Clyt; or, The Bathtub Play by Elisabeth Giffin Speckman

*FINALIST, HENLEY ROSE AWARD

FULL LENGTH: Clytemnestra never launched a thousand ships, but that doesn't mean she couldn't have.

Clytemnestra has always felt a bit overshadowed, whether by her sister, Helen, her husband, or her children. She often finds solace while alone in her bath, but when her sister's abduction leads to unspeakable events, Clytemnestra's...
*FINALIST, HENLEY ROSE AWARD

FULL LENGTH: Clytemnestra never launched a thousand ships, but that doesn't mean she couldn't have.

Clytemnestra has always felt a bit overshadowed, whether by her sister, Helen, her husband, or her children. She often finds solace while alone in her bath, but when her sister's abduction leads to unspeakable events, Clytemnestra's life is forever altered. A modern, feminist exploration of Clytemnestra's tale, Clyt; or, The Bathtub Play is a darkly comedic, lyrical love letter to one of mythology's most misunderstood women.
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Clyt; or, The Bathtub Play

Recommended by

  • Hannah Lee DeFrates:
    11 Jul. 2023
    “ I have chills. AHHH!
    As someone who's always rooted for Clytemnestra, this piece is something I needed to read. Elisabeth Giffin Speckman puts The Oresteia into modern perspective and finally lets the women have a say. And in the end, it's femininity that gives our queen the final word.
    I am in love with the experimental structure and the artistic ambiguity that provides so much space for actors, directors, and designers to play.
    What a powerful piece. If I ever got the chance to see or work on this play, it would be an honor.
    Love it! ”
  • Angels Theatre Company:
    25 Mar. 2023
    “ 2022-23 Salon Reading Series Selection.
    Good myth-flipping, that is well constructed and effective, allows an audience to see a different perspective on the story while maintaining a connection to the core myth. Cloaked in a darkly comic structure, Clyt leads her audience through her story with the quiet indifference of a woman who knows her choices and her rationale. Speckman’s Clytemnestra is a minor character whose motives, injustices and injuries are thrust center stage as we watch her struggle with her building rage. It is the best kind of flipping and is a marvel to watch.
    ”
  • Jillian Blevins:
    6 Nov. 2022
    “ CLYT, an astonishing retelling of Agamemnon from the perspective of Clytemnestra, is an exploration of feminine rage that grows, secretly, inside women who are often ignored and forgotten. This Clytemnestra is a woman overshadowed by her sister, subsumed by duty and motherhood, seeking solace (and perhaps rebirth) in her bathtub, who is pushed over the edge by a casually vicious betrayal. Speckman’s visceral imagery and poetically brutal prose make her play an electric read.

    CLYT is beautifully crafted, uniquely theatrical, and powerfully told. Like Clyt herself, it demands to be heard. ”
View all 22 recommendations

Character Information

CLYTEMNESTRA.....A woman, mother, sister, wife in her 40s

A CHORUS OF GREEKS, which can be any number of actors/movers. Members of this CHORUS portray the following characters:

AGAMEMNON, HELEN, IPHIGENIA, ELECTRA, ACHILLES, AEGISTHUS, ORESTES, PARIS, A DEER, THE GREEK ARMY, and WIDOWS, among others.

Diversity is strongly encouraged.

SUGGESTED DOUBLING for a cast of 7:
CLYTEMNESTRA
AGAMEMNON
HELEN
MENELAUS
IPHIGENIA/CASSANDRA/CASTOR
ELECTRA/ORESTES/A DEER/POLYDEUCES
ACHILLES/AEGISTHUS/PARIS

  • Clytemnestra
    40s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Agamemnon
    40s-50s,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Helen
    40s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Iphigenia
    17,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Electra
    Teens,
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Menelaus
    40s-50s,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Achilles
    Teens-20s,
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Aegisthus
    30s-50s,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Cassandra
    Teens-20s,
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Orestes
    Child-Adult,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    Orestes MAY be portrayed by a CHORUS MEMBER and may appear as a puppet as a baby/toddler. ELECTRA may also "operate" ORESTES.

    Artistic teams can determine whether to have an adult Orestes appear, or whether to maintain the character through other media or puppetry.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Child, Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Conspiracy Theatre
    ,
    2022
  • Reading
    ,
    The Skeleton Rep(resents), New York, New York
    ,
    2021
  • Reading
    ,
    The Bechdel Group, New York, New York
    ,
    2020
  • Workshop
    ,
    29th Street Playwrights Collective WriteNow Workshop, New York, New York
    ,
    2020
  • Workshop
    ,
    The Phoenix Theatre, ARC Playwriting Workshop, Indianapolis, Indiana
    ,
    2018

Production History

  • University
    ,
    Adams State University
    ,
    2022

Awards

Finalist
,
Henley Rose Award for Women Playwrights
,
2022