Apollodoros, Library 3.12

"Because Latona had lain with Jove, Juno ordered Tityus, a creature of immense size, to offer violence to her. When he tried to do this he was slain by the thunderbolt of Jove." (Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 55)

"But Idas came to Messene, and Apollo, falling in with him, would have robbed him of the damsel. As they fought for the girl's hand, Zeus parted them and allowed the maiden herself to choose which of the two she would marry; and she, because she feared that Apollo might desert her in her old age, chose Idas for her husband." (Pseudo-Apollodoros, Library 1.7.9)

"… but Daphne, seeing Apollo advancing upon her, took vigorously to flight; then, as he pursued her, she implored Zeus that she might be translated away from mortal sight, and she is supposed to have become the bay tree which is called daphne after her." (Parthenios, Love Romances 15)

What a protector of women and respecter of women's autonomy, amirite? I mean, if killing one (1) rapist and supporting one's gender nonconforming daughters makes a male god a feminist and the protector of women then surely Zeus qualifies as well.

[schizowitchic]

my roman empire is that the album electra heart by marina is her playing an over-exaggeratedly self-obsessed & vain character. it's not real and yet it is literally so relatable but it was never meant to be

[fanderstuckin2018]

Ok this has been sitting in my mind for literally five years, so…

A PsychoAnalysis of Roman Sanders’ Playlist

It has two distinct vibes which I think encapsulates Roman PERFECTLY. Especially considering that he is a representative of Thomas’s theatre (🎭) profession.

Category one: flamboyant primadonna (did u see what I did there? Hehehe) Examples are

Flamboyant, Dorian Electra

Primadonna, Marina and the Diamonds

Holdin Out for a Hero, Bonnie Tyler

Etc. All of these songs are very upbeat, feel-good songs. They boost the ego in a sense, and give a very badass kind of energy. A “no one can touch me” sort of vibe. It’s what I believe represents Roman’s “mask” of being theatrical, stubborn and prideful. What he puts up to make it seem like nothing is wrong, so no one has to worry over him and discover his “flaws.”

Second category: I believe in you (please believe in me) Fanfic ass title but ykw it captures the vibe

These are songs like

Broadway Here I Come!

Dreamer, LaPeer

Paving the Runway, JJ Heller

Go, Keith Tutt Ii

These all have a very melancholy, longing feeling to them. A theme through each of them is not being good enough, trying to reach your dreams despite being put down constantly, and having to do things on your own to achieve greatness. This is representative of his true feelings beneath that mask. The fact that he’s not being listened to by the rest of the Sides and is essentially made the butt of the joke is proof that being reduced to such is hurting him.

When I was listening to this category of songs, I was taken aback how much I felt loved hearing them. It was such a 360, from Primadonna to something like Paving the Runway. It truly feels like you are being hugged by these songs. (Maybe the last three more so than the first.)

The last three are important. They are the last three songs on Roman’s playlist, which I assume to be the most recently added ones. Which means that his feelings of depression and loneliness have only been growing worse.

Anyways, this is just an analysis of Roman’s playlist. Maybe I’ll analyze the others lol. I listen to Virgil’s on a weekly basis, so if anything, he’d be up next. I hope this guy gets some attention soon, bc lord knows he’s been screaming for it for five years now LMAO.

[inspofromancientworld]

Legendary Creatures: Harpy

By Written and illustrated by John Vinycomb (1833–1928 biography) - Fictitious & Symbolic Creatures in Art http://heraldicart.org/fictitious-and-symbolic-creatures-in-art/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114035415

Harpies (Greek: ἅρπυια hárpyia Latin: harpȳia) are Greek and Roman creatures that are half-human (chest and heads) and half-birds (wings, legs, tail) and personify storm winds. They are mostly found in Homeric poems.

Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanh1/4565921045

The human half of the harpy is a young woman who looks pale with hunger according to the Greeks and in pottery. The Romans considered them to be ugly. Ovid, who lived from 43 BCE to 17 or 18 CE, described them as a blend of humans and vultures. Hesiod described them as fair haired and winged maidens and able to fly as fast as the wind. Aeschylus, who lived from about 525 to 456 BCE, described them as ugly and seems to have influenced those who came after.

