Maxine Doyle and Bobbi Jene Smith, choreographers who are both known for their use of emotional content, have taken inspiration for Deo from the classic myth of Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest and Fertility, and Persephone, her daughter who was abducted by Hades and required to spend six months of each year in the underworld.  Doyle and Smith use this story to investigate the natural human preoccupation with death, the underworld, and the role that women play in our understanding of mortality. Deo has a commissioned score by the experimental electronic musician Lesley Flanigan.  Karen Young’s costume design is based on the Heirloom Dress from Levi’s 2018 Made and Crafted Collection.