BEMIDJI — Can you cover all of Greek mythology in less than two hours? Seems like a tall order, but Bemidji Community Theater will try with their latest production: The Iliad, The Odyssey, and all of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less.
The show is a funny and quick look at Greek Mythology with a clock counting down 99 minutes, going through stories about Zeus, Sisyphus and other famous myths.
Director Vicki Stenerson told Area Voices on the KAXE Morning Show that she was really impressed by how much the script made her laugh while reading it.
“I wanted to do a comedy, and I read plays like novels. It's what I do... and in this one I thought it sounded fun and I read it and I laughed through the whole thing. And I thought, ‘OK, If I'm going to laugh through the whole thing I think it's a good bet.’”
The first thing Stenerson wanted to get done in the production is ensure her cast understood Greek mythology. To portray these myths, and find the humor in them, she felt it was important to know them.
That doesn’t mean audiences have to be experts on Greek mythology. Stenerson said if audiences have a basic understanding of the myths, they will laugh. As for the experts on Greek mythology, they will probably laugh even more.
The play was originally intended for five actors playing about 40 roles each. Stenerson, however, wanted anyone who auditioned to have a chance to be a part of the production. Fifteen people showed up for auditions, and all of them are in the show. Stenerson said the most difficult part was keeping track of who was on stage at what time, making sure the actors didn’t overlap.
Stenerson is a big fan of mythology in general, including Greek, Norse and Celtic.
“Each culture would make up a reason why certain things happened. Like why the oceans flooded the land... and that's what draws me is what each culture used to define actions in the world or consequences in the world through nature or conflict or relationships, that kind of stuff.”
She says her favorite myth is the story of Pandora’s Box, which will also be featured in the show.
Stenerson is also excited to be directing the final show of the Bemidji Community Theater season. This is also their first time doing a summer production. It also seems appropriate to have a comedy to end the season, especially after what Bemidji has been through recovering from the storm on June 21.
“We provide entertainment. Coincidentally, we need laughs right now. I didn't plan it that way, but it kind of worked out that it's a very uplifting, and you know, your neighbors are on stage, so it's kind of fun to go.”
There are also a few people in the cast performing on stage for the first time in this production. Stenerson said it was fun to work with people just starting out in theater. She taught them technical terms and how to memorize lines. Most of them wanted to be a part of the production because they had an interest in Greek mythology and wanted to learn more.
“And I said, 'well, you're going to get a slightly skewed version with this,'” Stenerson said.
Performances are July 18-20 and 25-27. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7 p.m. and Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at Ken K. Thompson, McKenzie’s Place, myBemidji, the Bemidji Community Theater box office and on their website.
“Please come and see it. It's fun. It's educational," Stenerson said. "And it's a good way to end our season on a high note and I think, as we said, now's the time that everybody needs to laugh, and you will. Trust me.”
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