Boreads chasing Harpies, Laconian black-figure kylix C6th B.C., National Etruscan Museum

Harpies began as personifications of winds, especially those that are destructive. The word 'harpy' means 'snatcher' or 'swift robbers' so they are said to steal food and evildoers, taking the evildoers to the Eumenides, underworld goddesses of vengeance. They were also called 'the hounds of mighty Zeus', relating them to Zeus' thunder. They were also called guardians of the underworld, keeping out other creatures like the Chimera, Gorgons, and Centaurs.

The exact relationships and names of the harpies vary by writer. Hesiod stated that their parents were Thaumas, a sea god who was the son of Gaia and Pontus, a primordial sea god, and Electra, an Oceanid, an ocean nymph who is a daughter of the Titan Oceanus and Tethys, a Titan, and sisters to the river god Hydaspes. Hesiod lists their names as Aello, meaning 'storm swift', and Ocypete, meaning 'the swift wing'.

Museum Collection The J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu Catalogue No. Malibu 85.AE.316 Beazley Archive No. 30369 Ware Attic Red Figure Shape Hydria, Kalpis Painter Attributed to the the Kleophrades Painter Date ca 480 B.C. Period Late Archaic

The most popular story involving harpies is when King Phineus of Thrace angered Zeus by using his gift of prophecy to reveal the plans of the gods, so Zeus blinded him and put him on an island with a banquet that the harpies at before he could eat any of it. This continued until Jason and the Argonauts arrived. Phineus bargained for his delivery from the harpies by using his gift of prophecy to guide them. The Boreads, sons of the North Wind, Boreas, drove off the harpies. There was a prophecy that the Boreads would destroy the harpies, but that the Boreads would die if they didn't defeat the harpies. The harpies fled and one fell into the Tigris, and the other reached the Echinades, a group of islands in the Ionian Sea, and collapsed with fatigue, along with the Boread that chased her. She promised to leave Phineus alone going forward and they were both allowed to live. Aeneas is then said to meet them during the Trojan war where they took away Trojans.

[tides-of-truth]

We revere The Sun as light & heat energy giver at the center- as the symbol for the Self as the eternal omnipotent source of all.

At the centre of all is a divine law in the Veda called Rta, called Ma'at by the Egyptians & Harmonie by the Greeks, maintaining stable order of the world operating vertically throughout the Natural, Spiritual & Socioeconomic layers of creation.

Supreme law emanates from Truth.

There is Truth beyond, that which remains ever the same.

And there are the laws of truth, the forces of Nature or Shakti's, that regulate this creation to be orderly & seasonal in order to provide for the needs of all beings in the creation.

Sekhmet

Sekhmet whose name means: "She who is powerful" or

"the One who loves Ma'at" was the goddess of the hot desert sun, plague, chaos, war, and healing. She was created from the fire of the sun god Ra's eye when he looked upon Earth. Ra created her as a weapon to destroy humans for their disobedience to him and for not living in accordance with the principles of Ma'at.

Sekhmet was depicted with the body of a woman with a lion head wearing a sun disk.

Copernicus describing the Sun mythologically, drawing from Greco-Roman examples:

In the middle of all sits the Sun on his throne. In this loveliest of temples, could we place the luminary in any more appropriate place so that he may light the whole simultaneously. Rightly is he called the Lamp, the Mind, the Ruler of the Universe: Hermes Trismegistus entitles him the God Visible. Sophocles' Electra names him the All-seeing. Thus does the Sun sit as upon a royal dais ruling his children the planets which circle about him.

[cassandra-has-moonlit-eyes]

Notes on the Il Sistina Cats production

I was able to see the Il Sistina Production on three seperate days: 19.10.2023 20:30, 20.10.2023 20:30 and 21.10.2023 16:00. These are my notes on this production.

I will use headlines so you can skip parts you don't want to read.

I'm a lazy ass bitch so I will use the English names and not the Italian ones.

