Do you believe this would be a good play for this class to produce?
What challenges do you see in doing this production? What do you like and dislike about this production? To whom do you think we could market this production? |
|
The Illiad, The Odyssey, and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less
Full Length Play Comedy
Farce, Adaptations (Literature), Period, Parody / Spoof
90 minutes
Time Period - Greek; Roman & Biblical
Settings Of Play - A unit set with areas represented as necessary. A couple of risers, Greek columns, benches, a chair, a few props (necessary for onstage character changes) and of course, a timer.
FEATURES / CONTAINSAudience Participation/Interactive, Physical Comedy, Puppetry, Stage Combat
Bare Stage/Simple Set, Opportunity for Spectacle
TARGET AUDIENCEAppropriate for all audiences, Adult, Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18)
PERFORMANCE GROUP
High School/Secondary, College Theatre / Student, Community Theatre, Dinner Theatre, Professional Theatre, Large Stage, Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups
On a simple stage, with the clock ticking in front of everyone's eyes, the cast speeds through all of Greek Mythology. Its funny, updated and made easy to understand. The Gods walk the Red Carpet. The Creation of Mankind is a botched subcontractors job. Man and Pandora try settling down despite an ominous wedding gift. Love stories are a dating show and the Greek Tragedies are sports highlights! And don't forget the two greatest stories ever told, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Kidnap Helen of Troy and you've got a 10 year slap-fight of epic proportions with pouty Achilles, war-hungry Agamemnon, and clever Odysseus, destined to wander the seas for 10 more years fighting giants, seductresses and the Gods themselves. All the silly decisions, the absurd destinies, and the goofy characters are presented lightning-bolt fast with hysterical results as the clock is stopped with only seconds to spare."This riotous distillation of classic Greek mythology and Homer's epic poems takes boldface names from myth and literature and turns them into a thing that would make Cliffs-Notes and Monty Python proud... Hopkins and Hunter use pop culture to spoof some of the more overly dramatic Greek moments and do a wonderful job of picking up on all the things that never made sense in these traditional stories-" - Orlando Sentinel
"Audiences need only laugh to pass this class. The celestial caricatures range from ridiculous (hip-hop Mercury messengers) to sublime (Vulcan is a Spock-eared geek), and there’s no required reading list to understand and enjoy them." - Orlando Weekly
"zippy, silly, and secretly educational... You might have seem other brands of “…in 99 Minutes or Less” plays out there, but after you’ve seen this romp, you’ll never go back." - INK19
“It’s a very funny play that moves at a mile a minute." - Green Bay Press Gazette
The play premiered at the Studio Theatre in Orlando, Florida on March 2, 2007. It was produced by the Jester Theater Company, a local professional theater company that specializes in only producing comedies. It was directed by Jay Hopkins.
Casting 3m, 2f
CASTING ATTRIBUTESEnsemble cast, Non-Traditional casting, Cross gender casting, Expandable casting, Flexible casting, Room for Extras
CASTING NOTES The actors will play multiple roles, switching back and forth as necessary, but roles do NOT switch from actor to actor. This script is written for 5 actors (3M, 2F) for the most fun, but can be cast in any combination, and if more actors are cast, roles can be divided accordingly by the director. Actors in a cast of five will each play 18 to 32 characters.
For a cast of five (detailed character assignments listed in chart in back of the script):
M1 – The more mature and masculine of the three men. A feeling of authority and dignity will help this actor. Key roles are Zeus and Achilles, Old Nestor, Perseus and Old Dog.
M2 – The more impulsive and eager of the three men. His emotional rawness and passion play large parts in his characters. Key roles are Odysseus, Hector and Hera.
M3 – The goofiest and more cartoon-like of the three men. Natural comedic skills are a major plus for this actor playing so many different character parts. Key roles are Hermes, Man, Paris, Agamemnon, Diomedes and Hercules.
F1 – The more mature of the two women. A solid actress with the ability to show wounded emotions and dignity. Key roles are Athena, Demeter, Ms. Henderson, Patroklos and Oracle.
F2 – The more ingénue of the two women. Youthfulness is a help but she still plays older as well. Key roles are Aphrodite, Pandora, Helen of Troy and Old King Priam.
Rental Materials