Sphinx
The Sphinx is a monster with cultural cachet in most of the Mediterranean, to which the imposing noseless Sphinx statue near Giza can attest. The most famous Sphinx in Greek mythology is the one that appears in the original story of Oedipus, blocking the gate to Thebes. She required all who would pass through the gate to answer her riddle, and if they guessed wrong she would devour them. In the most common account, she poses: “What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and four legs in the evening?” Oedipus correctly answered “Man”, as humans crawl around during infancy, walk on two legs during their youth and middle age, and use a cane to move around in their old age. The Sphinx then threw herself off of a cliff.
The riddle of the Sphinx is one of the most popular stories of Greek mythology, but its popularity has diluted the Sphinx’s ability to terrify. The greatest aim of this play is to change that. Jeremy Geist’s play, Sphinx, is set in the Sphinx’s writers’ room immediately after Oedipus guesses the riddle. The Sphinx is still alive, humiliated, and, most of all, furious. The play follows her four writers in a Rashomon-esque journey as they desperately try to come up with a riddle before they are devoured…or worse, given a pay cut. And though these writers may be smart, nobody can outwit the watchful eye of the Sphinx.
SPHINX by Jeremy Geist
Directed by Christine Keating
staged reading Thursday, November 20, 2014
Monica Ho (Ava)
Kelvyn Mitchell (Leon)
Hilda Roe (Sphinx)
Sophia Santulli (Elin)
Matthew Weinberg (Adler)
Jessica Yeh (Stage Directions)
Jeremy Geist was born and raised in Palo Alto, and graduates from Santa Clara University in June with a double major in Theatre Arts and Communications. This is his SF Olympians debut. His previous play, The Prodigal Son, received a staged reading at the Santa Clara University New Works Festival in June 2013. His hobbies include board games, tabletop role-playing, singing, and racquetball.