Mount Olympus Showdown - Amanda & Mubeen's Class

Mount Olympus Showdown

Onstage, we see four distinct groups and their posses, Zeus and posse is downstage right, Hera and posse is upstage right, Ares and posse is upstage left and Athena and posse are downstage left. Hades is upstage left, watching and observing.

(The chorus enters excitedly with fan signs along the lines of I love Zeus etc. talk excitedly about the upcoming performance.)

Two halves of the chorus enter on either side of the audience, group one stage left an group two stage right, they remain in the audience.

Chorus / Fans:
This is a story
of heartache and glory,
Watch and learn,
how their fates always turn.
This golden apple,
Which causes discord,
Is very potent
And must not be ignored.

Announcer upper stage right, comes to centre stage.

Announcer: Are you ready?

Chorus: (cheers).

Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, Gods and Goddesses, mortals and monsters, welcome to the Mount Olympus concert and ultimate battle. Let’s begin!

Chorus: (cheers.)

Zeus, Hera, Ares and Athena take centrestage with one attendant each in tow.

Ares: (complaining) Man, I hate Zeus! Why does he get to be ruler?! Why not me?? Hmph! I'll give him a piece of my mind!
(Ares walks up to Zeus)

Zeus: (bored, sitting on his throne being fed grapes by Hera): Good afternoon son (yawn), what brings you here?

Ares: I’ve come to challenge you!!!!

Zeus: Fool! Who are you to challenge me?

Ares: F.Y.I, I’m the god of war.

Zeus (shakes his head and mumbles to himself): I should have thrown you off the Mountain instead of Hephaestus.

Ares (in a whiny voice): Mommy (talks to Hera), Daddy is hurting my feelings. I don’t like him. One day I’m going to rule Mount Olympus and throw daddy to the underworld.

Hera (sounding very bored as well): Good I’m becoming tired of him too! (Eats the grape she was about to feed Zeus)

Zeus: I’ll accept your wimpy challenge and open the competition to all the other gods and goddesses as well. I will show you all who’s boss!

All goddesses and gods go back to their respective corners, accept Zeus who mopes around the stage, starting at stage right and then going to stage left. Hades comes down to stage centre to meet Zeus for a “sketchy” exchange.

(as the chorus talks about the following sequence, it is being acted out onstage.)

Chorus 1:
It seems like Zeus is beginning to feel unusual. He isn’t sleeping, he isn’t eating. He doesn’t even enjoy throwing his thunder bolts. He’s riding his chariot to the underworld in secret.

Chorus 2: Zeus meets his brother Hades at the entrance. He asks Hades to help him. Zeus promises that if this is done, he will allow Hades to do anything he wants for a day. Hades accepts. (with an evil, exaggerated grin to the audience)

Announcer (like a boxing ring announcement): Now it is time for the battle! Introducing our competitors: First up, Zeus!
Zeus: (comes in like a boxer with a hoodie/cape and his entourage, then bares his muscles, his posse enters afterward.)
Zeus and posse take centre stage doing their boxing prep stance. Zeus sings 1st verse alone and then posse sings 2nd verse with him.
Zeus the king
with his thunderbolt ring
keeper of the high
and controller of the sky

Zeus the grand
with his ultimate command
with his mighty hand
he rules all the land
Chorus: (Cheers)
Zeus and posse return to downstage right.
Announcer: Ares!
(Ares enters with his war loving posse.)
Ares and posse enter from upstage left and take centre stage. Ares sings 1st verse solo and then with posse 2nd time
Ares:
I’m the god of war
I’m evil to the core
I want to rule the earth
I’ve known it since my birth
I know that I am beastly
But what do you expect me to do, really
Chorus: (Cheers)
Announcer: Introducing Hera!

(Hera enters with posse, a rockin’ all girl group.)

Hera enters from stage right, strikes the goddess pose and posse follows and strikes pose again.

Hera:
I run things `round here, yeah you better be scared

Hera: I GOT THE POWER!

Other goddesses: Yeeah

Hera: I GOT THE POWER!

