The Love and Death Trilogy

Play One: Persephone Rises
Play Two: The Seduction of Adonis
Play Three: Cupid and Psyche

This epic cycle, consisting of three stand-alone plays which may be performed in repertory, begins at the dawn of the gods continuing through to the end of the world.  Incorporating the stories of Cupid, Aphrodite, Persephone, Hades, and others.

Emily's masterpiece. Every lover of verse and Greek Mythology should read. The language, the characters, the relationships are gorgeous. Haunting and hopeful.
Chris Rivera

About the Plays

RUN TIME: Each play is approximately 2.5 hours.  Plays may work as stand-alone pieces, or in repertory.

SET: Minimal (Lighting and props encouraged)

Play One: Persephone Rises

SYNOPSIS: In the dawn of time, two young gods are born: Cupid and Persephone. But as the elder gods search for a way to cheat Death, they destroy the Eden World.

CW: Issues of sexual abuse, rape and incest are treated seriously. Moments of theatrical violence throughout.

THIS PLAY HAS NOT YET BEEN FULLY PRODUCED
CHARACTERS:

Female Presenting
Persephone
Demeter
Aphrodite
Artemis (Doubles with Lachesis)
Athena (Doubles with Athena)
Clotho, A Fate (Doubles with The Woman)
Lachesis, A Fate
Atropos, A Fate
The Woman

Male Presenting
Cupid
Hades
Charon (Doubles with The Man)
Sisyphus (Doubles with Aeneas)
Aneas
The Man
Picture
Livia (Kelly Zekas) in Hades. From Cupid and Psyche 2014. Photo courtesy of Trish Phelps.

Excerpt

persephone_rises_excerpt.pdf
File Size: 44 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Play Two: The Seduction of Adonis

SYNOPSIS: In the middle of time, the mortal Adonis searches for the god of Love, who has hidden from the world.  Combined with the continuing story of Persephone, and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

CW: Issues of the fall-out of sexual abuse, rape and incest are treated seriously. Moments of theatrical violence throughout.

THIS PLAY IS STILL IN DEVELOPMENT
CHARACTERS:

Female Presenting
Persephone
Aphrodite
Eurydice
Minthe, A Nymph

Male Presenting
Cupid
Hades
Adonis
Orpheus

Possible Chorus of Lovers, Nymphs and Satyrs
Picture
Adonis (Parker Madison) comforts Cupid (James Parenti). From Cupid and Psyche 2014. Photo courtesy of Trish Phelps.

Excerpt

adonis_excerpt.pdf
File Size: 35 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Play Three: Cupid and Psyche

SYNOPSIS: At the end of time, Cupid falls in love with the mortal Psyche, a woman who cannot love, even as the world falls apart around them.

CW: Issues of the fall-out of sexual abuse, rape and incest are treated seriously. Moments of theatrical violence throughout.

BAD QUARTO production: 2009, Emerson College
FIRST FOLIO production: 2014, New York City
SECOND FOLIO still unproduced
CHARACTERS:

Female Presenting
Persephone
Aphrodite
Psyche
Livia, Psyche's sister
Dareia, Psyche's sister

Male Presenting
Cupid
Adonis
Thanos, Psyche's father
Chrysos, Livia's Husband
Brontes, Chrysos' Friend
Picture
Cupid (James Parenti) comes to Psyche (Erin Nelson) in a moment of distress. From Cupid and Psyche 2014. Photo courtesy of Trish Phelps.

CUPID AND PSYCHE
Written by Emily C. A. Snyder

Photos from MBU's 2023 Production

Excerpt

cupid_and_psyche_excerpt.pdf
File Size: 40 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Watch

Cupid and Psyche, Act II. From the TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS New York City premiere 2014.

Listen

Hear more of Cupid and Psyche in this episode of Hamlet to Hamilton: Exploring Verse Drama, Season One, Episode 7.  To hear Andy Barrett perform Cupid, skip to the 75 minutes mark (approximately 22 minutes from the end).

Gallery

From the TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS New York Production of Cupid and Psyche 2014
Photos courtesy of Trish Phelps
From the TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS Staged Reading of the Love and Death Trilogy 2018
Photos courtesy of Duncan Pflaster
Top Row: "True As You Can Be" Scene Exploration of Persephone Rises (Left) and The Seducton of Adonis (Right) at The Shakespeare Forum Summer Festival 2018.
Bottom Row: Cupid and Psyche Act IV, Scene 2 ("The Heaven Scene") in "Tale as Old as Time" at The Shakespeare Forum Summer Festival 2018 (Left) and TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS Gala 2013  (Right)