Medusa’s Children

Nominated for an OPERA America Digital Excellence in Opera award

A chamber opera with text by Charlie Petch (Mel Malarkey, Daughter of Geppetto, Why I Was Late) and music by Colin McMahon (La Maupin), Medusa’s Children explores themes of family, loss, sexual violence, and toxic masculinity through a trans and queer lens, drawing on the aftermath of the Medusa myth to tell a story at once dark, tender, and whimsical.

“The words are singable and there’s some humour to lighten things up.  The score helps.  It’s busy and colourful and actually gives the singers something to work with.  The performances are excellent. . . The makeup by Simmie Patoka is just stunning.”

-John Gilkes, Operaramblings

Librettist Charlie Petch on the major themes of Medusa’s Children.

Director Lauren Halasz on the inspiration for Medusa’s Children.

Creative Team

Director: Lauren Halasz

Librettist: Charlie Petch 

Composer: Colin McMahon 

Producers: Camille Rogers & Ryan McDonald

Assistant Producer: Colin McMahon

Associate Director: Alaina Viau

Director of Photography: Stephen Bell

Poster Art: Apanaki Temitayo M

Land Acknowledgement: Rebecca Cuddy

Cast

  • Rebecca Gray as Chysaor, with gold embroidered jacket and curly beard painted on with makeup, sits leaning on table with bored expression.

    Chrysaor

    Rebecca Gray

  • Hillary Jean Young as Pegasus, with hair tied back in low ponytail, wearing denim vest and white feathery wings, peeks out from behind door.

    Pegasus

    Hillary Jean Young

  • Rebecca Cuddy as Medusa, with green hair and reptilian makeup, looks over shoulder in forest with angry expression.

    Medusa

    Rebecca Cuddy

  • Renee Fajardo as Euryale, wearing black blazer and delicate chain headdress, sings with a concerned expression.

    Euryale

    Renee Fajardo

  • Rachel Miller as Stheno, with long straight light brown hair, black and gold embroidered jacket, and pearl earring, looks to the left.

    Stheno

    Rachel Miller

  • Rachel Miller as Poseidon, with painted blue beard and eyebrows, stands wearing white cape with high collar, in front of misty background.

    Poseidon

    Rachel Miller

Synopsis

Content warning: contains mentions of sexual assault, misgendering, and implied violence

Chrysaor and Pegasus, children of the gorgon Medusa, have been living with their aunts Euryale and Stheno. They receive a message from their dead mother telling the story of her assault and murder by their father Poseidon. Rejecting his mother’s family, Chrysaor goes to the seashore to find Poseidon. Pegasus stays behind, struggling with their sibling's toxic masculinity and frequent misgendering. Meanwhile, Poseidon is dismissive to Chrysaor, disillusioning the young man's idolization of his father. Chrysaor obtains Medusa’s head from Poseidon and takes it back to his aunts and sibling. The family celebrates and Medusa appears to speak comforting words to her children.

Hand holds tarot card labeled "The Devil," showing a naked satyr with a demonic goat head, smoking a cigarette.
Rachel Miller as Stheno, with long straight light brown hair and black and gold embroidered jacket, closes eyes and breathes deeply.
Rebecca Cuddy as Medusa, with green hair and reptilian makeup, looks over shoulder in forest.
Rebecca Cuddy as Medusa, with green hair and reptilian makeup, struggles with dead brown vines entangling.
Hillary Jean Young as Pegasus with white eye makeup and worried expression, white wings in background.
Renee Fajardo as Euryale, with delicate chain headdress and black hair up in bun, sings while looking past doorway.
Renee Fajardo and Rachel Miller as sisters Euryale and Stheno, dressed in black and gold, look off to their right.
Rebecca Gray as Chrysaor, with gold jacket, gold sword, and curly beard painted on with makeup, smiles outside of apartment building.
Rachel Miller as Poseidon, with painted blue beard and eyebrows, sings while surrounded by mist.
From above, Poseidon stands in shallow river, with long white cape flowing behind them.
Rachel Miller as Poseidon, with painted blue beard and eyebrows, stands in front of forest background.
Rebecca Gray as Chrysaor, with gold jacket, gold sword, and curly beard painted on with makeup, stands with a look of determination on river shore. Hillary Jean Young as Pegasus stands behind to the right, with white wings, white tee, and light deni
Close up of Chrysaor and Pegasus clasping hands.
Rebecca Gray and Hillary Jean Young as siblings Chrysaor and Pegasus rest their heads against each other with eyes closed.

Additional Credits

Camera 1: Stephen Bell

Camera 2: Eric Moniz

Additional Cameras: Alaina Viau & Gordon Peck

Makeup: Simmie Patoka

Medusa’s wig: Calypso Cosmic

Costumes & Props: Lauren Halasz, Charlie Petch & Camille Rogers

Sound Recording & Editing: Tyler Novak & Colin McMahon

Music Director: Floydd Ricketts

Orchestra: Trevor Chartrand (piano), Yang Chen (percussion), Brad Cherwin (clarinet), Rollie Edwards (viola)

Workshop Director & Dramaturg: Sarah Deller

Workshop Music Director: Trevor Chartrand

Workshop Singers: Rebecca Cuddy, Rebecca Gray, Emily Lapin, Lyndsay Promane, Hillary Jean Young

“This Might Hurt” Tarot Deck by Isabella Rotman

Special thanks to: Jordan Baldwin, Graham Cozzubbo (Dean Artists Management), Adam Gladstone, Joel Klein (Association for Opera in Canada), Michael Hidetoshi Mori (Tapestry Opera), Daevyd Pepper (Opera InReach), Aria Umezawa (Amplified Opera), Robin Whiffen (Against the Grain Theatre)

Thank you to the University of Toronto Faculty of Music and: Eliot Britton, Ellie Hisama, Aiyun Huang, Boyce Jefferies, Hoi Tong Keong, Sam Kerr, Ryan McClelland, Jacob Valcheff 

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, and the generous support of ACTRA Toronto. Medusa’s Children was filmed in 2021 in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines as outlined by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and the City of Toronto at the time of filming.