Do Not Look Away: The Story of Medusa
This was the first full length storytelling show I ever created, born from a flash of inspiration after reading about Luciano Garbati’s sculpture Medusa with the Head of Perseus. The image and its ties to the Me Too movement sent me down a rabbit hole of myth, feminism, art history and reclamation. I began researching the ancient stories of Medusa and found layers I had never seen before, of transformation, power, and what it means to be seen and silenced. I knew I had to bring it to life.
The Work
I wrote and performed a one-hour show weaving mythic storytelling with contemporary resonance, drawing together ancient texts, modern insights, and embodied performance. I collaborated with musician Dimitris Kounatidis, whose live percussion deepened the tension, texture, and emotional journey of each performance. After premiering the piece in Budapest in March 2023, I self-produced a tour through key European cities, performing in London, Athens, Berlin, and Edinburgh. In 2024, Do Not Look Away was selected for a 13-show run at the Scottish Storytelling Centre for the Edinburgh Fringe, a major rite of passage for any performer! Nine shows sold out and audience feedback was deeply moving.
In this project I wore every hat; artist, researcher, performer, tour manager, venue coordinator, tech contact, and press lead. It was one of the most generative creative periods of my life. Each performance honed the piece further. Each conversation afterwards revealed just how resonant this story was, especially for women navigating their own power, trauma, and voice.
The Impact
Audiences were transported. Some spoke of being captivated by the myth. Others told me it shifted how they saw themselves, or the feminine, or the world. One audience member shared, “We all came out having really enjoyed it, and we all have wildly different tastes…definitely not one to miss.” Another said: “Lily challenges the audience to not look away from the beauty and brutality of Medusa’s story, and how it can stand as a symbol for the experience of women as a whole.”
I even had a singer-songwriter reach out to me recently and share a new single she had made, which she said was inspired after seeing the performance in Budapest!
The show invited people to reckon with discomfort and beauty. To ask what it means to see and be seen. It also affirmed my ability to synthesize complex research, craft it into an emotionally engaging narrative, and hold a room with care and creative command. I emerged from this experience not just as a storyteller but as a myth-weaver, producer, and artist in her own right.
“I even had a singer-songwriter reach out to me recently and share a new single she had made, which she said was inspired after seeing the performance in Budapest!”
—Lily Asch
Fringe Reviews
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