Date Thesis Awarded
5-2015
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
Music
Advisor
Brian Hulse
Committee Members
Jamie Bartlett
Robert Ruffin
Thomas Payne
Abstract
Me Prometheus is a musical comedy about the intersection of creativity and progress. It explores how humans react to crises, seen through the prism of the hunter-gatherer Gurg tribe. The show contains commentary on: the society of the spectacle, through the narcissistic antagonist Birns; religion, through the tribe’s drug-addled shaman; technology, through the prehistoric culture of innovation; and climate change, with the ominous advance of the glaciers. The hero’s ultimate choice of whether to save the tribe or spite them drives home the themes of the importance of community and forgiveness, two crucial elements of human society. This thesis outlines the genesis of Me Prometheus, and delves into the specific musical inspirations for the work.
Recommended Citation
Sieverts, Emerson F., "Epic Nonsense: The Genesis of Me Prometheus" (2015). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 125.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/125
