Vortumnus is associated with the change of seasons and ripening plants, which made him a pretty popular fella during the harvest. So popular, in fact, that he has his own festival—Vertumnalia—to celebrate the end of a successful harvest season and mark the transition to winter. He’s also known for his ability to change forms—a trick he uses to full effect in his attempts to get into Pomona’s pants.
Of the myth of Vortumnus and Pomona, Stacey Winn writes, “It raises fascinating questions about deception in intimate relationships, consent, and objectification of the female body. The image of the walled garden is a common one in literature, and is often used as a symbol for the cloistered existence expected of women. The walled garden as a symbol for purity can be mapped to Eden, a high tower in which a maiden is being held, or even a chastity belt (though that is, admittedly, a bit on the nose. Or on the… I digress.). Exploring the fetishization of virginity, and related attempts control the female body, is a deeply personal pursuit for me. I emerged (relatively) unscathed from the “True Love Waits” culture and I’m still unpacking the baggage.”
VORTUMNUS by Stacey Winn
Directed by Allison Page
Staged Reading on October 19, 2017 at the EXIT Theatre
Elaine Gavin (Gardener)
Christine Hong (Woman)
Gabriel Sanchez (Stage Directions)
While this is Stacey’s fourth year participating in the San Francisco Olympians festival, it is her first year participating as a writer, and she finds sitting on the other side of the table exciting and terrifying in equal measure. Her recent acting credits include appearances at PlayGround, Pittsburg Community Theater, and in the upcoming web series, Artemis Rising. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley, with a double major in Theater and English. Her nonfiction and ghostwritten work has been published by the National Cyber Security Alliance, ITProPortal, and Tech Week Europe.
The image of Vortumnus was created by Cody A. Rishell.