Title

Spells for Going Forth by Daylight

Playwright

Leigh M. Marshall

Director

Josh Turner

Stage Manager

Nat Payán 

Category

Production, Thayer Theatre

First Rehearsal

March 26

Load In/Tech /Dress

April 28-29

Performances

April 30

Roles to be cast

Age

(Presentation)

Gender (Presentation)

Description

Cleo/Tourist

Female

The former Pharoah of Egypt, Woman of Color

Marc/The Soldier/Visitor

Male

A former General of the Imperial Army

Arsinoe/The Soothsayer/Anubis

Female

Sister of Cleo. A rebel leader. God of the dead. Woman of Color.

Selene/Raven/Thoth

Female

Daughter of Cleo. Campaign manager of Pompey. God of writing. Biracial (Open to white presenting)

Caesar/Snake one/Messenger

Male

Ruler of the Empire

Octavian/Snake 3/Crocodile

Male

Son of Caesar

Octavia/Snake 2/Clodia/The Influencer

Female

Wife of Marc, daughter of Caesar, an intelligence operative. Third wife of Caesar, younger half-sister of Marc’s first wife.

Pompey/Dolabella/The Investigator/Osiris

Male

Political opposition to Caesar. Youngest person ever to be made general, awarded the Purple Heart. Son of Caesar, former best friend of Marc. Pharaoh of the gods.

Synopsis

“Spells for Going Forth by Daylight” follows Cleo, a former pharaoh of Egypt, immediately following her death. Cleo wakes up in the Egyptian realm of the dead having failed in her goal of annexing Egypt from the Roman Empire, and without her heart and book of the dead to help her navigate the realm of the dead. She tries to make her way through the realm of the dead overcoming obstacles and beasts in order to influence the realm of the living, and have her heart weighed against the feather of truth to achieve eternal life. In the living world, the Egyptians continue their struggle to become independent from Rome during Caesar’s reelection. “Spells” is a story of family, death, betrayal, and independence in the face of political and interpersonal conflicts. 

In its original language, the real title of the book we know as the Egyptian Book of the Dead is Spells for Going Forth by Daylight. Unlike other religious texts, Spells for Going Forth by Daylight was believed to be a practical guide to navigating the Realm of the Dead and achieving eternal life. 

Notices

Fight Choreography Breakdown:

There is one fight in the play between Caesar, Octavian, Cleo (as a raven), and the Raven. 

Pg. 67-69 (bottom of 67 to top of 69)

The Congress circles above a private

arena.

Below, CAESAR throws a discus,

caught by OCTAVIAN, a little ways

off. Revealing his presence.

CAESAR.

Look who it is.

OCTAVIAN.

Surprised?

CAESAR.

It was only a matter of time.

OCTAVIAN draws his sword.

OCTAVIAN.

I don’t want to do this, Father.

CAESAR.

Of course you do.

OCTAVIAN.

I don’t. I’m not like you.

CAESAR.

You’re not, but you’re not better than me, either. We’re cut from the same cloth, you and I. As

much as you pretend to be grateful and peace-minded and sophisticated, you’ll dig through the

dirt to get to the top of the world.

(beat.)

OCTAVIAN.

You can stay here and live out your days with discus and local-brewed liquor—

CAESAR.

What, if I sign into law that you’re the sole heir to the throne of the Empire?

OCTAVIAN.

Simple, right.

CAESAR.

Simple or not, you’re shit out of luck, kid. Even if the law hadn’t already been written to benefit

another man, I wouldn’t bend to your demands.

OCTAVIAN.

Petty to the end.

CAESAR.

The end only if you’re lucky.

(beat.)

OCTAVIAN.

Father?

CAESAR.

What?

OCTAVIAN.

Do you remember teaching me how to swim?

CAESAR.

Didn’t your foster father teach you? Or your drill sergeant?

OCTAVIAN.

No. It was you. We were on your old yacht, out in the Dead Sea. Just you and me. You picked

me up as if I were a bird and threw me overboard. The salt was so thick, the surface of the water

was like a trampoline, the harder the impact, the higher I was vaulted into the air. I couldn’t sink

even if I was a stone.

OCTAVIAN moves to strike—

CLEO and THE RAVEN divebomb

OCTAVIAN, aim their beaks at the

hand holding his sword—CAESAR

tries to get away while OCTAVIAN is

preoccupied with protecting

himself—

But OCTAVIAN, diving away from

the birds, fells him—

And in felling him, impales him.

A stunned silence.

CLEO goes wild.

OCTAVIAN pulls his sword out of

CAESAR. A fountain of blood.

Calm, he swings at CLEO.

OCTAVIAN.

Damn birds.

He swings at THE RAVEN.

All my life.

Swings at CLEO.

I planned this moment.

Swings at THE RAVEN.

And you.

Swings at CLEO.

Claim the glory.

The sun begins to set.

Important Dates/Holidays

 3/24 Purim*, 3/24 Palm Sunday, 3/25  Holi Phagwa*, 3/25 Lailat al Bara*, 3/27 Nuzul Quran*, 3/29 Good Friday, 3/31 Easter, 4/4 Qing Ming Jie, 4/6 Laylat al-Qadr*, 4/9 Ougadi/Ugaadi, 4/10 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)*, 4/17 Ram Navami, 4/21 Mahavir Jayanti, 4/22-4/30 Passover*, 4/24 Theravada (New Year), 5/1 Beltane-Samhain,  5/3 Good Friday (Orthodox)