A Shoggoth on the Roof
Encyclopedia
A Shoggoth on the Roof is a parody
musical of Fiddler on the Roof
based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft
. Published by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society
, it is credited to a member of the society who is referred to only as "He Who (for legal reasons) Must Not Be Named".
There have been many legal difficulties in performing "Shoggoth"; however, it was staged for the first time, in a Swedish translation, at Miskatonicon, a H. P. Lovecraft convention in Sweden
, on November 4, 2005.
It was staged for the first time in English at a games convention, Lepreconhttp://www.leprecon.ie/, in Ireland
on February 23, 2007. The production was organised by the Trinity College, Dublin
Gamers Society. They avoided the legal issues surrounding the Fiddler on the Roof
score by using a completely new score for the musical.
, following the tale of Professor Henry Armitage, the librarian at the fictional Miskatonic University
, and his attempts to marry off his three daughters. It is set in 1920s America
.
The action is set in the fictional town of Arkham
, Massachusetts
. The action opens in a manner reminiscent of Fiddler, with a shoggoth
on the roof of the Miskatonic library building. Armitage addresses the audience, speaking of all the strange things in Arkham and its horrific history. He then explains how a shoggoth can stay up on "such a pointed roof": Tentacles! ("Tentacles")
Back at Armitage's house, his three daughters, Prudence, Asenath and Jill, along with their mother Marion are cleaning. The three daughters begin chatting and Prudence reveals that she's fallen in love with Herbert West
, a doctor and assistant professor at the university. Meanwhile, Armitage arrives home, and he and Marion discuss finding a suitable husband for Prudence. Marion suggests Wilbur Whately
, and Armitage agrees to ask him to lunch. ("Arkham, Dunwich") Prudence hears this and rushes off to see Herbert.
The action then moves to a graveyard, where Randolph Carter
and Harley Warren are discussing how best to enter an ancient tomb. A ghoul spies on them as they break in.
Prudence and Herbert meet outside the library, and she confides in him about her parents' plans. He exclaims that he "needs her too much," and will ask her father for her hand in marriage.
Later that night, Jill and Asenath sneak out to visit the library, and it is revealed that Asenath has plans to summon an incubus
. They take the Book of Eibon from the library and summon a byakhee
. ("Byakhee, Byakhee") However, the creature frightens them and they run away.
Meanwhile, Carter and Warren are opening the tomb, and Warren arranges to go down and relay information to Carter via the telephone equipment they have. He then seems nervous of actually entering the tomb, so Carter pushes him in.
In a scene that appears to take place a few days later, Jill and Asenath attend a ceremony at the Esoteric Order of Dagon
. The head cultist intones a prayer to Cthulhu
and sacrifices a victim. ("Shoggoth Prayer") Asenath seems attracted to the cultist, and asks Jill to follow her down to the beach to watch him. Jill, however, decides to stay, and watches Obed Marsh, a decrepit old man, clean up the hall. He sings to himself, wishing he were a Deep One
. ("If I Were a Deep One") Jill then comes out from her hiding place and chats to him. He's attracted to her, but Jill plays hard to get, going to join her sister.
A few days later, Armitage encounters Wilbur Whately at the library, and asks him to go on a date with Prudence. Wilbur accepts. ("Arkham, Dunwich - reprise") After Wilbur leaves, however, Prudence and Herbert West come to see Armitage, and Herbert asks his permission to marry her. He explains to Armitage about his "great work," the reanimation of dead tissue. ("To Life") Overwhelmed, Armitage gives his consent.
The action then returns to Carter and Warren. Carter is being chased by a ghoul, while Warren discovers the tomb is actually empty, except for an inscription saying "Asenath was here". They decide to head home, but encounter Armitage on the way, who is being attacked by ghouls on his way home. Carter and Warren fight them off, but Armitage is still worried about how to break the news of Herbert and Prudence's marriage to his wife. A chance remark by Carter gives him the idea to tell his wife about a nightmare to get her consent.
That night, Armitage and his wife are in bed, when Armitage starts screaming and tells his wife about a nightmare he had, featuring her Grandma Prudence and Lavinia Whately, saying that Prudence should marry Herbert West. ("The Nightmare") Marion is impressed by this and agrees to marry Prudence to Herbert.
