Tennyson: The Cup

Genesius Guild Radio Productions

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, is best known as one of the most popular 19th century British poets, the author of famous pieces such as "Ulysses," "Crossing the Bar," and his multi-part treatment of Arthurian legend, "The Idylls of the King." Like many poets before and after, however, he also turned his hand to poetic drama, somewhat in the vein of Shakespeare. Although some works of this kind by poets like Byron, Shelley, and Keats, were closet dramas, not meant to be staged, the majority of Tennyson's were indeed staged, and staged quite successfully. One of his shorter verse dramas, The Cup, retells an ancient story from the times of the rise of Rome as the supreme power in the ancient Mediterranean world: in this story, the Galatians (a Celtic people akin to the Gauls, but living in the interior of Asia Minor – the area now known as Turkey) are coming to terms with Rome's rise – by way of resistance or accomodation. The proud heroine Camma resists Roman encroachment in the person of the turncoat Galatian leader Synorix, but in the end her fate, and the fate of her people, is tragic.

CREDITS

Narrator: Alaina Pascarella

Synorix: Aaron E. Sullivan

Synnatus: James J. Loula

Camma: Denise Yoder

Phoebe: Joie Stoefen

Priestess: Zoe Grabow

Chorus of Priestesses: Denise Yoder, Joie Stoefen, Alaina Pascarella, Zoe Grabow

Attendant: Nathan Elgatian

Boy: Josef Bodenbender

Maid: Katie Phillips

Antonius: Bryan Woods

Publius: Steve Trainor

Nobleman: Michael Callahan

Messenger: Jacob Lund

Director / Organizer / Sound Editor: Mischa Hooker

Sound Effects: Mike Koenig, Dominic Treis, BBC, and Mischa Hooker

Music for Tennyson: Brahms, Tragic Overture, opus 81 (performed by Czech National Symphony Orchestra)

Theme music for program: Chopin, Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 69, no. 1 (performed by Olga Gurevich)

Original Music: Denise Yoder, Mischa Hooker