First day I had the full cast.

Second day Grizabella was covered by another actress who played Grizabella a little bit different. Unfortunetly I didn't catch her name when they anounced it.

Third day Quaxo was missing so his lines went to Alonzo.

Stage/Setting:

The Il Sistina production doesn't take place in London but in Rome. This is mostly shown by the setting but is also referenced in the lyrics (I do not speak Italian, but I understand some words). There is for example a street sign on stage which says: "Largo di Torre Argentina" which is a place in Rome and the LED wall in the background shows the Colosseum most of the time. There is also a Roman water fountain on the right side which even dispenses (fake?) water. The is also a street sign with "Via della Gatta" (Street of Cats)

Characters/Cast:

They have a lot of chorus characters: Quaxo is a seperate character from Mistoffelees, they have Jemima AND Syllabub, Electra, Etcetera, George and Bill Bailey who is also named Carbuckety.

This season Bustopher Jones and Skimbleshanks are palyed by the same actor, he plays Bustopher Jones during the first act and Skimble during the second.

Gus is a seperate character with a very strong chorus identity which also takes part in the ball and in the Macavity fight.

The Macavity chorus identity is called Admetus.

Songs and characters:

Jellicle Cats:

Munkustrap is the first character on stage. His make up and wig are the only ones I do not like, but the actor, Sergio Giagomelli, is very good. He does a lot of dancing too. Second on stage is Demeter but she is later scared away by chorus Gus who wants to sit on her spot.

The number is very energetic and I really love the choreography. It "quotes" some of the Lynne Choreo but also the new Broadway one.

The Naming of Cats:

During this song they have the poem on the wall in the background which I found very distracting. They also changed some of the names. One name was Marc Aurel which was fun. The cats move when their names are mentioned. Bombalurina is very dramatic. Her collar sparkles a lot.

White Cat Solo:

Victoria dances next to the fountain. It was very beautiful. At the end Munkustrap joins her and lifts her up.

Invitation to the Jellicle Ball:

After Victoria's solo the lines usually given to Misto are given to the Quaxo character. On the day Quaxo was missing it was given to Alonzo. Still Misto isn't a mute characters, he has some lines later in the play.

The Old Gumbie Cat:

Il Sistina plays that bit where Misto thinks Munkustrap wants to sing and where he is quite disapointed when he doesn't. He needs som comfort by Tanto and Cori afterward. Meanwhile Tugger is still on stage which I've never seen before. Now it's his chance to be annoyed by her. The Gumbie Trio is absolutly amazing, all three of them are even more prominent during the musical. Gus wants to play with Demeters tail but she just smiles at him and goes away to dance with Jelly and Bomba.

Jennyanydots wears a ball of wool. There is tap dancing and rope jumping, mice and cockroaches, but the cockroaches are just knee socks. The number is very fun and energetic.

The Rum Tum Tugger:

First of all I absolutly adore the Tugger design. He is not black but gold, has amazing Make up with a heart and golden glitter eyeshadow. He doesn't have his mane but a big belt and during his number he also wears a white leather jacket. Gus more or less introduces him by showing the audience a poster which advertises one of his shows. First the Gumbie Trio, two younger kittens, Mistoffelees and Mungojerrie dance while Tugger sings. One after another the other Cats return. First Mistoffelees and Mungojerrie try to hold the other girls back (Cassandra and Tanto included) but no chance. They storm the stage.

The line usually sung by Misto, Alonzo or Munkustrap is given to Quaxo again (The terrible bore one). On the day Quaxo was missing it was given to Alonzo again.

The Gumbie Trio also plays a very prominent role in this song. Bombalurina has a great interest in Tugger, Jellylorum is very entertained and enjoys the show and the flirting, Demeter is not that amused by Tugger and his flirting but Vibes with the other Cats and joins the choreo. Sometimes she looked very shocked at him, it was really fun. The acting by Viviana Salvo (Demeter) and Natalia Scarpolini (Jellylorum) is absolutly great during this number, same for Giorgia Cino (Bombalurina).

