Live From Mount Olympus |
Atalanta

Ancient Greek myths tell tales of many heroes – but only one of them is female. Atalanta is abandoned at birth in the deep forest, where all expect her to perish. Instead, she’s adopted by a mama bear, who raises her as her own. As Atalanta grows, she knows she is loved but senses that she is different – she doesn’t look like her brother and sister, she runs on two legs faster than they can on four, she has no fur of her own. But if she’s not a bear, then what is she?

Artemis teaches the bear girl how to hunt, Athena teaches her the finer points of human society, and Atalanta becomes a skilled archer, ready for adventure. She joins the greatest heroes in Greece (who are furious about having a girl in their midst) to hunt a wild boar ravaging Calydon. Atalanta surprises them all.

Confronted by so many people who urge her to do what they want, Atalanta has to fight to forge her own path, and to figure out who she is and where she belongs.

Once upon a time, myths helped us understand how the world works and how we find our place within it. They still do.

Combining the artistry of foremost contemporary theater-makers with the timeless stories of Greek myth and the imaginative power of audio, “Live from Mount Olympus” is an adventure for tweens and audiences of all ages. This podcast is a production of the Onassis Foundation. The richly imagined audio drama is co-produced by the Brooklyn-based theater ensemble The TEAM, directed by Tony Award-winner Rachel Chavkin (“Hadestown”, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet”), Zhailon Levingston ("Chicken & Biscuits"), Keenan Tyler Oliphant (Associate Director of “Hadestown” and director of PlayCo’s upcoming U.S. premiere of Ebru Nihan Celkan’s “Will You Come with Me?”) and Ahmad Simmons (Associate Choreographer, "Hadestown"), and created and produced by Peabody Award-winning showrunner Julie Burstein. Karen Brooks Hopkins is the executive producer.

“Live from Mount Olympus” is presented by TRAX from PRX.

"I grew up not having an awareness of the Ancient Greek Myths, so a big part of the joy of Live from Mount Olympus has been my own personal discovery of these stories. Being introduced to them, through Nathan Yungerberg's retelling and the voices of a cast that spans generations and cultures, has revealed these myths' power to reflect the complexities of humanity in a way that is accessible and joyous. I am thrilled and always so moved at being a part of passing on these myths to another generation while having the power to imprint ourselves onto these stories. I’m always hopeful that a newer generation will feel reflected in our retelling and then empowered to imprint themselves on history."

- Keenan Tyler Oliphant, Co-Producer

- Rachel Chavkin, Co-Producer

"The third season of our podcast, “Live From Mount Olympus,” tells the story of a tiny baby girl cast out by her own parents and raised by a loving family of BEARS!

While her upbringing may not be traditional, Atalanta (our heroine), grows into a fierce, determined young woman ready to chart her own destiny and make her mark in the world.

Atalanta’s story, like so many of the Greek myths, depicts a world much like our own but amplified on a gigantic scale.

As we consider, for example, a girl being raised by a bear family, it reminds us that all different kinds of families exist and that any of them can provide the right circumstances for a child to mature and become a productive and empathic member of society.

The Greek myths endure not only because of their magical heroes, forbidding monsters, and all powerful Gods (which make for exciting reading and listening), but also because we humans can absolutely relate to their characters and their triumphs and struggles. Both the Gods and the mortals share the very same predicaments and opportunities we experience in our own lives.

In essence, Mount Olympus lives inside of us all!"

Karen Brooks Hopkins, Executive Producer

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The TEAM’s Producing Director is Alexandra Lalonde, and Producing Manager is Laura Elliot. We had casting support from Melissa Friedman of Epic Theater Ensemble.

Our production team includes writer Nathan Yungerberg, assistant producer Tessa Zitter, assistant editor Yonatan Rekem, and audio producer John Melillo. Magdalini Giannikou composed our music, with help from Luca Bordonaro, and the score was performed by Banda Magda. Jason Adam Katzenstein created our illustrations and is series humor consultant.

Michael Kendrick is Program Director for Onassis USA. Marketing and social media management by Karina Grudnikov and Caroline English. Press by Blake Zidell. Graphic design by Onassis Creative Studio.