Where does a story leave us as a society. It does not change who is in charge nor does it change how the world works. What is does do is inspire the audience to think, break out of the mold and see our world for how it is. To draw connections between the harsh realities of the musical and see it in our real world
There has always been a tie between artistry and activism and Hadestown is no different. It uses theater as a source to provoke thought and ignite change into the world. With focuses on income inequality, environmental degradation, capitalism, and the power of hope.
Hades the wealthy man using his power and money to create the world in his vision. He relies heavily on the workers who are poor and begging for a safe place. Hades brings them in with grandeur of prosperity and barely provides them enough to survive on. As long as they work though they can stay and have just enough to survive, not live. This ties into today with people all over the world looking to America for a new life and getting taken advantage of and the economic lines keep growing.
Hadestown has drastic swings from extreme cold to blistering hot. While in the story it is
due to Persephone coming and going from Hadestown without consistency due to Hades harsh demands, they are metaphors for the world today. Hades is hungry for power and what he wants ignores the weather and how he is the cause for it. Taking natural resources unchecked and without regard is killing our planet and as long as the people in charge are more concerned with their power, it will never change.
It’s the hope that kills. A terrible way to look at the world but many believe in this philosophy. At first glance it may seem that Hadestown supports this, Orpheus hopes and fails. But that is not where the hope comes from, it is bigger than that. It is the hope that inspires the story to start again, for Orpheus to try again. Audiences listen to the musical again and again hoping that this time, this time it will work, it must. This hope is what inspires action. Hope is what brought the cult following together and continues to inspire new audiences. It encourages the audience to hope and to take up the fight in real life to hope for a better world and to take steps to ensure it happens. As long as there is hope then there can be change.
The universality of Hadestown is beyond a normal musical. The tale, though ancient, is made to inspire. It brings up the essence of humanity and strips it down to its core. The desire to love, the desire to change, and the desire to live. Hadestown is a mirror reflecting this world that we live in. The world is in a constant cycle of history repeating itself and Hermes is always there.
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