Giorgia Adamo who plays Tugger does a really great job with his voice and acting. I flirted a lot with the audience. Really cool, really flirty Tugger.

Interesting staging choices were made too: At the end the fangirls do not stay on stage. They place themselves between orchestra pit and audience and look up to the stage where Tugger is performing, so they themselves become part of the audience. Jemima is fangirl number one and screams for Tugger until he shushes her.

Grizabella: The Glamour Cat

All in all the auditorium (Zuschauerraum) is playing a big part in the staging choices. At the end of number Tugger goes down one of the corridors and starts to hiss because he sees Grizabella. He turns around and goes back on stage. Grizabella is following him. First part of her song she sings next to the orchestra pit, then she wants to enter the stage. Munkustrap doesn't want that to happen so he blocks her path. He doesn't want her on stage, as part of the Jellicle Ball or even the play on a meta level. They stare each other down and Grizabella wins the fight. Munkustrap steps back and she can enter the stage.

Tugger attacks her coat and Electra hisses her while Jeima wants to touch her, but not on Munkustraps watch. Demeter and Bombalurina sing the rest of the song, then Grizabella leaves on the other side of the stage again.

I would say in this production Munkustrap and Tugger are her biggest foes. They do not want her around, while Old Deuteronomy and Jemima are her biggest allies.

Bustopher Jones

There is a stone foot on the right side of the stage. This is where Bustopher Jones lives. There is a hole in the foot and he pops out of there on multiple occasions. I didn't understand much of the lyrics but this Bustopher Jones loves Sushi. Jenny is very happy to sing about him, Bombalurina not so much.

Similar to the Broadway Revival this number works with a lot of food shaped props. It's very wholesome and fun.

Bustopher Jones is very involved in the first act, sadly he wasn't in the second act because then the actor plays Skimbleshanks.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

After Bustopher Jones the Macavity scare happens and interesting enough Macavity really makes an appearance. He wears a coat and a hat. There are lights on underneath his brim (Krempe?), so you can see his face. He has a very evil laughter.

Rosella Lubrina (Rumpleteazer) and Simone Raggozino (Mungojerrie) are both absolutly amazing. Simone does a lot of acrobatics, not just during his number but also during other numbers. The number is very fun with its own choreography and some propbs, like a newspaper article which is about them, a fifty Euro bill and a bucket with holes. The ending of the number is more dynamic but they also do a short version of the cartwheel.

Also Bustopher Jones makes another appearance. He wars a cooks head so I think he sang the line conected to the cook in the lyrics.

The other cats do not seem to dislike them but celebrate them which makes a lot of sense. They do some sort of Polonaise to celerbrate them.

Old Deuteronomy

Mistoffelees announces Old Deuteronomy and then Munkustrap and Tugger sing the song together while Old Deuteronomy goes around in the auditorium, mostly on the first floor.

I think Fabritio Corucci who plays Old Deuteronomy is an Opera singer because sounds very operatic.

The Jellicle Ball

The ball starts and I absolutly loved the choreography. Very fun. One thing I noted during the whole show is that there is a lot emphasis on individuality during the dance numbers. They are synchron but do not move exactly the same, the dancers bring their own style and interpretations to the movements which fits cats very well. Also there are dance groups but these groups are not strict. Cats leave their groups to join the dancing of other groups. Absolutly greatly thought through.

At the beginning of the Ball the make a formation where Cassandra is front center. There is a part during the choreography where Demeter dances alone while the two other groups dance around her. The choreographer knows which characters are important!

The first part of the Bomba section is danced by Bomba, Demeter, Jennyanydots and two other Cats. It's very acrobartic with jumps, splits and floor work, the second part of the Bomba sections are pairs, but other Cats: Tanto and Cori, Mungo and Rump, Misto and Etcetera(?), Munk and Victoria ... They do a dance with lifts. All in all there are more lifts than in the Lynne choreo, more like the Broadway choreo.

