Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod seems a little too comfortable playing the role of Medusa, with green make-up, a dozen fat snakes on her head, a feather boa and a knowing wink. That's because Tsapatoris MacLeod sees more in the role than most casual observers of mythology, something her Greek heritage and a honeymoon visit to Acropolis in 2003, which sparked research into the story of Medusa and Athena, helped shape.
"Goddesses are interesting to me, and why we don't worship them anymore is interesting. I'm kind of searching for the Goddess in our culture," says the Kensington resident and graduate of University of the Arts' Musical Theater program. "When I learned that Medusa and Athena were the same person, that blew my mind, so I started thinking 'How would Medusa feel about that?' and 'So what is Medusa's real story?'
That kind of thinking is at the root of
Naked Feet Productions, a primary passion for the multi-talented Tsapatoris MacLeod for more than six years. Her theatrical production company was born with Medusa Sings the Blues in 2004, and the role will be reprised in a grand way next week as part of a fundraiser for what Tsapatoris MacLeod believes is the ultimate interpretation of her theatrical vision. Tsapatoris MacLeod is aiming to raise $30,000 to produce Orphan Tree, a show five years in the making, and that starts with the Naked Feet Fundraiser on Tuesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at Plays and Players (third floor, 17th and Delancey Streets, Philadelphia) in Rittenhouse.
Once Tsapatoris MacLeod got a handle on Medusa's real story--don't believe everything you hear, she says--she imagined Medusa as a singer in a 1920s speakeasy, or as part of a modern-day anger management class. Tsapatoris MacLeod rightly imagined Medusa would sing the blues (namely Koko Taylor, Etta James and Aretha Franklin). Of course, she'd also need a backing band, and even that makes mythological sense--husband Peter MacLeod plays Cyclops, who in mythology was a blacksmith, and plays drums. Similar associations abound with Persephone (Makaria Tsapatoris) on bass, Cerberus (Stephan Tsapatoris) on guitar, and Minotaur (Jim Molinaro) on trumpet and sax. Local psycho-Celtic, glam-blues act
Sylvia Platypus adds to the musical mayhem, and Tracey Todd Superstar and Crystal Dagger of the
Peek-a-Boo Revue will also perform. Raffles, music, and food also can be had and the $15 cover charge is a bargain.
Proceeds go to producing The Orphan Tree, a collaboration that delves into mythology and old fairy tales to create a triple Goddess figure who helps heal society's orphans and co-written by Tsapatoris MacLeod, her sister Makaria Tsapatoris, Vivian Appler and Jackie Ruggerio. The story, not surprisingly, is told from a decidedly feminine perspective. The world premiere is slated for June, 2012 at a yet-to-be-determined venue in the region.
In the meantime, Tsapatoris MacLeod also teaches yoga and does theater outreach in her own neighborhood for
B Someday Productions, working on a Barrymore Award-winning program that addresses the violence experienced by local youth. Drilling down to the heart of the real story is a common theme for her work, and Tsapatoris MacLeod believes she can make it happen in even bigger ways.
"My goal is to make (Naked Feet) a nonprofit and make this impactful in the Philly theater community in the next five to six years," she says.
JOE PETRUCCI is managing editor of Flying Kite. Send feedback here.