DETROIT—On May 17, the theater company, Apollo’s Troupe, will debut the stage-adaptation of the critically- acclaimed epic poem, The Parliament of Poets, written by Michigan poet Frederick Glaysher and published in 2012 by Earthrise Press. The show will be at the newly-renamed Underground at the Hilberry Theatre (formerly The Studio Theatre) on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 at 8pm and Sunday, May 19 at 3pm. Tickets are $28. WSU Faculty, Staff, and Students are eligible for discounts. Go to www.wsushows.com for more information and to purchase tickets….
A story of humanity coming together in universal peace.
The Cast of Apollo’s Troupe
In The Underground at The Hilberry Theatre, Wayne State University. (Former Studio Theatre) May 17, 8:00pm; May 18, 8:00pm; May 19, 3:00pm Students: $15, Faculty/Staff: $23, General $28 Approximately 2 hours. 15-minute intermission. TICKETS at WSU www.WSUshows.com (Apollo’s Troupe) https://www.wsushows.com/TheatreManager/1/login?event=132
Frederick Glaysher, Epic Poet, Rhapsode, Producer, playing the Poet of the Moon. Jeff Thomakos, Director, Michigan Michael Chekhov Christian Plonka, Stage Manager Dennis Kleinsmith, Actor, playing Don Quixote, Tolstoy, etc. Mike Sandusky, Actor, playing Robert Hayden, Borges, Job, etc. Breon Canady, Actor, playing Sogolon, Mimbardda, etc.
Apollo’s Troupe blends the ancient Greek rhapsode’s performance of Homer with the modern style of reading by Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe into a new experimental epic form of dramatic storytelling for a contemporary audience.
Synopsis: Apollo calls all the poets of the nations, ancient and modern, East and West, to assemble on the moon to consult on the meaning of modern life. The Parliament of Poets sends the main character, the Poet of the Moon, on a Journey to the seven continents to learn from all of the spiritual and wisdom traditions of humankind. On Earth and on the moon, the poets teach a new global, universal vision of life.
Thirty years in the making, set partly on the moon, at the Apollo 11 landing site, the Sea of Tranquility, and around the world, including Don Quixote, Rocinante, Black Elk, Chief Seattle, Du Fu, Merlin, Queen Mab, Druid, Sappho, Jane Austen, Virgil, Demodokus, Squire, Robert Hayden, Fairy Queen, Rumi, Tagore, Vyasa, Tolstoy, Blake, Job, Borges, Sogolon, Mbeku, etc.
The two hour theatre script version of The Parliament of Poets: An Epic Poem presents a selection of ten of the forty major characters, mostly poets from major civilizations and religions.
July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Much of The Parliament of Poets takes place at the Apollo 11 landing site. Evoking Homer’s “catalogue of ships,” one canto honors the many rocket ships and astronauts of the space age, including the Apollo missions.
“Like a story around a campfire.” —The Audience
“Certainly wowed the crowd with the performance and the words themselves.” —Albany Poets News, New York
“A masterpiece that will stand the test of time.” —Poetry Cornwall, No. 36, England, UK
“A great epic poem of startling originality and universal significance, in every way partaking of the nature of world literature.” —Hans Ruprecht, Carleton University, Canada, author on Goethe, Borges, etc.
“A profound spiritual message for humanity.” —Alan Jacobs, Poet Writer Author, London, UK
Reading from The Parliament of Poets: An Epic Poem. Best Selections 2015 – 2017. 13 minutes.
A shaman-like tale or chant, a story, a Journey toward healing the psyche of the planet, drawing from and evoking all of the great spiritual and wisdom traditions and regional civilizations.
If the old exclusivisms evolved into the exclusivism of the Enlightenment, from the moon, together, we can see universality…
As a global epic tale, I am speaking to the entire planet, not merely the Western world. While the whole is always more than the sum of its parts, I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to such writers and thinkers as the historian Arnold Toynbee, Carl Jung, Huston Smith, Aldous Huxley, Joseph Campbell, and many others of open and universal sensibility. Campbell, especially, wrote on shamanism and myth and their power to heal the tribe through a visionary experience and tale. Campbell also wrote repeatedly about the overview Image of Earthrise, rising above the horizon of the moon, as the great new mythic Image and Symbol for our time. I hope that my epic tale might be judged worthy of the best in their thinking and work.
