Mortality Bridge

Dark, grotesque, and eerie, Boyett's behemoth reimagining of Orpheus' descent into the Underworld blends Faust and Dante with Greek myth. Aged rockstar Niko once made a deal with the devil in exchange for fame and fortune, but when the devil takes his lady-love's life, Niko feels cheated. He descends through the streets of modern Los Angeles, its subterranean byways, and the Cerberus-guarded gates into the depths of a monstrous Hell to find the demon at its center and try to win Jenna back. All the while, Niko is tempted by his old addictions, haunted by memories of Jenna and his beloved brother, and tortured by the shades of those he once knew. Through unusual turns of phrase, violent and bloody imagery, heartrending introspection, and mythic tone, Boyett (Elegy Beach) explores themes of betrayal, redemption, and personal sacrifice in a tortured landscape of bedlam and pandemonium. (Aug.)