Also there is no Victoria x Plato dance. The cats dance in a group while Jemima has kind of a solo next to them. She feels Grizabella's presence. Than the cats lay down. Old Deutoronomy who sits left wants to invite Griz on stage, but Munkustrap is again not happy and so she leaves again, scared away and the ball continuous without her.

The second half of the ball is very energetic and so much fun. There are lot of acrobatics, even Bomba, Jelly and Jenny do some, as far as I remember. Like everybody has to do some. And Gus also does a lot of dancing during the ball which I'm not used to. Absolute great choreo and great energy.

At the end Grizabella returns on stage and the cats hiss at her. Interesting enough Admetus is really, really aggressiv towards her which could be the directors take on the riveraly which Macavity has to the other Jellicle Choice contenders in the 2019 movie. Admetus is really very hissy and aggressiv, he nearly attacks Grizabella but Munkustrap steps between them and hinders him. Admetus is still hissing but leaving the stage (Simone Nocerino played this part so well, he was legit scary, more scary than as Macavity). Cassandra hinders Victoria to touch her. Munkustrap hinders Jemima. Jemima is the last one to leave, Grizabella reaches out to her, but she goes away. Only Old Deut stay back on the side of the stage.

This scene was very interesting. It was like: Munkustrap doesn't want the cats to touch her and to be close to her but he also doesn't want her to get hurt by them so he protects her from Admetus.

Memory Part I

Grizabella is alone on the stage, Old Deut is still near by. She starts her sad dance and sings her song. Malika Ayane is an absolutly amazing singer, voice vice one of the best Grizabellas I've seen live. Old Deuteronomy wants to touch her, to welcome her back. At the end of her song it starts to rain. Curtain.

Intermission

Towards the end of the intermission the courtain gets lifted and people are alowed to take a picture with Old Deut. More and more Cats enter the stage and play with a tennis ball.

Moments of Happyness

I really loved Old Deuts voice, loved that it was very Opera. Jemima is great too, beautiful voice. Her design reminds me a little mit of the E-Girl trend. She is very cute. Also at the end Jellylorum hugs her before she starts singing about Gus.

Gus the Theatre Cat

Interesting choices were made again: A red curtain appears on the left side of the stage. There is also a door on the right side. For the first part of the song Gus ist not on stage. While Jellylorum is singing his shadows are projected on the curtain and the door. Only when he starts singing he steps on stage, but he doesn't sit down. One time he nearly falls but Rumpleteazer catches him. Also Munogjerrie does a salto when he calls on him (maybe it was the kittens these day part).

They also updated the lyrics. He sang something about Tiktok, Facebook and Likes and one day a woman in the audience was shouting "bravo" to that.

This Gus doesn't seem as frail and old as other Guses. He hardly even hesitates to start the Rumpus Cat number.

Rumpus Cat

The number is mostly sung by Gus and Munkustrap. It's musically quite similar to how the international tour does it, but I think different dog breeds are mentioned. What I also really liked was that the dogs are not seperated by gender. Both genders played both dog breeds. Bomba and Demeter do the wau wau part which usually goes to Rump and Mungo. Bomba, Demeter and Tugger were great dogs. I loved the choreo where all three of them were stomping and they were all so great. Etcetera was also a dog but she was a little bit more scared.

Gus comes out in a costume that reminds more of a pirate which was a fun wink at older productions. He also had a sword and he killed some of the dogs, I think Bomba died first. She did a great job at dying.

They do not play a reprise of Gus the theatre Cat. Gus just leaves and the Skimble number starts.

Skimbleshanks

At the beginning of the number the cats act in the front of the stage. Cassandra is crying (I do not know why) and Misto gives her a handkerchief so she can try her tears. It was quite funny and Gaia Soprano is an amazing Cass all in all, very beautiful, very good dancer, very dramatic, very expressive and also fun. Less proud than your usual Cass I would say.

Skimble appears wearing his uniform und sings his part. The LED wall shows a map of Italy and the route of the train. It goes through Italy, I think south. They also use long glowsticks to build a train. It seemded modernized.

