Amphitrite
In Greek mythology Amphitrite is the goddess queen of the sea and wife of Poseidon. There are various stories about her origins. In the earliest poems she is considered very important, ruling the sea with the other Nereids (sea nymphs) before Poseidon came to prominence as the supreme god of the sea. She meets Poseidon – perhaps – when he sees her dancing near the island of Naxos. In some versions of the story he captures her then and makes her his bride. In other versions, she declines his advances and goes to the far ends of the sea, to the Atlas Mountains. There, a dolphin emissary from Poseidon persuades her to return and marry the god (as reward, the dolphin is turned into the constellation, Delphinus). Amphitrite is called the “goddess of the golden spindle” and her name roughly translates to “the surrounding third” or “the third one who encircles [the sea/everything.]” She is associated closely with dolphins, crabs and fish and often appears in a sea chariot with Poseidon, with nets in her hair, and sometimes crab pinchers growing from her temples. In later poems she is referred to as a metaphor for the sea or salt water, or merely Poseidon’s consort and with no special powers.
In Genne’s play we are introduced to an old, hermitical fisherwoman who lives in a seaside casino town. The townspeople call her Sea Witch as her nets catch beautiful fish with special powers. The Sea Witch befriends a young woman, Lia, who is a card shark and gambler. Lia’s lover, Ozzy, is a casino boss. When Ozzy and the Sea Witch meet, she is stirred by deep memories of desire and loss. She grants Lia a wish she soon regrets. AMPHITRITE is a play about desire, sacrifice and forgotten gods.
AMPHITRITE or SEA WITCH by Genne Murphy
Directed by Jeffrey Lo
Staged Reading on November 7, 2015
Richard Robert Bunker (Travis)
Andrew Chung (Joe)
Michelle Hair (Desiree)
Christine Jamlig (Lia)
Celia Maurice (Sea Witch)
Leer Relleum (Ozzy)
Genne Murphy is a Philadelphia native, playwright and arts educator who currently lives in San Francisco. Her plays include HOPE STREET AND OTHER LONELY PLACES (2011 Eugene O’Neill finalist, 2012 Azuka Theatre production) and OUTSIDE THE WIRE (shortlist, 2013 BBC International Radio Play Competition). Genne is a member of SF PlayGround and also on Philadelphia Young Playwrights’ Alumni Council. She was a recipient of a 2011 Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grant and co-founder of the New York City salon series Queer Memoir. She is excited to write a weird, dark Amphitrite for the San Francisco Olympians Festival!
The image for Amphitrite was painted by Lacey Hill Hawkins!