A New Podcast Musical by Rachel Chin
When Pygmalion’s statue, Galatea, is brought to life by Aphrodite, life is seemingly complete. Galatea is literally made for him - a love ordained by the Gods - never mind that she is a living statue. Pygmalion hasn’t sculpted since. One day he is asked to make another statue, and now all he has to do… is get permission from his wife.
image: Ernest Normand, Pygmalion and Galatea, 1886
Escalating Violence Domestic Abuse Gaslighting Emotional Abuse Self Harm
"If you have ever had a partner who made you feel unsafe or less than worthy, this story is for you."
For D.
This is a tale of two audio-plays.
Galatea: A Musical Fable began life as a project for the Theatre of Others Audio New Play Festival 2021.
I was fascinated with the story of Galatea, an ivory statue brought to life by the Goddess Aphrodite, who falls in love with her sculptor Pygmalion. To me, it is a story about love and power - how can a relationship sustain without equality, when power dynamics are so imbalanced that it erases one party’s agency and their ability to affect change?
For Pygmalion and Galatea, love has evolved into possession, an unconscious cycle of abuse and control.
Ultimately, Galatea is a love letter to someone very dear to my heart. I know how difficult it can be to admit when the one you love is hurting you, let alone share that hurt with others.
I translated my personal experiences into fiction, and proposed that story to the Theatre of Others, which they accepted.
As the work progressed, I realised that the person I was writing for might have difficulty recognising himself in the narrative. It’s 2021, and I as a woman have stories like A Doll’s House, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Waitress that I can look to for wisdom, perspective, and catharsis. For men on the other hand, I found it difficult to name a parallel stories of surviving emotional or physical abuse.
When I left my abusive relationship, I had access to resources and a supportive community - that isn’t the case for my loved one. A man is less likely to find sympathy with authorities, less able to seek shelter, and simply isn’t socialised to have these sorts of conversations with his friend groups. The same patriarchal power structures that oppress women also shames and silences men for being victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Women are “weaker” and men are “stronger” after all.
Our musical’s iteration of Pygmalion and Galatea evolved into completely different characters. We have a Pygmalion obsessed with work and who fears his wife, and a Galatea insecure about the reason for her existence and her importance in his life. They are a couple held together by the notion that their love is Ordained by the Gods, the one “true” love.
Eventually, we realised we had two completely different pieces in Galatea (the audio play that was proposed) and Galatea: the Musical Fable. We decided to keep them separate, hosting the former with The Theatre of Others and the latter with MoreLife Theatre.
You can listen to The Theatre of Others version here.
And here we are.
Galatea: A Musical Fable is not about all women - it’s about a specific type of relationship, inspired by specific people. The piece does not seek to derail the movement for female empowerment - the movement is surely stronger than that. I didn’t write Galatea to take the spotlight away from violence towards women, I simply wish to broaden the spotlight to include other survivors.
If you have ever had a partner who made you feel unsafe or less than worthy, this story is for you.
https://www.loveisrespect.org/resources/what-to-do-if-your-partner-threatens-suicide/
https://wao.org.my/getting-help-for-domestic-violence/
https://www.safv.org.sg/mens-helplink
Got something to say? Tell us here!
The team would like to thank Adam Marple, Budi Miller, Steve Gaultney, and the rest of the team at The Theatre of Others, for their wisdom, encouragement, and guidance. This musical would not exist without you.
