Gorgon Play Analysis

“The monster starts to sound her terrifying cry, all the while knocking, demanding to let him in.” – Gorgon.
The theatre is a place of such elegance and beauty and yet the first conversation that is heard from the stage of such sophistication is about ‘sharting’ ones pants. This is the first conversation that was heard while witnessing this Adelaide-made play, Gorgon. Both playwright Elena Carapetis and director Nescha Jelk tell a story which speaks to the targeted teenage audience about the suffering themes of gendered emotion, friendship, family and grief all while struggling with the ‘side-effects’ of adolesces.
Gorgon is divided into three very different parts. The prologue, before the tragedy and after the tragedy. While the prologue
Lee is alone, only with his vast collection of books, pizza boxes and stained couch. His home (if that’s what you would call it), is this cold and cracked environment, he is struggling to move and has become a recluse. Long gone is the boy who is one the edge of freedom ready to live his life to the fullest and there stands a man too depressed to move on. In barges Lola (Chiara Gabrielli), Maz’ twin sister. Lola struggles to move on from the past and she misses both Maz and Lee, and struggles to move on from the guilt and grief as does Lee. Through the dramatics of part 2 come to an ending, it seems almost too sudden, as both Lee and Lola step outside into the real world. Many say that the conclusion to this play is ‘very rushed’ and that is has ‘no closure’ and I have disagree with these statements. Losing someone close to you is excruciating and many people don’t understand the struggles that Lee and Lola have push through. The ending that happens to this play may seem confusing and from hearing other people’s opinions, many don’t understand it. No, they haven’t healed from the past, but as the two take the first steps outside of Lee’s apartment, they took the first steps to heal from their
More specifically in part two, when we see Lee’s apartment. The cold interior and cracked walls represents Lee’s mindset and emotions. Sproul states that “The theme for me is bout cracking open the emotional brick wall that the character built up around him...” and this statement I believe this reinforces my previous statement on representing Lee’s mindset and emotions. Alongside the set, the use of projection in this play is very smart. In part one the projections are names, dates and places, giving the viewers more insight and direction of what is happening but as the play enters part 2, it becomes more naturalistic and devoid of projection, giving the set a sense of loss.
But for me, this is when the majority of the positive components of this play end. Gorgon supposedly uses a metaphor that is centred on the Greek mythological monster named respectively gorgon. The ancient Greek gorgons were terrifying female creatures who’s gazes could turn anyone into stone. Apparently this play uses the gorgon monster as a metaphor throughout the play to represent women as ‘the others’ and that men must lose all ‘feminine parts’ of