Poseidon
There aren’t many mythological figures as renowned for their temper as Poseidon. But if Zeus was your much-more-famous brother, you’d probably be pissed, too. Born to Titan gods Chronus and Rhea, Poseidon is thought to be one of the children Chronus swallowed whole for fear of a prophecy that one of his children would overthrow him. However, some versions say that Poseidon, like Zeus, evaded the fate of his siblings and hid amongst a flock of lambs. When the brothers and their now-freed siblings won the war (known as the “Titanomachy”) against the elder gods, dominion over all existence was divided amongst Chronus’ three sons: Zeus claimed the sky and the heavens, Hades was given the underworld, and Poseidon was given the sea. This did little to quell Poseidon’s famous temper, often shown by him stabbing his trident into the ground to create earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis. He married the sea-goddess Amphritite and had three children, but he also had numerous extramarital dalliances. When his sister Demeter rebuffed him and disguised herself as a mare, he turned himself into a stallion to mount her, resulting in the talking horse Aerion. One of his more infamous couplings occurred with Medusa the Gorgon on the floor of Athena’s temple, which led to Medusa being cursed. Poseidon built the legendarily impenetrable walls that surrounded the city of Troy. When they refused to compensate him for his work, he sent the Cetus to attack the city. In short, Poseidon wasn’t the sort of guy to take rejection well.
In the 1960s, Poseidon and Amphitrite were television royalty; a welcome presence in the homes of families all across the country (think Steve Irwin and his wife-meets-Ozzie & Harriet by way of Mr. Rogers… in the water). Having long since passed on, their estate now rests in the hands of their children. This year marks the 50th anniversary of their show and a major celebration is planned. But the plans hit a snag with the arrival of a former co-star: Melissa Gordon. Melissa is threatening to release a tell-all book exposing what really went on behind-the-scenes, including the most damning of accusations against Poseidon himself. In a last-ditch attempt to “talk sense” with her before pursuing legal action, Poseidon and Amphitrite’s children meet in person with Melissa to appeal to her for the sake of their parents’ legacy (and their inheritance).
POSEIDON by Charles Lewis III
Directed by Charles Lewis III
Staged Reading on November 7, 2015
Charles Lewis III, if that is his real name, has once again resorted to questionable meant slither his way back into the Olympians. He has written (Atlas - Yr. 3, Ajax Major - Yr. 4), directed (Atlas - Yr. 3, eight different shorts in Yr. 4), or acted in some capacity since the first year of the festival. He’s even more prolific outside of the festival, but he isn’t one to shamelessly drop name. Just ask such renowned Bay Area companies as Wily West Productions, 31 Plays in 31 Days, the ACT, No Nude Men Productions, PianoFight Productions, Cal Shakes, Impact Theatre, Cutting Ball, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Playwrights Center of San Francisco, Atmos Theatre, and the friggin’ San Francisco Opera (to name but a few)! He has made nearly as many appearances on film and television, most appearing in tv spots for the San Francisco Giants, the Golden State Warriors, as well as speaking role in the Sundance-favorite The Diary of a Teenage Girl with Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skaarsgard. His most outlandish ramblings can be found on his Tumblr (charlesandhistypewriter.tumblr.com), his blog (The Thinking Man’s Idiot), and through his 140-character madness on Twitter (@SimonPatt).