Sound+Design

=Sound Design=

There are several components to the sound design: During the boat ride, Charon will tell the rider a story about the Underworld. There will be 5 stories of about 5 - 10 minutes each. The stories should be told with a male voice – Charon is “a sulky old salt, an old curmudgeon; a cranky, skinny old man; a Grim reaper type character”, and he might refuse your passage to the Underworld if you don’t pay up. His flashing eyes may indicate anger or irascibility (as he is often characterized in literature). So his voice needs to be gruff, sarcastic and patronizing. Sound effects and music can be added to suit the story. The stories are designed to give the visitor some knowledge of the Underworld, the characters in the Underworld, and intertextual references related to other Greek mythology. **Story 1: Sisyphus**
 * 1) The stories told by Charon during the ride to the Underworld
 * 2) Sound effects throughout the island
 * 3) Musical themes for the Underworld paths to add to the distortion
 * 4) Coded music for the musical instrument (lyre, pan pipes).
 * Charon’s Stories**

//Charon talking to person on the ride://

Pfffft. Lucky you paid me the money mate, or you’d be stuck in limbo for 100 years. I have that power you know. Now settle in and listen to a story about the Underworld.

//Story://

Sisyphus was a king who was a trickster and a tattle-tale! He is the trickiest king I’ve ever known come across to the Underworld. Well, one day, Sisyphus' irritating neighbor, Autolycus, was helped by Apollo, who gave him a wand that would change the color of the coat of a cow. So, Autolycus used this ability to steal Sisyphus's cows. Sisyphus, naturally, disliked this, but he couldn't find a way to prove it...for a while. Finally he carved SIS (for Sisyphus) on the bottom of the hooves of the cows, followed them, and confronted Autolycus. After doing that, he stole Autolycus' daughter (and married her) and returned home. Ha!

But of course, this was not the end of the story. Later in time a river God, Asopus, found that he was missing his beautiful daughter Aegina. He asked Sisyphus where she was, knowing that the crafty king was known for stealing daughters. Sisyphus admitted that he did know where she was, but that he wouldn't tell Asopus where she was unless he gave Corinth a spring of fresh water. Asopus grumbled, but complied. Sisyphus then tattled and told him that the almighty Zeus had ran off with Aegina. I dunno how Sysphus knew that, but it was true.

Zeus was furious that he was pursued by an angry river God and the only way he could buy some time was to change himself into a rock for a while. But worse than that, to avoid being caught he turned the daughter that he’d stolen, Aegina, permanently into an island. Now Asopus was angry because he had lost his daughter, and Zeus was furious because he had lost his mistress. All because of that tattle-tale Sisyphus.

Zeus now asks Hades to have Sisyphus killed, and Hades complies.

But, Hades took him directly to the Underworld, didn’t he. He didn’t wait for Sisyphus to have a funeral and take my boat across. He took him directly there! And I wasn’t paid now, was I. Well, we can’t have that now, can we. Everybody has to pay me the fee, even you, to get into the Underworld.

So Persephone, yeah you know all about her, don’t you – or at least you think you do – anyway so Persephone releases the guy! She lets him go!

But haha, when the wretched guy finally did die, Hades gave him a task so that he could not free himself again. Sisyphus is forced to push a heavy boulder up a hill. As soon as he gets it almost to the top, it slips down again and he has to start once again. Ha!!! That Hades! He is a clever man with a dry wit indeed. He knows how to dole out those punishments he does.

//To the rider again://

Thanks for listening mate, you can get off when we stop. And hey, if you live to the tale of your journey to the Underworld and back, do let me know about it, won’t ya!


 * Story 2: Orpheus**

//Charon talking to person on the ride://

Pfffft. Lucky you paid me the money mate, or you’d be stuck in limbo for 100 years. I have that power you know. Now settle in and listen to a story about the Underworld.

//Story://

Orpheus was the best musician ever, hands down. (It was even said that his music could work magic!) When he played, rocks wept, and grasses danced. Yeah yeah, it’s a saccharine sweet story up til now isn’t it. But don’t get comfortable, will ya. So anyway this Orpheus, he falls in love with the beautiful Eurydice. But oh dear me, unfortunately, on the day of their wedding, Eurydice was bitten by a snake and died. Awwww, can you imagine that? Orpheus was grief stricken, and decided to try and do something never heard of before – go into the Underworld himself, and bring her back. Oh yeah, you’re paying attention now aren’t you, since you’re doing the same thing. The arrogance of you all, thinking you can cheat death or Hades and bring somebody out alive! I reckon you’re especially interested to hear the hear what happened to young Orpheus, aren’t ya?

