The Iliad, The Odyssey, and all of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less
at Portola

Reviewed on November 8, 2019

Bellise Sacchetto
San Juan Hills
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies

Portola High School's ‘The Iliad, the Odyssey, and all of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less' is Un"Apollo"getically Hilarious!
written by Bellise Sacchetto, a senior at San Juan Hills High School

In their comical production of "The Iliad, the Odyssey, and all of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less", Portola High School races against the clock and takes their audience on a convivial journey where love stories are a dating show, Greek tragedies are sports highlights, and the creation of mankind is a botched mad scientist job, and proves to be an outlandish and riotous distillation of Homer's epic poems and all of Greek mythology.

McCoy Cariaso's Zeus is pretentious and self-assured. With his head held high and chest out, Cariaso encapsulates Zeus' bragadocious personality through physicality, swaggering across the stage. Whether commanding the Gods to carry out a task or slyly cajoling an audience member to go on a date with him, Cariaso captures the essence of his placid yet ostentatious character.

Nora Nyquist fulfills the role of the strepitous, gaudy goddess, glittery as the self-indulgent Aphrodite. With pouty countenance and sarcastic retorts, Nyquist struts across the stage and whines for beauteous jewels.

Ainsley Johnston delights as Pandora. Johnston ardently explodes into the room with idiosyncratic cackles. Preparing to open an ominous wedding gift given by Zeus, Johnston uses subtle shifts in her face and frenzied mannerisms to portray her eager disposition and discombobulation towards what could potentially be inside the box. However, Man's--Pandora's cynical husband (Andrei Szczedrin)-- apprehension toward the box tranquils his wife's giddy nature, repressing Johnston's effervescent intonation and bubbly bouncing.

Among the cast are several standouts. Aidan Stringer amuses as the austral Coach Oedipus, the rugged vocal inflections parallel his character to a hillbilly. Nicholas Sanchez barges onto the stage as Thor, his character proudly owning his vitality and pulchritude. Jasper Scott dashes across the stage, each time passionately chanting his motto, "Diomedes rules!"

Lighting design by Seogyung "Karen" Han and Yuki Yu differentiates the settings within the show, helping the audience follow each individual story as it jumps around. Set Design by Atlaf Abdulla and Isaac Yang is minimal but dynamic, focusing on the actors and the story being told.

In a modern portrayal of these celestial caricatures, