Bacchae 2.1 by Chuck L. Mee
Proposed Design | MFA Thesis, Carnegie Mellon University | 2016
Bacchae 2.1 is a re-working of the classical Greek Tragedy, The Bacchae. In the Greek tragedy, the women of Thebes are overcome by Dionysus, the god of dance, liberation and excess. Mee’s contemporary retelling focuses on the play’s themes of duality, ambiguity, the battle between left and right, East and West, politics of war, and the politics of sex. Mee explores these themes through the central conflict between Dionysus, the Bacchic Chorus, and Pentheus. In the play, nakedness, ‘femininity’, fluidity, sensuality, and unconventional sexuality identify a sound society; whereas men’s suits, masculinity, rigidity, and aggression suggest instability. This production addresses the global issue of politicizing women’s bodies and sexuality, exposes the lies of Orientalism and the feminine ‘other’, addresses the media’s role in perpetuating one-dimensional narratives, and, ultimately, confronts the inherent violence of white supremacist, hetero-normative, patriarchal power structures that we are collectively reckoning with in the 21st Century. My production of Bacchae 2.1 seeks to bring marginalized groups to a new light and presents an offering of an alternative existence, one undefined by pre-destined binaries. It seeks to make space for navigating paradox and embracing nuance, proposing a society defined by and, not just either/or.
Below is a selection of my research and proposed costume designs as created when I initially approached the project in 2016. I see many of these designs as a starting point, and wish to develop this piece further for a live audience. For a deeper dive into my research and design choices, I invite you to read my written thesis .
“These women have many qualities, as we will see in the course of the piece, but all of them must, first of all, be artists…possessed of other extraordinary and highly developed arts that they perform with such power and beauty as to break your heart with that alone…It might be thought politically incorrect to bring women from other countries into this piece, treating them as “other” and “exotic”…I think that this is a cop-out. These women should be foreign: they bring something profoundly different- deep passions from origins unknown…” By choosing to introduce the Bacchic chorus in recognizable iconography such as geisha, classical Indian folk dancers and women in burqa, I am presenting elements of Eastern cultures that represent both the rich cultural traditions of the East as well the one-dimensional imagery of Western stereotypes. The audience is introduced to the Bacchae in a way that feels familiar and expected, captivated by beauty and spectacle.
I cast Dionysus, being the God of Wine, sensuality, dance and intoxication, the leader of the Bacchic Chorus, and the antithesis of conservative politics, to be a transgender South Asian woman. This choice was informed by my research into hijras in South Asian society, as well as my understanding of the changes that trans and non-binary people are asking of our present day society. Dionysus personifies the freedom that can be found when we release social conditioning and embrace our authenticity, in all its contradictions and nuance.
“Kadmos and Tiresias are old liberals, they speak well and truly, with understanding and tolerance; they are bubbling over with happiness, irrelevant.” The Fools of Bacchae 2.1, dressed in the colors of Dionysus, to represent their abandon of Western conservatism.
Pentheus and his Aides are the personification of the West, white supremacy, patriarchy, conformity, “law and order”. They stand out in complete contrast to Dionysus and the Bacchic chorus.
Dionysus and the Bacchic chorus, after their escape from imprisonment at the hands of Pentheus and his Aides. A visceral, explosive scene that illustrates the extremes of the human experience.
Men’s wars are fought on the bodies of women. Pentheus and his Aides prepare to stage an attack on Dionysus and the Bacchic chorus.
Dionysus convinces Pentheus that the way to conquer the Bacchic chorus is by appearing amongst them as one of them. Much to Pentheus’ delight, Dionysus and the chorus procede to dress him in women’s clothing. Pentheus is clothed in an obnoxiously feminine costume to reflect his preconceived notions on what it means to be ‘feminine’.
The strip tease vignette serves as a transition into Cockaigne, the strange forest where the Bacchae reside. The design for the dancer was informed by Orientalist imagery of Salome and the Dance of the Seven Veils. Garments and body parts fall away to reveal the artifice of her image, constructed by and for the male-gaze.
The land of Cockaigne, where the Bacchic chorus dwells…”a world of extreme unfamiliarity, and extreme possibility. Women lie about. These are Bacchae still, but now transformed…it is a world of particular women, it does not represent women, it presents several unique women who do not stand for anyone else…an idyllic, cooperative, communal female world. It is a strange world.”
Upon Pentheus’ proclamation that he is a sort of “usual woman”, the Bacchic chorus erupts in an “operatic aria of great anguish”. In this heightened moment, parts of the chorus wearing niqab emerge facing the audience, ultimately revealing the silhouette of a woman’s figure made of cut mirror. This design speaks to a line from my research: “these essays turn the veil into a mirror, reflecting back upon us our own presumptions and prejudices.”