The next day, Jill goes to visit Marsh in his shack. The two of them talk about the Deep Ones, and they end up staring into each other's eyes. Meanwhile, Asenath finally talks to the head cultist at the beach, and he confesses he's fallen in love with her. ("Victim of Victims") They agree to ask Armitage's permission to marry.
Obed Marsh and Jill ask Armitage for his blessing for them to marry, explaining that they've fallen in love. Armitage is horrified at the concept, but Jill explains her feelings ("Very Far From the Home I Love"). Armitage eventually gives them his blessing. Asenath and the head cultist then come to ask his blessing. However, Armitage has a violent prejudice against the cultists and refuses absolutely.
The scene then changes to Prudence and Herbert's wedding, with almost everyone in the town present. Carter and Warren turn up, and head to the buffet table. Asenath and the head cultist then turn up, and they try to explain to Armitage how they're part of the same community. ("Arkham, Dunwich - second reprise") The song is interrupted by Wilbur Whateley, who is enraged at both being denied Prudence and at not being invited to the wedding. He vows revenge, and reads an incantation from the Necronomicon
to summon Cthulhu, who appears behind the library and crushes many of the villagers. He then eats Wilbur, and demands to know what's going on. ("Do You Fear Me?") Cthulhu goes on a rampage, destroying the university and killing the entire cast. He then departs, and Herbert West uses his reanimating formula to return himself to life, as well as the rest of the cast. They discuss what to do, now that the Great Old Ones have returned. Armitage explains that no matter what the Old Ones do, they can't kill knowledge, and that knowledge is the only weapon against them. ("Miskatonic")
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
musical of Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
. Published by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society
H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society
The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society or HPLHS is the organization that hosts Cthulhu Lives!, a group of live-action roleplayers for the Cthulhu Live version of Call of Cthulhu. Founded in Colorado in 1984, it is now based in Glendale, California...
, it is credited to a member of the society who is referred to only as "He Who (for legal reasons) Must Not Be Named".
There have been many legal difficulties in performing "Shoggoth"; however, it was staged for the first time, in a Swedish translation, at Miskatonicon, a H. P. Lovecraft convention in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, on November 4, 2005.
It was staged for the first time in English at a games convention, Lepreconhttp://www.leprecon.ie/, in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on February 23, 2007. The production was organised by the Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
Gamers Society. They avoided the legal issues surrounding the Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
score by using a completely new score for the musical.
Story
The story parodies that of Fiddler on the RoofFiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, following the tale of Professor Henry Armitage, the librarian at the fictional Miskatonic University
Miskatonic University
Miskatonic University is a fictional university located in Arkham; a fictitious town which is said to exist in Essex County, Massachusetts. It is named after the Miskatonic River . After first appearing in the H. P...
, and his attempts to marry off his three daughters. It is set in 1920s America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The action is set in the fictional town of Arkham
Arkham
Arkham is a fictional city in Massachusetts, part of the Lovecraft Country setting created by H. P. Lovecraft and is featured in many of his stories, as well as those of other Cthulhu Mythos writers....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The action opens in a manner reminiscent of Fiddler, with a shoggoth
Shoggoth
A shoggoth is a fictional monster in the Cthulhu Mythos. The being was mentioned in passing in sonnet XX of H.P...
on the roof of the Miskatonic library building. Armitage addresses the audience, speaking of all the strange things in Arkham and its horrific history. He then explains how a shoggoth can stay up on "such a pointed roof": Tentacles! ("Tentacles")
Back at Armitage's house, his three daughters, Prudence, Asenath and Jill, along with their mother Marion are cleaning. The three daughters begin chatting and Prudence reveals that she's fallen in love with Herbert West
Herbert West
Herbert West is a fictional character created by H. P. Lovecraft for his short story "Herbert West—Reanimator", first published in 1922. There have been several adaptations of the story including Herbert West as played by Jeffrey Combs in the 1985 Re-Animator movie and its two sequels, Bride...
, a doctor and assistant professor at the university. Meanwhile, Armitage arrives home, and he and Marion discuss finding a suitable husband for Prudence. Marion suggests Wilbur Whately
The Dunwich Horror
"The Dunwich Horror" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Written in 1928, it was first published in the April 1929 issue of Weird Tales . It takes place in Dunwich, a fictional town in Massachusetts...
, and Armitage agrees to ask him to lunch. ("Arkham, Dunwich") Prudence hears this and rushes off to see Herbert.
