Student Blog: Furious for 2026

As I step into 2026, my goal as a performer is to deepen the way I build characters from research rather than instinct alone. An upcoming project that will challenge me in these ways is Boston Conservatory’s mainstage play, Good Breeding, by Robert O’Hara, directed by Chris Webb. This modern, avant-garde adaptation of Aeschylus’ Oresteia is gruesome, gory, graphic, and so much fun. My role, The Furious, requires me to work as part of a three-person embodiment of the Ancient Greek Furies, the goddesses of vengeance, who move as a single entity. The role is physically and mentally demanding, so I aim to enter the rehearsal room as prepared as possible. That preparation began with extensive character research.

First, I researched my character in traditional myth to set a foundation for myself. I studied how the Furies have been portrayed in Ancient Greek literature, art, and poetry, learning some basic facts about their purpose and where they came from. In myth, they were born from the blood of Uranus, the God of the sky, falling into Gaia, Mother Earth. They serve under Hades, lurking in the darkest part of the underworld. I learned that they traditionally torment subjects through madness, venom, guilt, and paranoia as revenge for their sins. This basic information adds nuance to my character. Now, I can keep in mind my relationship towards the actor playing Hades during our scenes together, I can include the quality of darkness in my character because I live in the underworld, and I know that my motivation for attacking sinners later in the show is because I seek revenge.

Next, I researched the physical attributes of the Furies. Good Breeding is a very physical play, so the way I move through space has to clearly communicate my character to the audience the moment I step onstage. In traditional myth, the Furies have snake hair, which symbolizes poison, fatality, and their connection to the underworld. Their heads transform into dog heads with sharp teeth, which implies vicious tendencies. They also have bloodshot eyes, so I can play with how my character stares intensely at her prey. The Furies’ traditional claws, whips, and torches inform me of the relentless ways they attack. The combination of these physical attributes sparks curiosity about how I move as my character. Do I crawl? Do I bite? Do I scratch? Is my physicality quick and ruthless or slow and controlled? I will experiment with variations of these movement efforts in rehearsals.

Building on my research of the traditional Furies, I explored modern-day adaptations to further connect to my character. I found that the myth of the Furies has been incorporated into film, music, and television. My favorite find was the early 2000’s TV series, Charmed, where one girl from a group of three magical sisters transforms into a dangerous and emotion-driven Fury. Watching this actress transform into a Fury, with vein-like makeup gradually taking over her face, inspired my perception of how the furies spawn and take over a person’s mind. The video game series, Hades, inspired me as well because it defines each Fury sister with a color. One is red, for anger, one is blue, for punishment, and one is green, for jealousy. Their distinct colors and personalities compliment each other. My castmates and I might incorporate these distinctions in rehearsals. I also gained character inspiration from researching Harry Potter’s Dementors and the girl in The Ring. These images helped me flesh out how The Furious creeps up onto her prey. These modern-day references add another layer of depth and relevance to my character.

I realized this archetype of three female characters or sisters that move together as a trio is seen in a multitude of media. Some examples of this archetype I am emulating are the three witches in MacBeth, the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus, the Plastics in Mean Girls, the Fates in Hadestown, the Powerpuff Girls, and even KPop Demon Hunters’ Huntrix, which I later learned that our costume design is inspired by. Looking into images of these characters as perceived in popular media added another layer to my understanding of The Furious in Good Breeding. Together, this group of three women often foreshadows the story or symbolizes important themes while maintaining the essence of each individual in the trio.

Lastly, I found my character’s “theme song.” I chose “It’s Dark but Just a Game” by Lana Del Rey. This song feels dark and evil to me, but in both a sweet and menacing way. Lyrics such as, “No rose left on the vines,” and, “The faces aren’t the same, but their stories all end tragically,” remind me of the impending doom and haunting The Furious evoke when entering a room. I will play this song backstage when I want to get into my character.

Although this research took up some of my winter break, it was a productive and thought-provoking way to start the new year. I feel prepared to begin rehearsals for Good Breeding because now, I can play with these attributes of The Furious in both the rehearsal room and onstage. I have a deeper understanding of the spirit of my character, and I have resources I can come back to if I am feeling lost. I will use this research preparation to tackle future challenging roles.