The Pomegranate
This next Forbidden Fruit is so mythologically iconic, it hardly needs an introduction: it’s The Pomegranate.
Olivia Mathews, performer and creator of the story unique to this room, chose to “devise” this piece from scratch, rather than work with a playwright. Read on for what that means, and for some sneak peeks of what to expect from the claustrophobic world inspired by this fruit…
✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤
In 8 words, how would you describe the world of this room?
OM: Twisty, subterranean, cavernous, dark, thick, revealing, earthy, emergent.
Did you pick your fruit? What drew you to it?
OM: I did! I was one of the first people to sign on to the project so I had a lot to choose from. I was drawn to the pomegranate pretty immediately because I have a lot of delightful childhood memories of eating them with my siblings and father. We always looked forward to pomegranate season. Sam also expressed an interest in exploring the story of the goddess Persephone and as I was researching her, I became invested in that creative direction.
Where did you begin with building a story? Has your concept transformed over time?
OM: I started by developing what I knew about Persephone and tried to take in as many different perspectives on her specifically but also Greek myths more generally. Sam and I have a shared interest in bringing her essence in a more contemporary, intimate interpretation of her. We’ve been focusing a lot on her presence in both the world above and below and the tension between those places and identities.
Are there texts, tales, or real-world events that have inspired your work on this piece?
OM: I started by listening to the podcast Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! to get an initial understanding of the story of Persephone. Other important texts for me in developing the world of our Persephone have been Girlhood by Melissa Febos, Circe by Madeline Miller and Mythology by Edith Hamilton.
As we begin physically devising and rehearsing, what are you curious about exploring?
OM: We’ve started by developing a connection to the physical vocabulary and world of the performance, which is really exciting. We’re still determining what the quality and amount of text will look like and we’re beginning to dive deeper on what my relationship to the audience will be. I’ve been loving exploring Persephone’s status and ideas about her otherness as an immortal figure who has a unique experience of death.
Without revealing too much, what design elements are you excited for in this room?
OM: I am so very excited for the way light and sound are helping to conceal and reveal myself and the environment throughout the piece!
The Pomegranate’s room is the only room without a playwright or choreographer. How did that come about?
OM: When Sam offered me a position in the show she asked me about my interests as a performer and, having recently finished a devised program with PETE, I talked about developing original work and text and my process for doing so. I told her that I’d love to collaborate with a playwright but if it worked out that there wasn’t one that would be a good fit for the room that I would be more than happy to take a devised approach where we started with movement and design and developed text out of that. It’s been a dream to collaborate with Sam and I’m so grateful for the freedom she’s given me with this project!
✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤
Forbidden Fruit runs March 4th - April 1st. Book your tickets here.
~Kai