Overview
It’s Ancient Greece, and for Artemis, Athena, and Aphrodite, enough is enough. As female gods, how can they enjoy immortal life when they rule over a society that doesn’t have equal rights for women? What they need is a hero – a female one – to inspire women across the world. They each choose a champion – one for their brain, one for their physical prowess, and one for their kindness of heart. They send them each on an epic quest to prove their worth as a hero so they can anoint the winner as their champion. When the male gods catch wind of the women’s plans however, they use their powers to make the quest much more treacherous than the female gods intended. The women find the only way to overcome the male gods’ mayhem is to band together and prove that sometimes you can all be heroes. Featuring an eclectic score of well-loved hits, ranging from Blondie and Hall & Oates to Miley Cyrus and Kelly Clarkson, THE OLYMPIANS is a riotous show about the power of changing the narrative!
Casting & Production
Casting
Roles may be played by actors of any ethnicity. Diversity in both the gods and the mortals is encouraged, with careful attention to avoiding stereotypes. While a spectrum of gender identities certainly existed in classical Greece as in our present world, the specific group of characters written in THE OLYMPIANS represent binary, cis-female and cis-male gender identities. The expectations, limits, and privileges implied by those traditionally defined gender identities — both for the ancient Greek humans, and the pantheon of Greek gods & goddesses — are central to the conflict of the story. However, the overarching message of this show is about embracing authentic, individual gender identity beyond accepted, traditional constructs. When casting a production, actors of any identity are welcome to represent the characters’ specific identities.
THE GODS:
ARTEMIS – Female. Fierce. Idealistic. Goddess of the hunt, wild animals, the Moon, and both chastity and childbirth. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, Apollo is her twin brother. She is the patron and protector of girls. She is angered by the status of women inhuman society and instigates change.
APOLLO – Male. A golden boy and a trickster: A charming and charismatic showman, sophisticated and more than a little bit arrogant. God of the sun, archery, truth and prophecy, and healing. Twin brother of Artemis. A frequent companion of the Muses, Apollo presides over all music, songs, dance, poetry. and loves theater. (This actor may be used to double in the ensemble in Act I as needed.)
ATHENA – Female. A steely cold intellect with a wry wit. The warrior goddess of wisdom (& courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, the arts, crafts, and skill.) The daughter of Zeus, she sprang from his head, full-grown and in armor. A problem-solver, she devises the test of three mortal women.
APHRODITE – Female. Empathetic and emotional. Goddess of love, beauty, and desire. Born from the sea, she is also honored as a protector of those who travel by sea. Frustrated that women (including her) are objectified and viewed only as beautiful prizes to be pursued, she wants humans to understand there are many types of love beyond romantic love. Both a mediator, and a troublemaker.
THALIA – Female. Warmly funny. Audacious. This is not a featured singing role but demands a character actress with strong comedic ability. She is the Muse of Comedy, one of the Three Graces – a second-tier goddess. She serves as a narrator, in a Mrs. Maisel-esque stand-up comic way, instructing the audience and guiding us through the story. Steps into supporting roles throughout, to comic effect.
THE MORTALS:
SOPHIA – Female. A small town girl from a long and distinguished line of goat-herders, she secretly studies by day and watches her goats by night and yearns to travel to Athens to study. Smart, but naive. Overthinks everything. Excellent navigator, advanced mathematician, and inventor. Patronized by Athena. She will kill you with her sharp mind but is protective of her emotions.
ZOE – Female. Daughter of the King of Sparta. Athletic, tough, defiant, competitive, and over-confident at times. Something of a loner. Patronized by Artemis. Like Artemis, she feels no need to be defined by the romantic companionship of a man… or woman, for that matter. Fiercely loyal and protective – something of a Wonder Woman. She will kill you with her sharp sword.
ALEXIS “LEXI” – Female. Slightly older and more worldly wise, she comes from a middleclass family in Athens, and is the daughter of an Athenian citizen – a merchant who sails the seas. Intuitive, compassionate and a true believer in the Power of Love. Patronized by Aphrodite. Her brother is Xander. She struggles with how one person, with little power in society, can make a difference. She will kill you with kindness.
XANDER – Male. Lexi’s brother. A kind soul, and charmingly attractive, but a little hapless. He does not want to follow in his father’s footsteps but isn’t sure what else he should be doing in the world. Super helpful and thoughtful, he loves animals. He becomes an ally to the women’s quest and falls for Sophia.
ORPHEUS – Male. The mythic musician, now immortalized, a bit older and wiser. Very emotional – subject to high highs and low lows. Ideally plays the guitar and could double in the band throughout. (Actor also may be used in the ensemble throughout Act I.)
THE GREEK CHORUS: An ensemble of 4 or ideally more performers who play multiple roles throughout: CITIZENS OF ATHENS, GOATS, LOTUS EATERS, and others as needed for staging. The chorus should include at least 4 strong movers / dancers to play APOLLO’S HORSES, SPARTAN SOLDIERS, and have other featured dance roles throughout. Additionally, there are featured chorus character tracks for a 50s+ woman (who would play both SOPHIA’S GRANDMOTHER and HERA) and a 40s+ man (who would play ZOE’S FATHER /KING OF SPARTA and ZEUS) and various others (GUARDS, DIOGENES).
Orchestral Information
5 Musicians:
Keyboard/Conductor
Bass
Drums
Guitar 1
Guitar 2
Media
Authors
Upcoming Productions
Magee Secondary School
Vancouver, Canada
Lincoln Theatre Guild, Inc.
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Resources
