Revenge may be sweet, but the Goddesses of Vengeance are anything but! Especially since they’ve been locked away by Zeus since antiquity, as punishment for abusing their powers. But now it's the present, and the Furies are back! To regain their powers and freedom, Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone must pretend to be mortal and rescue Zeus’s son from a mental institution- without resorting to vengeance. Prepare yourself for a whole new kind of crazy as the three goddesses struggle to get accustomed the world that we live in and- even worse- human emotions.
Oh, the Humanity is a dramatic comedy in two acts.
PRODUCTIONS/RECOGNITION:
Nominated for two 2013/2014 ariZoni Awards (Original Script and Original Music Composition)
Full Production in May 2014 at Brelby Theatre Company in Downtown Glendale, AZ
Staged Reading in 2010 as part of the New Works Festival at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (Directed by Jason Lites)
"I had the pleasure of performing in a work of hers, and the pleasure of listening to several others. She has an excellent understanding of vocal harmony. She uses it liberally in her shows. She is always open to new ideas, and treats everyone with respect. This woman loves people and loves what she does, which is write musical theatre that is enjoyable for audience members, as much as it is for seasoned, disillusioned performers. Jamie is a breath of fresh air and a joy to work with." (Jake D., "Oh, the Humanity" cast member)
"Oh, The Humanity in Glendale, AZ, is Oh So Good! It explores the themes of love, lust, ego, human emotion and how we deal with our flaws and mistakes. It is at once a modern tale and a timeless story of what it means to be human...Oh, The Humanity is a delightful show – one that I wish some enterprising artistic director in Utah would bring to the Salt Lake Valley. It is a fun show worthy of any ambitious theatre’s schedule." (Front Row Reviewers, "Oh, the Humanity!")
Cast/Set Requirements and Production Details
Oh, the Humanity! is in two acts and lasts approximately 2 hours.
CAST SIZE: 14-18
PRINCIPALS
4 Women
3 Men
FEATURED
1 Woman
2 Men
ENSEMBLE
A Cappatients, party guests, mental patients
CHARACTERS
MEGAERA: One of the goddesses of vengeance. She is intense, uptight, short-tempered, and easily overwhelmed.
ALECTO: One of the goddesses of vengeance. Impulsive, fiery, and sharp/quick-witted. She has trouble controlling her emotions.
TISIPHONE: One of the goddesses of vengeance. Self-righteous, serious, and prideful.
CLARK: Zeus's son. Sexist, blunt, and offensive, he's the asshole that you can't decide whether to hate or love.
MARSHALL: Clark's best friend. A closeted gay man, Marshall is friendly, fun, and manipulative.
LIAM: A mental patient who is afraid of fire. He is sweet and gentle, but lacks strength and confidence.
SOPHIE: A mental patient who does not speak, but plays the piano. She is kind, but shy and afraid of getting close to anyone.
DOUG: An orderly who harasses and torments the patients for his own sick entertainment.
ZEUS: Arrogant king of the gods.
SADIE: A closed-minded yet well-meaning psychologist.
A CAPPATIENTS: Mental patients that sing a cappella and back-up.
Set Requirements
SPECIFIC LOCATIONS
The Day Room
The Lobby
The Party
Upstairs Room at the party
Small, unfurnished room
Minimum Production Requirements
MINIMUM CAST REQUIREMENTS
8 WOMEN
Meg
Alecto
Tisiphone
Sophie
Sadie/A Cappatient
3 A Cappatients
6 MEN
Clark
Marshall
Liam
Zeus/Doug
2 A Cappatients
* MINIMUM SET REQUIREMENTS
The Day Room
The Lobby/Party
Small, Unfurnished Room/Upstairs Room at Party
The Perusal Packet is free, and it contains a full synopsis, script excerpt and sheet music excerpt. Email jamie.maletz@gmail.com to request one.
Jamie Elizabeth Maletz is a composer/lyricist, bookwriter, and producer of new works of musical theater. In New York, her works have been featured at Lincoln Center, Feinstein's/54 Below, NYU, Dixon Place, Under St Marks Theater, and Broadway Night at Prohibition. She received her MFA from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU Tisch. Maletz has written 12 full-length original musicals, most of which have received workshops/readings or productions in New York and Arizona. As a composer/lyricist, Jamie has studied with Mindi Dickstein, William Finn, Rachel Sheinkin, Michael John LaChiusa, Steven Lutvak and Sybille Pearson. Jamie is the Administrative Assistant for Maestra Music Organization, and she writes the Women Who Wow Us series for the Maestra blog. She is also the Events Coordinator for Ring of Keys and the Technical Director for the American Popular Song Society. Jamie has worked as an intern with Tom Viertel/The Commercial Theater Institute and Ken Davenport.
She is a member of The Off-Broadway League, Maestra, ASCAP, The Dramatists Guild of America, and Fractured Atlas.
Maletz received her BA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2011, where she designed her own major: Creative Writing and Composition for the Performing Arts. She spent her high school years at Boston Arts Academy, a performing arts high school from which she graduated as Valedictorian.
She is a monster enthusiast & mythology nerd, she loves board games, and she is a photographer/videographer whose favorite models are her two cats, Artemis and Batman.
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