The 2013 San Francisco Olympians Festival Is Here!
The festival this year occurs November 6-23, and is the biggest incarnation of the festival yet, with over 92 actors, 30 writers, 25 artists and 12 directors- all local! The festival will return to its home at the Exit Theatre (156 Eddy Street in San Francisco). Tickets will remain a very low $10.00 per night and can only be purchased at the theater, starting half an hour before the show begins. More information about the festival, including artist statements and bios for this year’s participants, can be found at www.sfolympians.com.
Press inquiries or other questions can be directed to [email protected].
The full schedule for the festival is as follows, ALL PERFORMANCES BEGIN AT 8 PM and occur at the Exit Theatre (156 Eddy Street, San Francisco).
November 6: Greeks Bearing Gifts
Ajax Major, or “Punchy” by Charles Lewis III, directed by James Nelson
Twenty years ago Ajax and Hector were the world’s greatest title fighters. That was then. Now one of them is fighting an internal battle that he will not win.”
AJAX MINOR by Barbara Jwanouskos, directed by James Nelson
Ajax is a super athlete and all around hero, that is, until rumors about his past begin to circulate…
NESTOR by Robert Estes, directed by James Nelson
You don’t need his advice, just follow your heart.
DIOMEDES by Joel Street, directed by Charles Lewis III
Produce is a battlefield.
TEUCER by Marissa Skudlarek, directed by Charles Lewis III
After the death of his beloved older brother, a young man must learn to be the hero of his own story.
PATROCLUS by Daniel Hirsch, directed by James Nelson
Retired statesmen/political upstart. Mentor/protege. Lover/loved. User/used.
THERSITES or “Atreus Tonight” by Daniel Hirsch, directed by Charles Lewis III
Live on air tonight! A fair and balanced debate is anything but in the mounting escalation to all-out war!
NEOPTOLEMUS by Barbara Jwanouskos, directed by Charles Lewis III
The Greeks have high hopes now that they have found the young man who is guaranteed to win the war for them. It’s just that he’s a bit disturbed… whoops?
November 7: The Brothers (Part One)
MENELAUS by Annette Roman, directed by Elizabeth Vega
What if all of your problems could be solved by baring your breasts?
AGAMEMNON or “The House of Atreus Vol 3” by Anthony R. Miller, directed by Tunuviel Luv
A rybald and emotional examination of the choices we must make when we have no choice.
November 8: The Brains
ODYSSEUS or “Meg Cohen’s Totally Epic Odyssey” by Megan Cohen, directed via crowdsourcing
Homer’s classic tale of the world’s cleverest man, adapted and performed as a bardic solo in lively modern verse by one of SF Weekly’s “Bay Area Theater Artists to Watch in 2013.”
November 9: The Brawn
ACHILLES or “Under the Gods’ Golden Cleats” by Rachel Bublitz, directed by Claire Rice
The legend of Achilles mashed with Texas football. A world where cheerleaders are slaves and homosexuality is an offense punishable by death.
November 13: Trojan Women
BRISEIS or “A Goddess in Her Grief” by Carol Lashof, directed by Elizabeth Vega
Love in a time of human trafficking.
HECUBA by Patsy Fergusson, directed by Jacqueline Peters
She was the Queen. She would soon be a slave. In between, she was the mother of Troy’s greatest hero.
LAODIKE by Marissa Skudlarek, directed by Jacqueline Peters
She was the most beautiful woman in Troy — until Helen came along!
ANDROMACHE or “The Whole of a Woman” by Sarah McKereghan, directed by Elizabeth Vega
A tragic dramedy about a war widow who has lost everything, including herself.
POLYXENA by Peter Hsieh, directed by Elizabeth Vega
The complicated story of love and sacrifice that ends the Trojan War.
CRUESA or “Dead & Lovely” by Tonya Narvaez, directed by Jacqueline Peters
100 years ago a woman vanishes into thin air. But is she really lost?
OENONE by Ashley Cowan, directed by Jacqueline Peters
Awkward bangs, a big breakup, and a war to end all wars. Middle school is just the worst.
