For someone entering into Single Carrot Theatre you might be instantly drawn to the large white box at the Northwest corner of our space. It is much larger than the other set pieces, and a distressed white color, similar to that of old paper left in the sun.
Yet when I look at this set piece the thing that draws my attention is the constellations portrayed in the back of the box. One constellation in particular catches my eye… and it isn’t Cassiopeia.
It’s Bootes, the plough man of the heavens. He is pictured next to his dogs, the Cannes Venatici, named Asterion & Chara. What makes him so amazing to me is that he uses his dogs to chase the constellation Ursa Major across the sky, ensuring the constant rotation of the heavens. Another story for it’s origin holds that he was given his place in the sky by Demeter for inventing the plough. And yet he is a secretive figure because it’s not clear who in Greek mythology he actually represents.
For Joseph Cornell he is an antagonist. He ensures the passage of time while Joseph fights to preserve each individual moment. For those of us looking to keep life from slipping through our fingers we must face the fact that the heavens, much like time, will keep marching on.
