Pandora walks off stage (diagonally towards the back, and we skip back to the chess game).
Eris’s Piece.
SPOTLIGHT ON CHESS GAME.
The 2 goddesses move the pieces that symbolise Athena and Eris towards each other. (They narrate what they are doing, i.e. putting it into a conversation)
STAGE IS LIT COMPLETELY.
Athena enters from stage left and Eris from stage right. They meet centre stage and start to argue (which has been caused by the opening of the box). They argue about Zeus being Athena’s dad and the fact that she gets everything and Eris doesn’t.
FADE OUT (BOTH OFF)
Lights up on chess game.
The goddesses move Zeus and Selene together
Zeus and Selene enter onto the stage. They have a good time, talking laughing etc. Zeus then tells her that he has decided to come clean to Hera about them so he now has to end their affair. Selene starts to cry and Zeus hugs her (possible slow dance) as “What If” is sung by Kayleigh-Anne.
After the song both characters move off stage and the attention moves back to the chess game.
The two goddesses are talking about their moves. They control the happenings. The characters on the board are moved together into a big group to symbolise the War.
FADE OUT – ALL CHARACTERS MOVE ONTO THE STAGE READY FOR THE WAR.
.
Lights come up on stage.
All the characters begin to fight. (Could be that the two goddesses who were at the table are laughing about making the war happen) – possible movement piece – hate and love could also do a dance as though controlling the war.
LIGHTS GO DOWN (ALL OFF STAGE APART FROM GODDESSES AT TABLE)
LIGHTS UP ON CHESS GAME.
The goddesses move the characters again. This time, they move Zeus and Hera (again, letting the audience know somehow what they are doing)
Lights dim on table.
Main lights come up on stage.
Zeus and Hera enter onto the stage. Zeus (stood up pacing, trying to think of a way to let her know as gently as possible) admits to Hera that he has been playing away with someone else. She gets angry and demands to know whom, so he tells her. Hera (who has been sat down) stands up and slaps him and says that she will deal with the person involved. / She points her finger at Zeus, which imprisons him in a cage. (Flash of light will allow time for Zeus to pull up a cardboard cage front which will have been lying on the floor, grey colour on front and black on the back, to blend with the stage). Hera storms off stage right.
FADE OUT (ZEUS LEAVES THE STAGE, PUTTING CAGE FRONT BACK ON THE FLOOR)
LIGHTS UP ON CHESS GAME
Hera’s character is moved next to Selene’s (Zeus’ bit on the side). The two goddesses are still talking about what they are doing.
BLACK OUT – SCENE CHANGE. SELENE ENTERS TO CENTRE STAGE, WHERE SHE SITS DOWN AT A TABLE AND STARTS EATING (IMPROVISED KITCHEN)
LIGHTS UP.
Hera enters from stage right. Knocks on Selene’s door and enters to find her eating at the table. She starts to shout at Selene about her affair with Zeus, which, at first, Selene denies and then tries to turn it around by saying that he came on to her. Hera does not believe her and threatens her to stay away from them both or she will be sorry.
Hera goes back off stage to the right (not forgetting the door) and Selene sits with her head in her hands, shaking her head in disbelief and in general.
Lights down – Selene moves off stage and the table and chair are moved too.
LIGHTS UP ON CHESS GAME.
Hera’s character is moves to the corner of the chessboard (which will symbolise a field). The goddesses could narrate by saying something along the lines of “Angrily, Hera goes to Selene’s fields to show her that she is not to be messed with”
LIGHTS DIM ON GAME AND THERE IS A COMPLETE SET CHANGE WHICH EVERYONE NEEDS TO HELP WITH. A CARDBOARD SHEEP AND A TREE (POLE WITH GREEN STUFF ON), BOTH WITH STANDS ARE PLACED ON THE STAGE.
LIGHTS COME UP.
Hera walks onto the stage and walks around the field killing the sheep by stabbing it(made out of cardboard/cotton wool?) as she walks by it. (It should fall over easily as the stands will be small). She talks to herself while she is doing this – maybe talking about why she is doing it – to warn Selene not to mess with her. (could use red lighting to show anger)
FADE OUT - ALL BITS TO COME OFF STAGE AND SCENE TO BE SET AS A BEDROOM (MAYBE PAINT A SMALL SCENE SHOWING A BED (BLOW UP BED WITH SHEETS)
LIGHTS UP ON CHESS GAME.