The action then moves to a graveyard, where Randolph Carter
Randolph Carter
Randolph Carter is a recurring protagonist in H. P. Lovecraft'sfiction and a thinly disguised alter ego of Lovecraft himself. The first tale in which Carter appears--"The Statement of Randolph Carter" --is based on one of Lovecraft's dreams....
and Harley Warren are discussing how best to enter an ancient tomb. A ghoul spies on them as they break in.
Prudence and Herbert meet outside the library, and she confides in him about her parents' plans. He exclaims that he "needs her too much," and will ask her father for her hand in marriage.
Later that night, Jill and Asenath sneak out to visit the library, and it is revealed that Asenath has plans to summon an incubus
Incubus (demon)
An incubus is a demon in male form who, according to a number of mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have intercourse with them. Its female counterpart is the succubus...
. They take the Book of Eibon from the library and summon a byakhee
Byakhee
-Summary:There flapped rhythmically a horde of tame, trained, hybrid winged things ... not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor decomposed human beings, but something I cannot and must not recall.—H. P. Lovecraft, "The Festival"...
. ("Byakhee, Byakhee") However, the creature frightens them and they run away.
Meanwhile, Carter and Warren are opening the tomb, and Warren arranges to go down and relay information to Carter via the telephone equipment they have. He then seems nervous of actually entering the tomb, so Carter pushes him in.
In a scene that appears to take place a few days later, Jill and Asenath attend a ceremony at the Esoteric Order of Dagon
Esoteric Order of Dagon
The Esoteric Order of Dagon is a fictional cult in the Cthulhu mythos of H. P. Lovecraft.-Esoteric Order of Dagon in the mythos:Esoteric Order of Dagon was the primary religion in Innsmouth after Captain Obed Marsh returned from the South Seas with the dark religion circa 1838...
. The head cultist intones a prayer to Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
and sacrifices a victim. ("Shoggoth Prayer") Asenath seems attracted to the cultist, and asks Jill to follow her down to the beach to watch him. Jill, however, decides to stay, and watches Obed Marsh, a decrepit old man, clean up the hall. He sings to himself, wishing he were a Deep One
Deep One
The Deep Ones are creatures in the Cthulhu Mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. The beings first appeared in Lovecraft's novella "The Shadow Over Innsmouth"...
. ("If I Were a Deep One") Jill then comes out from her hiding place and chats to him. He's attracted to her, but Jill plays hard to get, going to join her sister.
A few days later, Armitage encounters Wilbur Whately at the library, and asks him to go on a date with Prudence. Wilbur accepts. ("Arkham, Dunwich - reprise") After Wilbur leaves, however, Prudence and Herbert West come to see Armitage, and Herbert asks his permission to marry her. He explains to Armitage about his "great work," the reanimation of dead tissue. ("To Life") Overwhelmed, Armitage gives his consent.
The action then returns to Carter and Warren. Carter is being chased by a ghoul, while Warren discovers the tomb is actually empty, except for an inscription saying "Asenath was here". They decide to head home, but encounter Armitage on the way, who is being attacked by ghouls on his way home. Carter and Warren fight them off, but Armitage is still worried about how to break the news of Herbert and Prudence's marriage to his wife. A chance remark by Carter gives him the idea to tell his wife about a nightmare to get her consent.
That night, Armitage and his wife are in bed, when Armitage starts screaming and tells his wife about a nightmare he had, featuring her Grandma Prudence and Lavinia Whately, saying that Prudence should marry Herbert West. ("The Nightmare") Marion is impressed by this and agrees to marry Prudence to Herbert.
The next day, Jill goes to visit Marsh in his shack. The two of them talk about the Deep Ones, and they end up staring into each other's eyes. Meanwhile, Asenath finally talks to the head cultist at the beach, and he confesses he's fallen in love with her. ("Victim of Victims") They agree to ask Armitage's permission to marry.
Obed Marsh and Jill ask Armitage for his blessing for them to marry, explaining that they've fallen in love. Armitage is horrified at the concept, but Jill explains her feelings ("Very Far From the Home I Love"). Armitage eventually gives them his blessing. Asenath and the head cultist then come to ask his blessing. However, Armitage has a violent prejudice against the cultists and refuses absolutely.