Well, first of all, I kind of liked the lad because I dunno, you wouldn’t think it if you looked at me but this old soul does enjoy a good old sea shanty, and he played music that really touched me. Ay, don’t laugh! Not only did he bewitch me with his amazing music, but he lulled the ferocious Cerberus to sleep – all three heads and all, and went right through to the grand cavern where the thrones of Hades and Persephone are without anybody noticing Maybe we were just all shocked at his audacity. And ya know, I kind of wanted the lad to succeed. I did, really. So Orpheus played his music to Hades and Persephone. He played so beautifully that tears rolled down the cheeks of Hades, and Persephone audibly sobbed. Persephone – yes, Persephone is an equal to Hades you know, she really doesn’t need to be rescued by the likes of you, believe me! - well Persephone persuaded Hades to let Eurydice return to the world, on one condition--that Orpheus not look back at her until they were out of the underworld.

As Orpheus walked the long path back, doubts grew in his mind. Perhaps Hades had just tricked him. Finally he could stand it no more and glanced back to see Eurydice be taken back to the underworld. What a foolish lad he was! And no longer able to stand life, Orpheus drowned himself!! Ha ha ha – ya didn’t think there’d be a happy ending didya?

//To the rider again://

Thanks for listening ay, you can get off when we stop. And hey, if you live to the tale of your journey to the Underworld and back, do let me know about it, won’t ya!


 * Story 3: Ixion**

//Charon talking to person on the ride://

Pfffft. Lucky you paid me the money mate, or you’d be stuck in limbo for 100 years. I have that power you know. Now settle in and listen to a story about the Underworld.

//Story://

Let me tell you a story about a really horrid creature called Ixion. He wants to marry a young woman, but he doesn't like her bride price. So, he lines a room with live embers and lures her parents into it. They are incinerated and Ixion takes the girl and marries her.

Now, most of the Gods, seeing this, want Ixion instantly killed and tormented. I mean, what an outrage!!

But Zeus remembers doing things like that, and decides that he rather likes Ixion. So, he invites the the dumb fool to dinner at Olympus.

Now, I toldya that Ixion was horrid and did I say dumb? Well to prove that he is not only evil but really dumb, Ixion decides to seduce Hera, Zeus’s wife!! In his own home!! Ixion used his evil silver tongue to convice Hera that being …. Intimate…. With him would be a good revenge against Zeus because, well you know, Zeus was a bit of a philanderer. So Zeus of course catches them in the act!!!

Well the first interesting part of this story is that Zeus forms this cloud that looks like Hera, but isn’t her, and the cloud is called Nephele. Well Ixion has sex with the cloud, and not Hera! Zeus might have been a philandere but my oh my his intellect surpasses anything I’ve ever known. I mean, who would be able to think fast enough to conjure up a desirable looking cloud? And you know what, a new kind of half-human, half-animal like creature was born from that night, maybe you’ve heard of it before – it’s called a Centaur. Ha! I betya didn’t know that centaurs came from that wicked Ixion, didya?

Anyway the next interesting that happens once all that is over, is that Zeus enlists of the three Furies (you know, those three weird witchy hags from the Underworld) to flay him alive!! And just like a naughty schoolboy, Ixion has to recite lines over and over again: a line something like: "Remember your duty to your host". But that’s still not the end of the story! Hades takes over and ya know Hades – well maybe ya don’t, but Hades is a little bit competitive with Zeus and really, its Hades’ job to decide on people’s punishments once they’re dead, so he devises a terrible torture for Ixion. He chains Ixion up onto a torture wheel, lights flames all around the wheel, and sets it on to an automatic spin! A flaming wheel that spins endlessly!

Ha!!! That Hades! He is a clever man with a dry wit indeed. He knows how to dole out those punishments he does.

//To the rider again://

Thanks for listening ay, you can get off when we stop. And hey, if you live to the tale of your journey to the Underworld and back, do let me know about it, won’t ya!