Mikey Day
Joanne Drunk…Kate McKinnon
Reena Merlyn…Ariana DeBose
[Starts with Mikey speaking on a podium]Mikey: Welcome, everyone. On behalf of the classic studies department here at Cornell, thank you for joining us at this highly anticipated sold out free lecture. And thank you again for the grant from our corporate sponsor Fage yogurt. Fage, Be careful when you say it. Our guest lecturers today are here to enlighten us about Sappho ,ancient Greek poetess from the Isle of Lesbos. Welcome Joanne Druk and Reena Merlyn.
[Joanne and Reena walk in]Joanne: Until now, Sappho’s poems about lesbian love have survived only in incomplete yet tantalizing fragments,
Reena: For example, “Lavender fields, weeping she left me.”
Joanne: Or my personal favorite, “I have of girls.”
Reena: But now, thanks to a recent unearthing of a buried scroll room on the Isle of Lesbos…
Joanne: Caused by the tragic crash of a rogue Rosie O’Donnell family cruise all survivors…
Reena: We now have Sappho’s complete poems, which capture the timeless beauty of love between women.
Mikey: Oh, hazhar. Any lover of ancient Greek literature is as hard as a statue of Adonis right now. Give us the translations, please.
Joanne: Will do. We begin.
“Wind in mountains.
Eyes of goldenrod.
We broke up, Helena.
Please get your sandals out of here.”
Reena: And now…
“Golden raisins.
River banks.
Nancy, we just met
You’re scary and a bitch.
Move in with me.”
Joanne: And then there’s this of course.
“Olive juice drips.
Sun touched.
We cannot get another dog.
We are maxed out on dogs.
That being said, I found a pregnant feral cat behind the grocery store. Pleeease?”
Mikey: Wow. Her work is timeless. Does anyone have any questions?
Chris: It feels like maybe your personal lives are influencing the translation.
Joanne: No. No. I don’t know anyone named Nancy.
Reena: No. Me either. Not anymore. Let’s continue.
Joanne: Thank you.
“You satisfy our passion.
The Aegean beckons.
Why don’t gay guys invite us to their events?
Are we not fun?
Don’t answer that.”
Reena: “Woven garlands.
Greek tree.
Nancy, you moved in three weeks ago.
It has been hell.
Marry me.”
Joanne: And we found this one the most stirring of all.
“I don’t care if Helen of Generes was mean.
She did a lot.
You think James of Corden is a walk in the park?”
Chris: I’m sorry, has this been peer, reviewed or published?
Joanne: Uh, yes, we were married.
Chris: That’s not what I asked.
Reena: Well, now, the cave not only contained poems, but also artifacts which help us recreate Sapphos life.
Joanne: An ancient drinking vessel.
Reena: A toga with suspenders.
Joanne: And here’s a vase with the face of some kind of ancient Greek goddess, we think of hotness.
Chloe: That is Gillian Anderson from the X Files and I think you’ve made that.
Joanne: What? What? What do you want me to do? You want me to prove I can speak ancient Greek? Fine. Gog Kakaako. Go omega omega. Maria Menounos. Sakala Karna keys Omicron Omicron. And so on.
Mikey: I’m sorry to say, that was not ancient Greek at all. Folks, these translations may not be legitimate. So show me a fragment. I’ll translate it myself.
Joanne: All right.
Mikey: “I went to the doctor,
I went to the mountainous,
I looked to the children,
I drank from the–”
You know what? They were right.