CHRYSEIS or “The Girl With Sparkling Eyes” by Carol Lashof, directed by Elizabeth Vega
When Briseis met Chryseis …
November 14: The Brothers (Part Two)
PARIS or “The Judgement of Paris Is Burning” by Kirk Shimano, directed by Katja Rivera
A traditional retelling of the Judgment of Paris - except Olympus is a gay bar and the goddesses are drag queens.
HECTOR or “Prince of the City” by Bridgette Dutta Portman, directed by Katja Rivera
They threw him to his death from the wall of Troy. Or so they thought.
November 15: The Seer
CASSANDRA by Claire Rice, directed by Claire Rice
Sex, love, revenge, war, blood, fire, insanity: Cassandra saw it all before it happened and no one believed her.
November 16: The Survivor
AENEAS or “Burden of the Witless” by Colin Johnson, directed by Colin Johnson
Protected by the Gods for a destiny he cannot understand, a young man goes out in search of purpose, love and shiny things.
November 20: The Tools
GOLDEN APPLES I or “Kalisti” by Helen Noakes, directed by Robert Estes
3 Vain Goddesses + 1 Golden Apple + 1 Lovesick Prince = 1,000 Ships
THE SHIELD- Meg O’Connor, directed by Charles Lewis III
In a world where gods can determine the victors of battle, one god will rise above the rest to ensure justice is served…with a side of spicy black bean dip.
THE HELMET- Meg O’Connor, directed by Robert Estes
Even the hearts of children can grow dark with the bloody rage of war.
THE SPEAR- Neil Higgins, directed by Robert Estes
A spear is a weapon, a tool in the hands of a soldier. But no more so than a mere mortal is a tool in the hands of the gods.
THE SWORD- Tracy Held Potter, directed by Robert Estes
Achilles’ love of battle blinds him from the love he feels for Penthesilea, the Amazon Queen, and her murder unleashes his madness.
THE SHIPS or “Alexis, the Bronze Age Warship” by Tracy Held Potter, directed by Charles Lewis III
A delightful romp through the Aegean Sea during the Trojan War.
THE BOW by Sunil Patel, directed by Charles Lewis III
A love story between a woman and her talking bow.
GOLDEN APPLES II by Allison Page, directed by Charles Lewis III
Paris must choose the fairest of them all in a high stakes game show he didn’t ask to be on - but does his choice really matter, or have the singing Fates aligned without him? Only the Wheel ‘O Fate knows the answer.
November 21: The Battlefield
THE WALLS by Madeline Puccioni, directed by Jonathan Carpenter
What’s a Stone Age Mother Goddess gotta do to change the world - sleep with an Olympian? Yeech.
THE PLAINS by Jeremy Cole, directed by Jonathan Carpenter
Everyone has heard of Helen, Achilles, Cassandra and the Trojan Horse, but who remembers Cycnus, Protesilaus, Aethra or the Memnonides? The plains remember. The plains of Ilium can never forget. Close your eyes. Open your heart. Listen.
November 22: The Problem
HELEN or “Ellen’s Undone” by Sam Hurwitt, directed by Mina Morita
When she left, it started a war. This time, she’s not going anywhere.
November 23: The Solution
THE HORSE or “See Also All” by Stuart Bousel, directed by Ariel Craft
Inside everything is something else.
