Galatea

Galatea’s Story - Retelling of the Pygmalion Myth

Coming to the Cannonball Festival

GALATEA invites you to explore the world through her eyes. Get to know the soul behind Pygmalion’s greatest work of art. This production explores the Greek myth of Pygmalion and Galatea from Galatea’s point of view, following her gradual realization of imprisonment and abuse by her creator. This play has been written and directed by Lizzy Arnold, an actor, writer, deviser, and director currently based in Gainesville, Florida. 

Cannonball is Philadelphia’s fastest-growing incubator of daring and original performance. They support risk-taking independent artists by centering artist-to-artist relationships and fostering creative collisions and community conversation. 

Lizzy graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with a concentration in Acting from Coastal Carolina University in 2024 and studied physical theatre at the Accademia dell’Arte (ADA).  Galatea was first written and staged at CCU as part of the Edward’s College New Works Discovery Series in October 2023.  Arnold felt compelled to retell the original Greek myth from Galatea’s perspective “to capture elements of the female experience – the isolation women feel at times but also the unconditional love and sisterhood that is possible.”  Galatea also explores themes of beauty and freedom of expression, and how the artist’s demand for perfection can hinder true human connection. The original myth is from Pygmalion’s point of view as he creates his perfect muse. “My version of this story comes from the perspective of the soul behind the muse who just wants to explore and express herself freely outside of the expectation of the male gaze,” Arnold said.

The show features Abril, an Ecuadorian and Cuban interdisciplinary artist based in Charleston, SC, as Galatea and Mitchell Maguire, a New York City-based actor and choreographer, as Pygmalion.  Abril graduated from the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities pre-professional Drama program, CCU (BFA Physical Theatre, Minor Filmmaking), and the one-year program in physical theatre at the Accademia Dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy.  She starred as Natasha in Three Sisters and co-directed and edited A Month and Some Days, a documentary about the Latin American community of Charleston and the surrounding areas.  Abril starred as Galatea in the original production and is reprising this role for the Fringe Festival.  Maguire graduated with his BFA in Musical Theatre from CCU and was recently seen in The Prom at Playhouse on Park and in Fiddler on the Roof at the Virginia Stage Company, and is currently Bonzo in the new DND podcast Rivers of Confluence.  Maguire takes on the role of Pygmalion. The show also features the vibrant chorus, the townswomen that Pygmalion loathes. They are colorful, wild, wise, and unabashedly free! Played by Julia Pickard, Madi Daning, Sanaa Kamille, and more. 

The show contains mature themes and is suggested for audiences high school and above.

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