About The Play
The History of the Play
After successful workshop performances in 2003 and 2004, Chasing Pegasus (a play in ten chords) emerged as a fully-staged production in 2006.
Chasing Pegasus – A Play in Ten Chords was initially performed on the Mornington Peninsula as a workshop performance on Friday, December 19th, 2003 as the end of year showcase for the graduating students of Acting Up. The performance sold out and was warmly received.
Due to popular demand, a second performance was staged on Saturday, January 31st, 2004 for one night only – again to a sell-out crowd.
After a series of rewrites, Chasing Pegasus returned to the stage for not one, but two seasons in it’s debut Melbourne staging, with a return season on the Mornington Peninsula.
Well-written and even, dare I say, inspirational, Chasing Pegasus deftly holds up a mirror to the audience, reflecting back our foibles and frailties without, thankfully, falling into cliche or over-sentimentality.
– TARA WILKINS, THEATRETALK
The Story Behind The Title
Chasing Pegasus explores the universal theme of the desire to follow our dreams. It is a celebration of what makes us different, and through that discovery, a recognition of what makes us ultimately the same
The title refers to the Greek myth of Pegasus, the winged horse, who was reared by the Muses, and symbolizes divine inspiration and the quest for immortality (as evidenced by the myth of the Greek King Bellerophon, who attempted, unsuccessfully, to ride Pegasus to the top of Mount Olympus to become one of the Gods).
The myth aside, in the context of this play, Pegasus is a symbol of all that is magical, artistic and divine. Chasing Pegasus focuses not on accepting our place in the world, but rather on the continuing quest of humankind to become more than the sum of our parts.
The “Ten Chords” mentioned in the sub-title, refer to both the ten actors performing the piece and the Greek Theatre tradition of using a chorus, an ensemble, to tell the story. While the play does not have the cast speaking in unison, it is still an ensemble piece, giving each actor equal time to tell the tale.