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A Cult of Isis
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Written and Directed by Stephen Legawiec

October 20 - November 11, 2001
The Goldman Amphitheater, Beverly Hills

Costumes by Robert Velasquez
Lighting by Leif Gantvoort
Masks by Beckie Kravetz
Original music by Susan Christiansen
Set design by Stephen Legawiec

Cast
Isis: Jennifer Chu
Queen Hatchepsut: Naila Azad
Priestess: Valerie Spencer
Priest: Luis Zambrano
Woman: Lyena Strelkoff
Acolyte: Michelle Tenazas

In A Cult if Isis, we enact an initiation ritual from an ancient Egyptian Goddess cult. The audience sees the ritual performed three times. The first time the four human participants speak in what sounds like ancient Egyptian. The second time there is commentary by two spirits: Queen Hatchepsut, who ruled 500 years previously, and the goddess Isis herself. The third time we hear the words of the participants in English. However, we discover that the Egyptians are not saying what we thought they were saying. The initiate has coerced the cult into taking part in an elaborate deception in order to dispose of a corrupt judge who is torturing her daughter. A debate ensues over the proper role of the cult. The audience sees the play twice and does really know until the third time what they are really seeing. The Ziggurat Theatre Ensemble does not normally deal with social or ethical issues. And indeed that is not the really focus of this play; in fact it only occupies the last seven minutes. In addition to the mythic aspects, A Cult if Isis explores the nature of storytelling itself - as much as anything else.
-- Stephen Legawiec

“A Cult of Isis” was first presented at the A.S.K. Common Ground Festival in June 2001 with the following cast: Isis: Dana Wieluns, Queen Hatchepsut: Naila Azad, Priestess: Jenny Woo, Priest: Dean Purvis, Woman: Lyena Strelkoff, Acolyte: Jennifer Chu.