Other Goddesses: Yeah! She got the power, she got it

All goddesses: Watch yourself YEAH!
Hera goes back to spot stage right.
Chorus: (Cheers)
Announcer: Last, but not least, Athena.
(Athena enters with posse.)
Athena with posse takes centre stage from stage downstage left. Athena sings first two lines solo and then posse joins in/
Athena:
There once was a goddess
her name was Athena
She always won
in the battle arena
But she never had a mate
and never went on a second date
Now this one Athena was the goddess of war
but many gods knew she could do much more
Announcer: Let the games begin! First up, the dance competition!
Gods dance, most dance very awkwardly in a variety of styles (e.g., hippie, disco, Egyptian, headbanging, ballet, etc.)
Announcer: Well that wasn’t pretty. And the winner is… Ares
Chorus 1: This rock battle has been going on for hours. The gods and goddesses are tied evenly. What will happen next?
Announcer: Are you all ready for the final battle? I said, are you all ready for the final battle?
Chorus: (Cheers.)
Announcer: Here we go!

( A matrix like battle ensues, with the goddesses coming out victorious because Hades helps them from the sidelines, represented by a matrix style dance/movement)

Hera’s posse & Zeus’ posse send out an imaginary fire ball to Ares’ and Athena’s posse who dodge it in matrix style poses. Ares and Athena fire back and all groups fall except Hera and posse. Hades is still upstage right watching.

Announcer: I now declare the winner of these games to be Hera and her fellow goddesses!

Hera and posse take centre stage and strike a pose.

Hera (making a speech to the crowd, including all the gods): As you may have heard, we WILL make Mt. Olympus a much, much, better place! (Applause) Thank you once again! (Waving to everyone)
(To Hades) Thanks for all your help, we couldn’t have done it without you.

Chorus: (all gasp and look surprised as well): Hades! (all point to Hades)

Hades comes centre stage.

Hades: Muah, ha, ha! No prob. It was real fun… to CHEAT that is! Ha, ha, ha, ha!

(raps.)
I’m a god; I’m a straight up G. The underworld is the life for me. Torturing by day; stealing souls by night. Being Hades is just alright. I left Mount Olympus at the age of 4, but everyone knows I’m the one they adore. I walked around town with huge acceleration, even though I didn’t get any education. I’m Hades.

(enter Zeus, who is outraged at seeing that Hades has double-crossed him, Zeus roars in anger)

Zeus: You! (points to Hades) I can’t believe it! You promised to help me win! Why have you betrayed me????

Hades: Actually, I promised to help you, not help you win. As to why I betrayed you, well you try ruling the filthy underworld! Now you will learn!


Chorus 2:
Hades drags Zeus down, down, down to the underworld. (Hades locks Zeus up and throws away the key) Mount Olympus is enjoying a time of peace and happiness while Hera and the other goddesses rule.

Hera and posse create a lounging tableau centre stage.

The gods are also busy… cooking, cleaning, and doing all the work that the goddesses used to do…Things stay this way for a long, long, time.

Zeus’ posse makes a scrubbing the floors action, Athena’s posse makes

Then, one day, the gods served a huge banquet
Food covered the table like a warm thick blanket
On Hera’s plate was the most beautiful fruit,
A golden apple that was really cute.
She couldn’t resist and took a bite,
even though there was something not right
about the way the gods were grinning
just as they had when they were winning.


(Hera starts to feel unwell. Almost immediately, she starts yelling at the other goddesses and bossing them around. Soon, they are all screaming at each other, arguing over how things should be done and fighting over the golden apple. The goddesses start throwing food at each other)

Annnouncer: Now Eris enters the stage. What’s he doing here?

Eris: Wait a minute, wait a minute! Everyone STOP! (the goddesses turn to her and stop what they are doing) Has anyone seen my apple of discord?

(the goddesses all look to Hera, who is holding the half eaten apple of discord raised up in the air)

Chorus: (Surprise Ah!)

Announcer: And that concludes our concert battle for today. Come back tomorrow for part two. Let’s give it up for our goddesses and gods:

Zeus! (Zeus and posse take a bow)
Ares! (Ares and posse take a bow)
Hera! (Hera and posse take a bow)
Athena! (Athena and posse take a bow)


See you next week for the finale!


Chorus / Fans:
This was a story
of heartache and glory,
We watched and learned,
how their fates always turned.
This golden apple,
Which caused discord,
Was very potent
And must not be ignored.

(Chorus/Fans leave the stage.)