The Iliad, the Odyssey, and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less

by John Hunter, Jay Hopkins

Comedy / 3m, 2f, flexible casting, Actors will each play 18 to 32 characters 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.

Genres: Plays

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Josie J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today was my very first production and it was this play. I love this play despite its many many inaccuracies. I had smaller roles with a couple of little parts and lines. But my favorite part that I played was Circe. I loved her, the only downside was that I had to be on a ladder for the whole scene. And that was pretty intimidating but my friend held on to the ladder for me and that made me feel way better. I have three more performances this week. If there are any more fun stories I will be sure to update

[Ryan Rosu]

Script read through!!! Cannot wait for rehearsals to start (playing M2 aka Odyssey, Hera, Hades, et al)

[Sarah Main · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve now seen this play twice and read it once. Obviously, a play is meant to be watched, but some are just as good when read.
This is not one of those plays.
It really requires the visuals and comedic timing of the actors. Still, four stars because it is quite clever and funny.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my school play:
This was super funny and reminded me of “Percy Jackson” in a way. I can’t wait to see how my school portrays it. A few of my friends are in and I’m part of the production crew.
Overall rating: 4 stars

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

my school is doing this for the senior showcase

[Dawn Schock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absurd and hilarious play

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, fun to see. Not this year for my students.

[Liberty Swedberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

so excited!

[Marwin Fernandez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like the book as much as I expected. I expected to laugh the over time and finish the book in one sitting, but I didn't. I had a hard time reading it and picturing the stage directions for this book, but the writing didn't satisfy me or for the stage.

Basically, the play is to achieve telling the ancient Greek stories in 99 minutes or less. The content is what the book has, but the comedy is so amateur. The jokes are targeted more towards elementary students as opposed to teenagers.

I thought the book would be similar to "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" but that wasn't the case. "Greek Myths in 99 Minutes" is more of a Cliffnotes guide to Greek myth rather than a play that Monty Python would like.