This year’s festival includes the acting talents of:
Perry Aliado, Yael Aranoff, Erika Bakse, Molly Benson, Karlie Blair, Stuart Bousel, Megan Briggs, Ben Calabrese, Mariah Jane Castle, Melissa Clason, Megan Cohen, Jeremy Cole, Ashley Cowan, Jaime Lee Currier, Lisa Darter, Eli Diamond, Siobhan Doherty, Danielle Doyle, Mackenzie Drae, Colleen Egan, Juliana Egley, Caitlin Evenson, Valerie Fachman, Vince Faso, Allison Fenner, Catz Forsman, Jan Gilbert, Lara Gold, Dana Goldberg, James Grady, Benjamin Grubb, Matt Gunnison, Don Hardwick, John Lennon Harrison, Ryan Hayes, Neil Higgins, Colin Hussey, Paul Jennings, Heather Kellogg, Tavis Kammet, Jordan Kersten, Annabelle King, Ben Knoll, Katrina Kroetch, Dan Kurtz, Susannah Lee, Maria Leigh, Scott Leonard, Yasmine Love, John Lowell, Carl Lucania, Jan Carty Marsh, Brian Martin, Maggie Mason, Armando McClain, Theresa Miller, Mia Nadolski, Karen Offereins, Allison Page, Laura Peterson, Carlye Pollack, Brian Quakenbush, Adam Reese, Kelly Rinehart, Hilda Roe, Paul Rodrigues, Elena Ruggiero, Carina L. Salazar, Stacy Sanders Young, Karl Schackne, Louel Senores, Jeunee Simon, Richard Steel, Paul Stout, Nikolas Strubbe, David Suhl, Michelle Talgarow, Jess Thomas, Veronica Tjioe, Sam Tillis, Katherine Torres, Peter Townley, Alaric Toy, Nick Trengove, Aaron Tworek, Ramya Vijayan, Nicky Weinback, Richard Wenzel, Teri Whipple, Kevin Wisney-Leonard, Shay Wisniewsk
Our fine artists this year are:
Nathan Anderson, Emily Barber, Molly Benson, Lacery Canton, Emmalee Carroll, Liz Conley, Brett Grunig, Rafiq Gulamani, Brooke Harper, Kaitlin Jann, Ashley Kea, Jeffrey Klug, Kelly Lawrence, Karla Macedo, Emily C. Martin, Kelly Rose McClellan, Arielle McKee, Amy Pasos, Jessi Reed, Cody Rishell, Aliana Rood, Celeste Schulte, Caitlin VanArsdale, Brandon Witte, Brian Yee
All the artwork associated with the festival remains on display at the Exit Theatre in San Francisco (156 Eddy Street) for the month of November!
This year’s festival would not have been possible without the support of the following donors (and many more beyond):
Paul Anderson, Kendra Arimoto, Christina Augello, Mary Ann Bell, Jane Bousel, Robin Bousel, Megan Briggs, Rachel Bublitz, Randall Bublitz, John Caldon, Linda-Ruth Cardozo, Jonathan Carpenter, Nat Cassidy, Louise Castaldi, Christie Chew, Andrew Chung, Shelley F. Cohen, Nancy Cooper Frank, Ashley Cowan, Jan Cox, Lisa Darter, Layla Muran de Assereto, Norm DeVeyra, Laura Domingo, Danielle Doyle, Susan Dunn, Colleen Egan, Alisha Ehrlich, Robert Estes, Susan Fairbrook, Margery Fairchild, Sean Fenton, Josh Galyen, Dori Gillam, James Grady, Matt Gunnison, Donald Hardwick, Neil Higgins, Paul Jennings, Barbara Jwanouskos, Meghan Kane, Brian Katz, Katherine Kessinger, Melissa Kelepetar, Dan Kurtz, Carol Lashof, Joyce C. Lashof, Charles Lewis III, Carl Lucania, Morgan Ludlow, Cat Luedtke, Alison Luterman, Brian Martin, T Davina McClain, Jose Mosqueda, Anita Nallathamby, Tonya Narvaez, Scott Neilson, William Newton, Debra O’Connor, Meghan O’Connor, Hector Osorio, Allison Lynn Page, Seanan Palmero, Sunil Patel, Kate Payne, Jacqueline Peters, Bridgette Portman, Tracy Held Potter, Madeline Puccioni, Diane Regas, Martha Richards, Diana Rishell, Jessica Rudholm, Celeste Russi, Carina Salazar, Brian Salomaki, Barbara Selfridge, Kirk Shimano, Dave Sikula, Paul Stout, Marissa Skudlarek, Laura Thompson, Kevin Trowbridge, Eileen Tull, Miguel Veloz, Pete Warden, Wolfgang Weber, Matt Werner, Teri Whipple, Colin Williams, Jason Wong, Lily Yang, Jeffrey Yasskin