Fighting the Waves

Concept

Fighting the Waves was an experimental melding of the traditional Kabuki acting style and the Celtic myth enshrined by Yeats in his script The Only Jealously of Emer, or, Fighting the Waves. The director wished the costumes to reflect the blending of the two cultures.

My co-designer, Sydney Catron, and I decided to pursue a "timeless past" that took its inspiration both from twelfth-century Celtic and Western European styles and motifs and those of traditional Kabuki. To our surprise, the seemingly disparate sources blended gracefully. For example, Emer's crown, wimple, and veil refer to twelfth-century Europe, but the sleeves of her gown are those of a traditional kimono. Japanese motifs inspired the insignia on her sash (the same one found on Cuchulain's shoulders).

A brief plot summary will help to explain the production photos. The story begins with Cuchulain in bed unconscious. All believe him dead except Emer, his wife of many years. She calls to him but he does not wake. She calls in his much-younger mistress, Eithne, who also attempts to rouse him. Suddenly he rises up, but he has been possessed by the demon Briciu, who tells Emer that Cuchulain's spirit, or ghost, is being seduced by a sea witch named Fand. Briciu tells Emer that Cuchulain can only be saved if she gives up all hope that he will ever love her again. After a sight of the witch courting her husband's ghost, Emer breaks down and renounces his love. Cuchulain is restored, and Eithne (who has missed the entire ghostly episode) believes that it is she who has brought him back. Throughout the play, a chorus sits to the side and provides accompaniment.