“Is it arrogance to speak truth?” asks Arachne, a mortal woman with an extraordinary talent for weaving and the titular heroine of Judith Walsh White‘s new children’s play. “What’s the price of false humility? Of bending to authority?” The young heroine is speaking to Athena, a forever vengeful goddess and the patron of weaving, who rages against Arachne’s ‘hubristic’ claim that the mortal’s weaving skill hails from her own hard work rather than the goddess’s blessing. This quote cuts to the heart of Arachne, which will premiere this July at Traveling Players Studio in Tysons Corner Center.
The play, which held its first public reading in May, is the 11th script Traveling Players has commissioned for their Mythology Ensemble – a two-week sleepaway acting camp for kids in grades 4-6.
The story follows an extraordinary young weaver, the titular Arachne. She takes great pride in her work, as her skill is hard-earned. She has sacrificed for this craft – her own blood, sweat, tears, and sleep – but not formally to the gods. Athena, goddess of Wisdom and patron of Weaving, is enraged by the mortal’s pride and lack of deference to the gods. Determined to prove her power, she challenges Arachne to a weaving contest.
Arachne weaves into her tapestry stories of the gods and their vicious nature. So captivating is the tapestry that the stories come to life right off the fabric! Athena knows Arachne’s work is better than her own. Embarrassed by the defeat and maddened by the stories Arachne has depicted, she turns Arachne into a spider, the first ever. Now, Arachne and her descendants will weave webs forever.
White’s signature poetry is on full display in this energetic new adaptation of the classic myth. The play pulls from both fairytale and oral storytelling traditions, with the ensemble sharing in the narration of the play. Several famous faces from Greek Mythology make an appearance, including the Fates – master weavers in their own right. Typical of White’s work for young audiences, the script includes heart, humor, and complicated emotional characters who are worthy of young actors’ imaginations.
The show will also feature an original score from composer Nathan Sherwood Liang. Liang has previously composed music for several films and plays, including five other Traveling Players productions: Persephone, Atalanta, Heracles, Eros & Psyche, and Orpheus & Eurydice.
All of the student actors featured in the production are elementary school-aged campers at Traveling Players Sleepaway Camps. During their two weeks at camp, the young actors will spend their days in rehearsals, where they receive professional training and direction appropriate for their age. At night and on the weekends, they will enjoy everything the scenic boarding school has to offer, including kayaking on the Rappahannock River and a weekly campout complete with s’mores.
In residence at Christchurch Boarding School in Saluda, VA, the Mythology Ensemble is just one of several residential summer programs Traveling Players offers students in grades 3-12. Limited spots remain for all ages. The deadline to audition for the first session, which begins June 22, is Monday, June 16.
Students currently in grades 2-5 can join Traveling Players’ day camp in their Tysons Studio and perform in a scene from one of White’s other plays on Greek Mythology.
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