'Carrie and Otis': A Classic Tale of Girl Eats Boy

What happens when you combine Greek mythology with teen angst and dark humor?

You just might end up with “Carrie and Otis,” an original play running at the Adams Pool Theater from Oct. 23 to 26. Written by Mike C. Ross ’16 and directed by Megan G. Jones ’16, “Carrie and Otis” offers a window into the lives of three man-eating Sirens and presents a delightfully timeless interpretation of classic lore.

In the play, the three Siren sisters Lorelei (Taylor L. Vandick ’16), Marilyn (Madison M. Dildine ’16), and Carrie (Rachel C. Talamo ’18) struggle to define their relationships with other as well as their senses of identity and purpose. Youngest sister Carrie’s distaste for her sisters’ man-eating habits—she’d like to get to know people rather than eat them—becomes an exponentially larger problem when amiable mariner Otis (Adam S. Wong ’17) comes into her life. Audience members well-versed in Greek mythology may recognize parallels between “Carrie and Otis” and the "Odyssey.”

“We usually think of Greek myths as centering around [the hero],” Ross says. “But what about the people who were there before [the hero] and are left behind after he leaves?” In this sense, “Carrie and Otis” tells the story of those characters usually overlooked in myths—the monsters.

Despite its mythical origins, the story of “Carrie and Otis” remains relatable and is heavily driven by a core of female characters. “It’s easy to get caught up in this ‘star-crossed love story,’” Talamo says. “But there’s a lot more. This is a story about Carrie developing herself and becoming more mature. She becomes the strong person that she’s always wanted to be, in ways she never expected.”

“Carrie and Otis” also stands out as a modernized interpretation of Greek legend. The script regularly has characters referencing Beyoncé and “The Gilmore Girls.” Stage manager Diana M. Smith ’17 says, “For me, the main pull of ‘Carrie and Otis’ is that it’s based off a story that everybody has at least heard of. It’s accessible. I think it’s really well written, and it’s been pulled together in a…funny…[and] touching way.”

The debut of “Carrie and Otis” is especially exciting because it is a student-written work, which fosters creativity and continuous revision, especially with writer Ross present at all rehearsals.  “We’re always collaborating, editing, and discovering new things,” Vandick says. “Our characters are truly our own.”

When asked what she loves most about directing “Carrie and Otis,” Jones takes a moment to appreciate the abundance of artistic production opportunities at Harvard. “I think it’s important that people realize that this is student-written, original theater,” she says. “I think that we as a theater community really have a need for original theater…. I’m hoping that when people see this show, they’ll realize that we can take student theater and work with it and stage it, and if you’ve written something that you care about, you can absolutely have it seen by other people. That’s so incredible, and that doesn’t just happen anywhere.”