Errand into the Maze is a Martha Graham ballet based on a poem by Ben Belitt set to music by Gian Carlo Menotti.
[1] The dance uses the Greek myth of Ariadne and the Minotaur to explore the theme of conquering one's inner demons, more specifically the fear of sexual intimacy.
[2] The piece premiered at the Ziegfeld Theatre on February 28, 1947, with Graham as the protagonist, a sort of female Theseus,[3] and Mark Ryder as the Minotaur-like character.
[6] Barely fifteen minutes in length,[7] Errand into the Maze is designed almost as a solo work, with the bull-horned, staff (bone)-carrying Creature of Fear serving more as a prop than an active participant.
[8] The unnamed female protagonist weaves her way through a rope maze outlined on the stage to arrive at a set (originally by Isamu Noguchi) that includes a suggestive v-shaped wooden frame (like a tree, or a woman's crotch).