The Iliad, The Odyssey and ALL of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes
The Iliad, The Odyssey and ALL of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less
By Jay Hopkins and John Hunter
Directed by Jay Hopkins
Jester Theater at The Garden Theatre
Winter Garden, Fl</strong>
Pick a non-specific location, say Ancient Greece. Turn loose a troupe of long form improv artists from SAK Comedy, and then let them rehearse a few weeks. That’s the vibe of this zippy, silly, and secretly educational Cliff’s Notes production about the bedrock of Western Civilization. Perhaps you’ve perused Homer, or leafed through Bullfinch’s “Mythology,” or even seen “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” If you have, then you’re well versed to get the inside jokes, and if your not, you’ll still fall for the pie in the face comedy and rapid fire jokes. Jay Hopkins gets the most out of this seasoned troupe of think on your feet actors. At the open we get a quickie introduction to the Top Twelve Greek Gods, from bull faced Hera (Jamie Cline), full of himself Zeus (Ryan Gighotti), flirty Athena (Gina DiRoma), butch Artemis (Jamie Bridwell) and hip Hermes (Chase Padgett). These five play about 20 other roles each, with quick changes of head gear or hand prop to keep them separated. Amazingly, we never get lost and the only times things slow down is during the lengthy battle scenes in the Iliad. While battles and spearing and some fairly kinky deity sex propels the story, this tale sticks to another SAK tradition – G-rated comedy. There were more than a few children in the audience, and they never seemed bored or antsy. You might have seem other brands of “…in 99 Minutes or Less” plays out there, but after you’ve seen this romp, you’ve never go back.
For more information on Jester Theater Company, please visit http://www.jestertheater.com
For more information on The Garden Theatre in Winter garden, please visit http://wgtheater.org</em>
