Written by Zoe Smithwick, for Autostraddle.com
When I think about a musical geared towards social justice and societal change, my first thought would not be about a depression-era retelling of a Greek myth. BUT, if I tell you that this same musical is entirely women-directed, inspired by cultural and political tones in modern society, and focused on shedding light on the application of age-old themes to current topics of discussion, I bet you would change your mind. After watching Hadestown, I was blown away by the ability to not only tell the classic story of Orpheus and his journey to retrieve Eurydice from “Hadestown,” but also the ability to resonate with many of the songs and emotions portrayed in the show.
To start, there is the attention to feminism in every aspect of the show. Anaïs Mitchell, a singer/songwriter, came up with the vision for Hadestown and wrote the music, lyrics, and book associated with it. The musical started off as a story told through an album that Mitchell was writing, which, with help from director Rachel Chavkin, became an off-broadway and finally a broadway and touring musical. The musical made headlines with Mitchell as the first woman in years to have sole credit on a Broadway show.
Looking back to high school, who dominated the theater-kid scene? Overly-dramatic girls who always outnumbered the less-enthusiastic guys. Yet looking at the professional scene, it seems as though a majority of the main roles on Broadway and the majority of directors/playwrights happen to be male-dominated. It’s interesting to see such a shift in a field that is primarily more “feminine” to where the majority (as per-usual) is cishet white men. This shift impacts women so heavily because in creating an atmosphere where women are not even able to succeed in their stereotypical niche, how would they be able to break out of the shell of modern gender roles? Mitchell’s work allows for younger girls and women to be empowered by her bold leadership in such a male-dominated field, not unlike the movement for women in STEM. Some other shows with similar experiences of women leading the way have been covered in this New York Times article by Michael Paulson and this Bustle article by Leah Marilla Thomas.
Additionally, Mitchell’s creative choices in music allowed for the show to highlight the female vocal range (specifically catering to Eurydice and Persephone’s songs), while she made the male range the separate ends of the range (Hermes in the middle, Orpheus at the top, and Hades at the bottom). In doing so, she allows the female characters to have a strength and versatility that is not provided to the male characters, which reflects in their individual portrayals; Eurydice and Persephone are both strong figures in their relationships and hold a lot of power over their male counterparts, whereas Orpheus’ high range mimics his innocence while Hades’ low range presents his power-driven personality.
In the video trailer above, at the 0:32 mark, you can hear an example of Patrick Page as Hades singing in his gravelly, seemingly unnaturally low voice, marking his love for Persephone and somewhat “claiming” her as his territory. At 0:24, you can hear Persephone’s objections to the intolerable conditions that Hadestown creates for everyone there, adding to her constant efforts to ameliorate Hades’ world. On the contrary, you can hear Orpheus’ song of desire at 1:25, calling out to Eurydice and saying that he will do essentially anything in his power to bring her back to be with him, even traverse the treacherous conditions of the underworld. Meanwhile, Eurydice sings her version of his song at 0:50, singing of her experiences in Hadestown and of her love for Orpheus. In singing her song, Eurydice asserts that she chooses her path, so after stepping away from Orpheus and voluntarily joining Hades in Hadestown, she is ready to return to her husband.
Even in the setting of the show (depression-era, coal-mining, steampunk-esque), the woman’s place is considered. The silencing of women by men and society as a whole is reflected in Eurydice’s and Persephone’s main conflicts being with men and with their powerless position in the ways of the world. By recreating the myth in such a setting, Mitchell was able to communicate the timelessness of the issues faced by each character. Hades’ character was based heavily on a capitalist, upper-class leader who, while his morals were “broken” in a sense, was constantly trying to get back on a path to win back his wife. Orpheus, an artist stuck in his own head, dealing with the dilemma of how to win back his wife and conquering any obstacle in his path to love. Eurydice, a poor girl, trying to find a balance between surviving and listening to the Fates who govern her every decision. Persephone, a woman who has seen how bad the world can be, struggling to maintain an acceptable life for everyone. The intersection between doing what it takes to survive in desperate times and living a life full of wonder and love, as seen in Orpheus’ and Eurydice’s drastically different characters. We can see this in our world today, looking at how the power-hungry upper-class rules the world, how the climate is changing and those who have the power to change it aren’t doing so, and looking at poverty and finding the balance between a life of struggle and a carefree philosophy.
Works Cited
Browne, David. “The Hell With Broadway: The Story of Anais Mitchell’s ‘Hadestown’.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2019, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/broadway-hadestown-best-musical-tony-anais-mitchell-842447/.
Brunner, Jeryl. “Hadestown Is A Broadway Musical Like No Other.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 29 July 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2019/04/18/hadestown-is-a-broadway-musical-like-no-other/?sh=45e1beef4905.
Kallstrom, Megan. “Hadestown’s Tonys Triumph Was a Win for Women.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 11 June 2019, slate.com/culture/2019/06/hadestown-tony-awards-women-rachel-chavkin.html.
Sernaker, Emily, et al. “The Ms. Q&A: What Led Anaïs Mitchell to Hadestown.” Ms. Magazine, 15 Sept. 2020, msmagazine.com/2019/09/02/the-ms-qa-what-led-anais-mitchell-to-hadestown/.
Thomas, Leah Marilla. “Anaïs Mitchell’s ‘Hadestown’ Is Making Broadway History For Women – But She Wants It To Be Normal For The Next Generation.” Bustle, Bustle, 6 May 2019, www.bustle.com/p/anais-mitchells-hadestown-is-making-broadway-history-for-women-but-she-wants-it-to-be-normal-for-the-next-generation-17130069.», Dominique Rossi