“Once long ago
In the mountains of the northlands

There lived a man called Peleus.
He was a master wrestler.

He fell in love with a sea-nymph,
Thetis, who was so fair
That even the gods themselves
Wanted her in their bed.”

– The Greeks, by John Barton and Kenneth Cavander

Kristin Wold directs this dance theatre piece inspired by the story of Thetis, the sea nymph of Greek mythology who was a shape-shifter and the mother of the great warrior Achilles. Thetis attempts to immortalize the baby Achilles by burning him in the hall fire by night and anointing him with ambrosia by day. In another version of the story, she tries to protect him by dipping him in the magical River Styx in Hades. His heel, untouched by the water, was not protected and became his mortal weakness.

The performance features Susannah Millonzi as the sea-goddess Thetis, and Josh McCabe as Peleus, the mortal father of Achilles.

Costume Design by Maureen Freedman.
Lighting and Projection Design by Erika Johnson.
Original Music Composition and Sound Design by Alexander Sovronsky.

The cast includes actors from Shakespeare & Company and from the University of Connecticut Dramatic Arts Department: Saul Alvarez, Whitney Andrews, Gabriel Aprea, Margarita Blush, Marie Boyette, Caroline Calkins, Conor Donnally, Julia Estrada, John Hadden, Stephanie Hedges, Josh McCabe, John Manning Jr., Susannah Millonzi, Jim Nutter, Tom Rindge, Tori Rhoades and Gina Salvatore.

For more information about the dance and its creation, see the press release.
Artist bios are here.

This project is made possible through the support and generosity of the University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts Creative Research and Activity Committee and Dr. Jeff Seemann, Vice Provost and Vice President for Research.