The goddesses move Pandora and Pluto together.
Lights dim on chess game and come up when Pluto enters.
Pluto enters from stage right and sees Pandora asleep in her. He captures her by gagging her and tying her hands together. He makes her walk out (stage right).
LIGHTS DOWN. (SET OFF STAGE)
Lights up – Pluto is stood by the cage, which holds Pandora (use same cage as one Zeus was in). Pandora is crying and asking why she is being held against her will. Pluto says that he wants to know where Zeus is so that he can throw Zeus over and rule his-self. They argue and Pandora says that she does not know where Zeus is. Pluto does not believe her and tells her that she will stay in the cage with no food or water until she decides to tell him the truth. Pluto says he has as long as it takes. There is another heated argument.
Lights down and up on chess game. – The characters are moved back to a cluster to show the war again.
Lights go down on the chess game and come up again on the war, which is still going on. Eris is arguing with Athena still about her having absolutely nothing, no parents, no family, no friends, no money – nothing. Whereas Athena has everything (they are at the front of the stage). The war is going on behind them (it includes the two goddesses of love and hate). Athena is trying her hardest to stop the argument between her and Eris as she hates war, but Eris is having none of it.
LIGHTS GO DOWN – the two goddesses move back to the chess game and move Zeus and Hera back together.
Lights up – Zeus is still in his cage and Hera tells him what she has done (Selene’s sheep and goats). She also says that she suspects that the opening of a very powerful box belonging to Pandora has caused all the hatred. Zeus says that he is sorry for betraying her and says that he won’t do it again. (Love song in background comes on) and Hera lets him out of the cage (flash and cage drops to floor); they ‘kiss and make up’!! (Song – “You are my Angel” sung by Toby and Zoe)
Zeus exits the stage to the left and Hera exits to the right.
BLACK OUT. – LIGHTS UP ON CHESS GAME WHERE ZEUS, PLUTO AND PANDORA ARE ALL PUT TOGETHER.
LIGHTS DIM – LIGHTS UP ON MAIN STAGE.
Pandora is still in the cage and is very relieved when she sees Zeus. Zeus demands that she is let out of the cage and has a go at Pluto for even capturing her and making her stay in the cage. Pandora tells Zeus about Pluto’s plan and he tells Pluto that he would never have managed it. Zeus then gives Pandora another box and tells her to open it, explaining that by doing so, it will undo all the bad stuff that has happened. Pandora opens that box and lots of ‘good things’ (red and white paper) falls out. Pandora then thanks Zeus and all three exits from the stage.
Lights down.
Lights come up on the chess game where Hera and the goddess of Wisdom (Athena) character are put together.
Lights down.
ALL LIGHTS COME UP ON THE STAGE WHERE WE GO BACK TO THE WAR.
Hera walks in from stage left and goes to the two goddesses at the front of the stage (Athena and Eris). They stop arguing and explain to Hera what they were arguing about. Hera says that they used to be really good friend and explains about Pandora’s box being opened and all the trouble it has caused. Both Athena and Eris admit to each other that they have been stupid and together, all three of them manage to stop the war. (Michael Jackson’s Earth Song plays in the background)
LIGHTS DOWN.
Lights come up – Every character in on the stage. There is music playing in the background and everyone is in high spirits. (Lighthouse Family’s “Free/One – I wish I knew how it would feel..”)
Lights dim on stage and up on chess game. Both the goddesses shake hands and congratulate each other on a really good game.
Lights down.
Lights up – Everyone is on stage (even the two goddesses who are behind the line) stood in a line at front of the stage. The Goddess of Love and the Goddess of Hate walk through the line into the front of the stage. Everyone takes a bow, the line splits and half walk off stage left, the other half, stage right and the two goddesses stay on stage. When everyone has left, the two goddesses say what the moral of the story is.
(Moral – Love concerns us all, and hate won’t get you anywhere in life).
Possible Ending Poems
- Mistakes are always mistakes
Or so we’ve heard them say
But if it teaches a lesson
The mistake will go away.
- So if among your travels,
You find a thing unknown,
Think of Pandora’s box
And the lesson we all were shown.
