Eriopis. Medea’s Survivor Daughter Tells All is a play by E.L. Karhu which explores the potential world and story of Medea’s daughter, Eriopis, if her life were to take place in modern-day Finland running a husky farm for tourists with her father. The murder of Eriopis’ brothers at the hands of Medea eternally lingers in the play’s atmosphere. The story is told by a voice which speaks on behalf of Eriopis against her wishes. Through this voice we are provided a glimpse into her world and we come to view her as an object of observation. Eriopis knows she is being watched and scrutinized. Eriopis also knows there is nothing she can do about it.
The play combines prose with traditional dramatic dialogue to create a suspenseful modern-day tragedy that deals with fate, exploitation and autonomy. It was commissioned from Karhu by the Schauspiel Leipzig theatre and it had its world premiere in Germany (translation by Stefan Moster) in the spring of 2020. English translation by Emily Jeremiah and Fleur Jeremiah.
Karhu’s body of work deals with themes including human logic, behaviour, and ethics on both an individual and a societal level. Eriopis is a testament to how the human spirit deals with trauma as well as censorship imposed by the self and others.
10:
When you come near your mother, you change into a dog. Your tail is lowered, you sound out, ears pricked, how you could best please. No such reactions take place in the twins since they’re monkeys, almost the same as humans, but in their own dirty and impossible way. Your mother is Husky-Medea, a sled dog in a big city, a dog of the North in Southern streets, ice-blue eyes against a grey background of asphalt.
19:
I LOVE A MURDERER BUT THE MURDERER DOESN’T LOVE ME
ERIOPIS:
I do not want you to take pictures. I do not want you to use words. I do not want you to talk about my mother at all. Or my brothers. Or me.
VOICE:
We will, dear child. We will. We will tell your story for you, if you don’t. We will. You know. We will tell it anyway.
ERIOPIS:
No. I don’t want anyone to tell it. I just want to be left in peace. Just leave me alone.
VOICE:
Do you want us to tell it for you then? Do you really? It’s your choice.
ERIOPIS RIPS HER TONGUE OUT OF HER MOUTH. THE TONGUE IN HER HAND STICKS OUT FROM BETWEEN HER FINGERS, RED FLESH: AN UNREALISTICALLY LARGE, SWOLLEN, GORY PIECE OF FLESH. MORE CAMERA FLASHES. THEY PAUSE EXPECTANTLY.
VOICE:
Well, okay then. Let’s go.