Similar to the 2019 movie the stage production uses tap dancing (even the same step and later a second different step) and the other Cats sit on the ground and drum. It really sounds like a train and at the end Mistoffelees makes a really realistic choo choo noice.

The tap dancing was very simple but very effective and the audience loved the number.

Macavity

At the end of the number Macavity appears again. There is also a Macavity decoy to show his ability to teleport. The Cats attack him with Mungojerrie leading the way. But Macavity drives them away. He doesn't kidnap Old Deuteronomy yet. Old Deut stays on stage while Demeter begins the song. Macavity is also on stage, moves around in the background and listens to Demeter and Bombalurina, who mostly ignore him.

I really liked the arragement and the choreography of the number. Slightly sexy but also acrobatic and I really did love Bomba and Demeter so much. They are both great actors and dancers, active and central in every single number. Demeters make up is so fucking beautiful and it really just shows that you can do so much more than slap red lipstick on a female character to make her attractive.

There was more jumping at the end of the number. The backgournd dancers later are: Cass, Tanto, Electra, Etcetera Syllabub AND Jellylorum. They enter the stage from different sides and join the dance one after another. Loved the number so so much!

Macavity fight!

The cats come back and attack Macavity. Jenny is the first one to attack. Tugger tries to protect Old Deut but Macavity seems to be winning, so Rumpleteazer attacks Macavity from behind and saves Tugger. Mungojerrie attacks him again too but has to flee. At the end Macavity wins and disapears with Old Deut. He has a very evil laughter.

The fight has also some dance elements. At one time Macavity lifts Victoria, at another time he is lifted by two toms to attack Munkustrap. But all in all it is less brutal than in other productions I've seen.

Also, this production doesn't play the romance between Munk and Deme (or between Victoria and Admetus), as far as I saw, they are just cats, they are just vibing.

Mr. Mistoffelees

The cats do not seem very traumatized but they still want to get Old Deut back. Tugger starts the Mistoffelees song and Misto enters the stage quite at the beginning. He dances a lot and does A LOT of Magic tricks. Similar to Budapest this production descided to do more tricks and less dancing. Cassandra is his magical assistant and even does one trick by herself (cards out of the top hat). One time she is also in a floating box.

Pierpaolo Scida is a very happy, very fun Mistoffelees. He also does a good amount of dancing during the number. I think he was more happy and confident than the 2019 Mistoffelees but the production still took one idea from the movie here. Mistoffelees tries to bring Old Deut back two times, but fails two times. Macavity is seen up on the right side, laughing and holding Old Deut hostage. It seemed a little bit like a magical fight. Whose magic is stronger? Mistoffelees or Macavitys?

After failing two times Mistoffelees is very sad and he crouches on the right side of the stage, hiding his face. Tugger sits next to him, starts to sing again to encourage him to try one last time. He takes his hands and both rise up. Misto tries again and this time old Deut is back.

The Cats celebrate with a very fun choreo, Misto does some turns like in the Lynne choreo and a magic trick (turning a handkachief into a staff) and the number ends.

Memory

Grizabella is back and sings her song. I really liked both Grizabellas. This Grizabella is very strong. She didn't fall down, still Jemima sang her part.

Old Deuteronomy does announce her as Jellicle Choice, Victoria is the first one to touch her, Munkustrap second (so he doesn't hate her no more). The other Cats greet her and she goes to the heavy side layer.

The Ad-Dressing of Cats

Old Deut sings the number and the shows end. They dance a little bit on stage and go into the auditorium. End of the play.

End Notes

I really liked this production especially the make up, costumes and choreography. And I loved loved loved Demeter, Bombalurina, Jellylorum and Cassandra. Tugger, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were absolutly great too.

The whole play seems more fun and less sad and dramatic than in replica productions. The fight was not very brutal and nobody got seriously hurt. Less romance, less violence, less sexy, less nearly dying but very entertaining and with a positive vibe to it. Neither Grizabella nor Gus seemed really like their end was near.

These cats just enjoy each others company and they love celerbrating together, which was very clear during the jellicle ball in a part where they kind of twisted with each other.

This production was really worth the trip!