Prometheus Passion: All Smoke

What if Prometheus stole fire not out of love for mankind, but out of love for one mortal man? "Prometheus Passion", a new vision of the Greek myth, takes this interesting premise and turns it into an evening of rather dull, syntactically questionable theatre.

"Prometheus Passion" is the inaugural production of The Sturm Und Drang Company. Andre Diniz, who also wrote the play, is Andros, a sensitive young mortal who is seeking a cure for a plague. He meets "Etheus", Prometheus in human disguise (Nick Fondulis), with whom he forms a close friendship that evolved into a romance. This dalliance causes much distress to Prometheus' Olympian friends and family. Themis (Suzanne Fiore), his mother, already grieving as her other son, the lay-about Atlas (Julian Reyes) has just been given the task of holding up the hearth and sky. She fears that, should Zeus find out about Prometheus' forbidden affections, the station of her whole family will fall. Hephaestus (Kasey Marino), a close friend of the family, is also concerned with the fate of his friend, but is torn by his loyalty to Zeus. In the end, the original rebel must play out his fate all the way to the rock and eagle.

The publicity image for the play features a pair of apparently nude men embracing, but anyone looking for erotic thrills will not find them here There are really no characters to care much about; Prometheus here is neither a Loki-esque trickster nor a figure of Christ-like sacrifice. Mr. Fondulis does what he can, but the fire-bringer remains enigmatic. The pantheon of titans and demigods are mostly yelling about things for two hours. As Hephaestus, Mr. Marino exudes an appealing charm. Suzanne Fiores' earth mother Themis is saddled with some of the most hilariously over written lines I've ever heard; when trying to get her son to eat, she tells him to "masticate this nutriment".

This last part is the most distracting element of the play: Though the mannerisms and attitudes of the characters tend to seem modern, the dialogue often sounds like a young student trying to sound intellectual by using words they don't quite understand the meaning of.

Director Eric Lesh has all of his actors fondling constantly. Scarcely a moment goes by when mothers, brothers, and friends alike aren't caressing one another's' shoulders and chests. This seems forced, and has the effect of diffusing the erotic tension between Andros and his titan lover. Lesh and Diniz also designed the appropriately simple sets and costumes. The boxes, sand, and red bamboo poles that make up the set are versatile and effective, and Jon Vaughns' lighting evokes both gentle earth and fiery Hades.

Again, making this oft told myth a more personal love story is an interesting twist, and the gay theme is played with straightforwardness. Still, the clunky dialogue and some overplayed acting meant that after "Prometheus Passion", like Atlas, I merely shrugged.

Photo: Andre Dinitz