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I hope you guys are ready for this!
A friend and I were talking about Epic one day and we just started imagining what it would be like on a stage. We just kept going through all the songs, acting them out with fluffy easter chick toys, and we eventually thought, “maybe we should write this down.” It’s taken a while but 2 years later, here we are! We're still working on finalizing the last few sagas, but its fully released now! If we get any fun/interesting comments that we want to implement, things might change.
Ok, I do have a degree in Theatre, so I know what I’m talking about …for the most part. I tried to keep this *mostly* realistic and actually achievable on stage. But take that with a grain of salt. To achieve this to the full level of what is described here would take exorbitant amounts of money. There are also a few logistical things that I don’t want to deal with so I’m not gonna (i.e. the amount of performers needed, space on stage for bodies, etc.).
Please add comments with your thoughts! I would love to hear other people’s feedback or if you have any inspiration.
Feel free to draw, act, write, etc. anything inspired by this script. My only ask is ABSOLUTELY NO AI and if someone asks, please direct them to somewhere they can read it.
Also, quick side note. I know that there are a lot of amazing animatics, but I am not going off them. I didn’t want to just steal their ideas (even unconsciously) so I’ve tried not to watch them. If something isn’t 100% how Jorge intended it, I promise that it will be fine and you will live. If Jorge wants to correct me himself, he is more than welcome to. 😛
How to read the document:
*LYRICS ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE* (I’m not splitting them up by singer, you gotta just know that [I also have a Lyrics Document where singers are notated])
THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS! [I want to add lots more pictures of everything (costumes, set, etc.) but it should be totally readable and understandable at the point it is now.]
Please let me know if anything is confusing. I tried my best but it’s hard to convey my thoughts on a page.
Stage directions:
All directions are given as if you are standing on the stage LOOKING AT THE AUDIENCE.
So if you are watching from the audience, right & left will be backwards. Also, “up stage” is the edge of the stage towards the audience, and “down stage” is further away.
Basic direction map This is from the audience’s point of view (bottom of the picture)
I will try to fully write out the stage directions, but if I miss any here is a key:
- CS - Center Stage
- US - Up Stage (towards the audience)
- DS - Down Stage (towards the back of the stage)
- SR - Stage Right
- SL - Stage Left
- DSR - Down Stage Right
- DSL - Down Stage Left
- USR - Up Stage Right
- USL - Up Stage Left
- USC - Up Stage Center
- DSC - Down Stage Center
- C Platform - Center Platform
- P - Platform
Stage/Set:
Here is a birds eye view of the stage. It’s not completely drawn to scale but it will give you at least the idea of where things are. (The side squiggles are basic black curtains.) Video description of the stage. Act 1 set pieces - video description.
This is set on a classic proscenium stage. On the stage there is a permanent platform in the back (¼?) of the stage, leaving lots of space on the stage. It stands about 8 feet off the stage. The platform leads off into the wings, allowing entrance/exit from there. There is a trapdoor in the center of it that can be accessed underneath. The underneath is enclosed, and there are double doors that are on saloon door hinges. The facade of the platform is made up of a darker wood.
There are two curved staircases leading up to the platform on each side of the stage. (think this or this) Underneath the stairs are open to the wings. The stairs are made of stone . There is a 3”x5” platform about 5 stairs up. (it's about 2/3rds of the way down the staircase, depending on …stuff) The back corner is hidden by a curtain and has stairs, so that it can be accessed from the wings.
The entire back wall of the stage is a full LED screen that can be fully customized to the scene. About 5 feet in front of that, there is a scrim*. Things/People can stand or easily walk behind it. The LED screen can be seen through it. Images can also be projected onto it. (idk if the led screen would show perfectly through it, but i’m gonna pretend that it does)
- *(A scrim curtain is a commonly used piece of stage curtain magic. Due to the scrim fabric’s unique capabilities, when lit correctly from the front, a scrim appears opaque. When the front light is turned off, however, and objects behind the scrim are lit, the fabric appears transparent. Example Image 1, Example Image 2)
There is a railing that runs the front of the Platform. (possibly something like this ) I don’t want railings on the staircases, but that would be a major safety concern, so probably just a railing on the outside edge of the stairs, towards the wings. Or perhaps OSHA just doesn’t exist in this world, and people aren’t dumb enough to walk off a staircase 8 feet in the air :)
A turntable** is nestled on the stage in between the staircases. There are three rings and the outermost one is large enough that it goes under the Platform. Each ring can be manipulated separately from the other sections, both in direction and speed.
- **(A turntable or a revolving stage is a mechanically controlled floor that can be rotated around a central point. It can be used to change sets or move people across the stage. This video has good images of the turntable that is used for Hadestown. This version also uses stage lifts to raise separate sections. I currently don’t have any plans to use lifts during this show. This video shows how the turntable is used in Hamilton during Schyler Sisters.)
Any additional set pieces will be described before the song that they are used in.
Costuming:
Haven’t fleshed out costumes completely yet, it will most likely be classic Greek/Roman robes, with the sailors wearing more of a pants version. If there are specific thoughts, they are probably written down in the script.
All the gods are wearing gold laurel leaves on their heads and their outfits are monochromatic.
- Zeus - Gold
- Athena - Purple
- Aeolus - Sky Blue
- Poseidon - Navy Blue
- Hermes - Grass green (with his winged sandals)
- Ares - Red
- Aphrodite - Rose Pink
- Hephaestus - Rust brown
- Apollo - Bright Yellow
- Hera - Silver/White
- Calypso - Maroon (i hate this so much) probs white but a bright orange would look so good against Barbara Wangui’s skin
- (Circe - Magenta Pink/Purple)
Odysseus is wearing a linen chiton, with a purple piece of fabric draped over his shoulder and tucked into his belt. His hair is normally in a half back style.
Crew members will also be in linen, they will have a bit of color but still fairly neutral compared to the gods. They will have multiple sets of their costume in different colors (neutrals, white, grey)
Penelope - pink/orange sunset (specifically not coral)
Siren!Penelope - chartreuse
Cast:
People can be discussed, but I would love an original cast with the original voices. If I have specific visions that differ from the original cast, they will be discussed in the song that we see the character.
For Telemachus, we plan to have two actors, MICO (the voice), and a young boy around the age of 8-10. (I know that he was technically a baby when Odysseus left but a baby can’t walk onstage by themself so this will have to do.) We will notate which actor is being seen at each moment.
This site has a list of the cast as we currently know it: EPIC: The Musical | EpicTheMusical Wiki | Fandom
Ok I think that's all the information you need in order to fully comprehend the script! Have fun reading!