Hypatia and the Heathens
A Musical Bacchanalia
Lyrics, Music and Book by Lia Tamborra and Harry Einhorn
Orchestrations, Arrangements and Additional Music by Bálint Varga
Hypatia and the Heathens
Received its World Premiere at
Caveat
New York City, New York
Kate Downey, Creative Director
The Library of Alexandria, Egypt. 415 C.E. Society is on the brink. A rising tide of religious fundamentalism threatens to wipe out the wisdom of classical antiquity. But one woman vows to save the knowledge of our ancestors no matter the cost. Inspired by the missing pages of history, Hypatia and the Heathens is an interactive tragicomic musical about the absurdity of power, lots and lots of scrolls, and the toll of tales untold.
Now available for worldwide licensing. Restrictions may apply.
Interested in working with writer/star Lia Tamborra on your production?
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Produced by Caveat NYC: Kate Downey and Ben Lillie
Produced by Caveat NYC: Kate Downey and Ben Lillie
Produced by Caveat NYC: Kate Downey and Ben Lillie
Produced by Caveat NYC: Kate Downey and Ben Lillie
Produced by Caveat NYC: Kate Downey and Ben Lillie
Produced by Caveat NYC: Kate Downey and Ben Lillie
Produced by Caveat NYC: Kate Downey and Ben Lillie
Produced by Caveat NYC: Kate Downey and Ben Lillie
Produced by Caveat NYC: Kate Downey and Ben Lillie
Overview
Type of Show
Duration
Performance Groups
Dance Requirements
Minimal
Tech Requirements
Minimal
Minimum of eight voices with one principal, three supporting leads, and four featured chorus members
Cast Summary
Casting
Male Principals
4
Female Principals
1
Ensemble
Flexible + 4 featured
-
NARRATOR: A mysterious character who sees and knows all
SYNESIUS: A student who journeys from far away to study with Hypatia and falls in love with her. 18-40
ORESTES: Roman Prefect (governor), balls deep in bureaucracy and fighting a losing battle to keep the government free of religion and the streets free of camel dung. 30-50
CYRIL: Newly instated Bishop. Impetuous, self promoting and a radical who believes in backing up the power of the word with the power of the mob. 30-50
HYPATIA: Beloved philosopher, teacher, librarian whose love of scrolls is unrivaled. 30-60
ENSEMBLE: An angry mob, townspeople. Camel combers, fancy pagans, tour guides, students, sailors, shoe sellers, scrolls personified, hallucinations of Jesus, Sappho, and Plato, etc
Instrumentation
Orchestra Size:
Small
Orchestration for Instruments:
Interactivity
Depending the venue, the full production of Hypatia may include immersive elements which invite the audience to into the world as townspeople, students, and revelers.
For example:
Toga dressers
Blue Lotus tea drinking
Pagan fortune telling
Sapphic poetry writing station
Pullaways with performers
Philosophical classroom exercises
Rumor spreading
Group song
And more
Hypatia and the Heathens made its world premiere at New York’s Caveat in 2019, hailed as “hilarious fun” (OnStage), “achieving magic” and “surprisingly moving” (Best New York Comedy).
About The Authors
LIA BARCELLONA TAMBORRA (Music, Lyrics, Book) is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist who has performed, studied and taught internationally. Writing credits include: Hypatia and the Heathens, D’illusion: The Houdini Musical, Dangersparkle and the Lion, Atlantis! The Final Hours, Polyamory! The Musical, Why Don’t I Have a Girlfriend, and more. She has written for and consulted with dozens of museums and cultural institutions. Lia has trained intensively with Helikos and Embodied Poetics and holds a BFA in theater from NYU Tisch where she focused on creating original and devised work. She is the co-founder of Dangerlion Productions and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
HARRY EINHORN (Music, Lyrics, Book) is a multidisciplinary composer, writer, singer, and composer whose work explores the intersection of spiritual traditions with contemporary realities and forms of expression. His work includes interactive events, curated parties, performance art, music performance, and musical theater. He is highly influenced by sacred music, and has studied music and dance in India, Nepal, and Brazil. Since 2015, he has also been a creator of interactive and storytelling experiences in museums through Museum Hack, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Civil Rights, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. All of this informs his writing. His work as a curator and director has been seen in venues like Judson Church, the Rubin Museum, and Pioneer Works.
BÁLINT VARGA (Orchestrations, Arrangements, Additional Music) - Originally from Budapest, Hungary, Balint is a NY-based composer, conductor, orchestrator, and immigration advocate. He started playing piano at age 4. At 17, he moved to Paris where he started his first professional work at the Bastille Opera House. First, he graduated from Béla Bartók Jazz Conservatory, later he moved to America and studied composition and conducting at Berklee College of Music. His work has been performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Birdland, Symphony Hall, Strathmore, Joe's Pub. He received his US Green Card for extraordinary abilities based on his achievements in his field.
Notable writing credits: Yasuke - The Black Samurai, d'ILLUSION - The Houdini Musical, Hypatia and the Heathens, Reflections, Where We Rush To Disappear, Why Don't I Have A Girlfriend? He’s a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and the Lehman Engel BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop. Balint also collaborated on Broadway workshops such as Elton John’s Tammy Faye, Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell, Mariah Carey’s Christmas Show, and Forest Whitaker’s Benefit Concert. He wrote special choral arrangements for Josh Groban. BALINTVARGA.COM