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This live performance follows Jason and his heroic band of Argonauts on their quest to claim the golden fleece. Along the way, they will encounter powerful gods, fearsome warriors, nightmarish creatures, and other thrilling challenges. Part two of two.

Special dramaturgical lecture! Rhodes College Professor David Sick discusses Apollonius of Rhodes and the myth of Jason and the Argonauts. Click here to listen. (07:50, 7.4 MB)

Cast and Crew

Special Thanks to:

• Kevin Collier, Cookie Ewing, Laura Canon, and all the other great people at The McCoy Theatre at Rhodes College
• Bill Andrews
• Eric Sefton
• Mike Hanrahan
• Karen Strachan
• Deborah Hyatt
• Jason Hatcher
• Stan Head

Notes

In creating Argonautica as a live stage show, we knew it needed to be as much fun to watch as it would be to listen to. Accordingly, we set a rule for ourselves: All the effects, from the otherworldly Sirens to the mountainous Clashing Rocks, had to be completely manual -- that is, created live in the room by the performers, without the help of any technical wizardry. The lengths to which we went to meet this challenge were epic in their own right, and were a testament to the creativity of our cast, crew, and musicians. Thanks to this outstanding team, we succeeded in our goal: Everything you hear in this recording was produced live on stage, with no embellishments other than changes in volume and some very basic EQ.

Which is not to say the recording of Argonautica was simple. This was easily the largest single performance we've undertaken, with dozens of characters and more than 120 different sound effects. Producer James Antoine deserves special mention for capturing the sprawl of the stage show, bringing together its numerous elements into something eminently listenable. I am also greatly indebted to Rhodes College Professor David Sick, who was an invaluable resource on everything from the history of the story to the correct pronunciation of names like "Symplegades" and "Chalciope."

So, as you travel with Jason and his crew on their thrilling quest, I invite you to think now and then of the people behind the microphones, and the decidedly more humble visuals enjoyed by those who attended the performance. In other words, I hope that you'll be swept away by this epic story. But every audio producer, like every magician, is equally gratified to hear audience members asking themselves: "How did they do that?"

--Robert Arnold

Additional Material

• Video: The Bulls
• Video: Scylla and Charybdis

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Nathan Nix is a reed doubler from Illinois and is very active in the freelancing scene in Memphis and the Southeast. He can be heard regularly performing at venues such as the Orpheum Theater - Memphis (National Tours of Wicked, Young Frankenstein, South Pacific, White Christmas, Mannheim Steamroller, etc.), Playhouse on the Square/Circuit Playhouse, Theatre Memphis, and the Jackson Symphony (TN). In addition, Nathan is Co-Principal Oboe and English Horn of the Eroica Ensemble Chamber Orchestra based in the Cooper-Young Neighborhood of Memphis, TN and teaches all Applied Woodwinds at Bethel University. DMA Candidate - University of Memphis, MMus - University of South Florida, BMus - Southern Illinois University - Carbondale.

Appearances

A Texas native, Renee has been musical directing in theatres across the country for over fifteen years, including such venues as the Fulton Opera House (Lancaster, PA), the Barter Theatre (Abingdon, VA), Le Petit Theatre (New Orleans), and Playhouse on the Square (Memphis, TN), where she is Resident Music Director. Favorite projects include 42nd Street at the Mill Mountain Theatre, The Pirates of Penzance at the Fulton Opera House, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (in which she portrayed Patsy Cline) and The Light in the Piazza at Playhouse on the Square, and Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris at the Circuit Playhouse. Renée holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and a Master of Music degree from the University of Memphis. She has received two Memphis Theatre Awards and two Ostrander Awards for excellence in Musical Direction, a Northwest Mississippi Theatre Alliance Award for Vocal Direction, and an Ostrander for a Featured Role in Jacques Brel.

Appearances

Anthony Gilbert is a violist from Memphis, TN. He studied music at Oberlin College, graduating in 2001, and received his M.A. from Roosevelt University, Chicago College of Performing Arts in 2003. While in Chicago, Anthony acted as Co-Principal Viola of The Civic Orchestra of Chicago and was a member of the faculty at Northeastern Illinois University and the Merit School of Music. From 2007 to 2011, Anthony served as Executive Director of the Eroica Ensemble -- a performing group based in Memphis that celebrates the distinctive value of classical music in contemporary society and offers engaging concerts to the public free of charge. As a chamber musician, Anthony performs regularly with the PRIZM Ensemble of Memphis and in recent years has played at summer music festivals in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Garth Newel Music Center, Virginia; and Kazusa, Japan.

Appearances