The scene then changes to Prudence and Herbert's wedding, with almost everyone in the town present. Carter and Warren turn up, and head to the buffet table. Asenath and the head cultist then turn up, and they try to explain to Armitage how they're part of the same community. ("Arkham, Dunwich - second reprise") The song is interrupted by Wilbur Whateley, who is enraged at both being denied Prudence and at not being invited to the wedding. He vows revenge, and reads an incantation from the Necronomicon
Necronomicon
The Necronomicon is a fictional grimoire appearing in the stories by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. It was first mentioned in Lovecraft's 1924 short story "The Hound", written in 1922, though its purported author, the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, had been quoted a year earlier in...
to summon Cthulhu, who appears behind the library and crushes many of the villagers. He then eats Wilbur, and demands to know what's going on. ("Do You Fear Me?") Cthulhu goes on a rampage, destroying the university and killing the entire cast. He then departs, and Herbert West uses his reanimating formula to return himself to life, as well as the rest of the cast. They discuss what to do, now that the Great Old Ones have returned. Armitage explains that no matter what the Old Ones do, they can't kill knowledge, and that knowledge is the only weapon against them. ("Miskatonic")
Songs
(As they are listed on the original cast recording)- "Tentacles" (7:04) ("Prologue: Tradition")
- "Arkham Dunwich" (3:32) ("Sunrise, Sunset")
- "Byakhee Byakhee" (3:46) ("Matchmaker")
- "Shoggoth Prayer" (1:54) ("Sabbath Prayer")
- "If I Were a Deep One" (4:30) ("If I Were a Rich Man")
- "To Life" (3:35) ("To Life")
- "The Nightmare" (7:19) ("Tevye's Dream")
- "Victim of Victims" (1:57) ("Miracle of Miracles")
- "Very Far From The Home I Love" (2:09) ("Far From the Home I Love")
- "Do You Fear Me?" (2:46) ("Do You Love Me?")
- "Miskatonic" (2:47) ("Anatevka")
Attempts to perform Shoggoth
- A Shoggoth on the Roof was originally attempted by The Other Gods Theatre Company in 1979 in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The production imploded for reasons that are not entirely clear. The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society have a spoof documentary of this production on their website. - In 2002 Chicago's Defiant Theatre contemplated a production. They eventually pulled the plug after being threatened with litigation.
- Additional performances have been contemplated/attempted and/or aborted at: New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's (NYU) Tisch School of the ArtsTisch School of the ArtsTisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
, Brandeis UniversityBrandeis UniversityBrandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, University of CalgaryUniversity of CalgaryThe University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
, Harvard, Stanford, St. John's College, and other colleges and universities worldwide. - The 2005 Teater Tentakel production in Stockholm and the 2007 Trinity Gamers production in Dublin, Ireland are so far the only known successful productions of the show.
Lovecraftian references
- Dr. Armitage and the Whateley family are characters from the Lovecraft short story "The Dunwich HorrorThe Dunwich Horror"The Dunwich Horror" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Written in 1928, it was first published in the April 1929 issue of Weird Tales . It takes place in Dunwich, a fictional town in Massachusetts...
." - Herbert West is the title character of the Lovecraft short story "Herbert West–Reanimator".
- Obed Marsh, the Esoteric Order of Dagon, and the Deep Ones are central to the plot of the Lovecraft novella "The Shadow Over InnsmouthThe Shadow Over InnsmouthThe Shadow Over Innsmouth is a novella by H. P. Lovecraft. Written in November-December 1931, the story was first published in April 1936; this was the only fiction of Lovecraft's published during his lifetime that did not appear in a periodical....
". - Randolph Carter is featured in a number of stories by Lovecraft, while Harley Warren's adventure into the tomb forms the plot of the story "The Statement of Randolph CarterThe Statement of Randolph Carter"The Statement of Randolph Carter" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Written December 1919, it was first published in The Vagrant, May 1920...
". - Asenath shares her given name with Asenath Waite, one of the principal characters of the Lovecraft short story "The Thing on the DoorstepThe Thing on the Doorstep"The Thing on the Doorstep" is a short story written by H. P. Lovecraft, part of the so-called Cthulhu Mythos universe of horror fiction. It was written in August 1933, and first published in the January 1937 issue of Weird Tales.-Inspiration:...
". - The Necronomicon and the Book of Eibon are referenced in numerous Cthulhu MythosCthulhu MythosThe Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
stories.
External links
- http://www.cthulhulives.org/shoggoth - The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society's page about Shoggoth
- http://www.miskatonicon.com/eng_index.html - Miskatonicon official website
- http://www.leprecon.ie - Trinity Gamers' Leprecon website