“It’s very contemporary, in some ways, and very much old school… This is really some cool stuff, I have to say, and I’m not just saying that, just to say it. It really is, and when you hear some of his epic poetry and poetry, hopefully you’ll agree and want to grab a copy of The Parliament of Poets. If you’ve done any study of classic epic poetry, this fits the bill. And don’t let that turn you away. It’s really good stuff.” —M. L. Liebler, Department of English, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
SYNOPSIS
The Parliament of Poets is set partly on the moon at the Apollo 11 landing site, the Sea of Tranquility, and around the world.
Apollo calls all the poets of the nations, ancient and modern, East and West, to assemble on the Moon to consult on the meaning of modernity. The Parliament of Poets chooses one of its own, the Poet of the Moon, and sends him on a Journey to the seven continents to learn from all of the spiritual and wisdom traditions of humankind. On Earth and on the Moon, the poets teach him a new global, universal vision of life.
One of the major themes is the power of women and the female spirit across cultures.
The book has twelve chapters, each with three to five cantos, more than forty throughout. To suggest the scope of the book, it is set partly on the moon and in Australia, India, Cambodia, Burma, Tibet, China, Japan, Africa, France, England, Russia, the Middle East, Central and South America.
REVIEWS
“A remarkable poem by a uniquely inspired poet, taking us out of time into a new and unspoken consciousness…” —Kevin McGrath, South Asian Studies, Harvard University, author on the Mahabharata.
“A great epic poem of startling originality and universal significance, in every way partaking of the nature of world literature.” —Hans Ruprecht, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, author on Goethe, Borges, etc.
“Mr. Glaysher has written an epic poem of major importance… Truly a major accomplishment and contribution to American Letters.” —ML Liebler, Poet, Department of English, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
“Very readable and intriguingly enjoyable. A masterpiece that will stand the test of time.” —Poetry Cornwall, No. 36, England, UK
“Glaysher is really an epic poet and this is an epic poem! Glaysher has written a masterpiece… I strongly recommend his poem.” —The Society of Classical Poets
“And a fine major work it is.” —Arthur McMaster, Department of English, Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina, in Poets’ Quarterly
“I’m extremely impressed with the quality and depth of the writing. So well written. It’s almost like a stepping stone into all this world lit that people might otherwise never touch.” —R. J. Fox, Kerrytown BookFest, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“I am in awe of the brilliance of this book! Food for the soul, and answers to humanity’s most pressing problems, right where they belong, in the epic poetry of all the teachers, magicians, prophets, shamans, and poets of all time… Everyone must read this book, especially if you enjoy literature, wisdom, and philosophy.” —Anodea Judith, Novato, California, author of The Global Heart Awakens
“Don’t be intimidated by an epic poem. It’s really coming back to that image of the storyteller sitting around the campfires of the world, dipping into and weaving the story of humanity, in the most beautiful, mellifluous language.” —Miriam Knight, Portland, Oregon, New Consciousness Review radio
Poets & Pies Series, Hannan Cafe, November 30, 2015
Poetry Reading, Epic Poetry Reading, Frederick Glaysher.
Reading from Into the Ruins: Poems and The Parliament of Poets: An Epic Poem.
November 30, 2015. 21 minutes. Funded by Poets & Writers, Inc. Hosted by M. L. Liebler.
Poets & Pies Series: Special Holiday Edition. Hannan Cafe.
Off campus at Wayne State University, 4750 Woodward Ave, Detroit, Michigan 48201.
“It’s very contemporary, in some ways, and very much old school… This is really some cool stuff, I have to say, and I’m not just saying that, just to say it. It really is, and when you hear some of his epic poetry and poetry, hopefully you’ll agree and want to grab a copy of The Parliament of Poets. If you’ve done any study of classic epic poetry, this fits the bill. And don’t let that turn you away. It’s really good stuff.”
—M. L. Liebler, Poet and Senior Lecturer, Department of English, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
As a universal interfaith story, The Parliament of Poets tells the tale of a journey toward cosmos, Christian and spiritual unity, “Spiritual, Not Religious.” Continue reading →
As a universal interfaith story, The Parliament of Poets tells the tale of a journey toward cosmos, Christian and spiritual unity. “Spiritual, Not Religious.” Continue reading →
Apollo calls all the poets of the nations, ancient and modern, East and West, to assemble on the moon to consult on the meaning of modern life. The Parliament of Poets sends the main character, the Poet of the Moon, on a Journey to the seven continents to learn from all of the spiritual and […]
A series of two different performances and six lectures, reviving the storytelling role of the ancient Greek rhapsode, and evoking a new global, universal vision of life. Continue reading →
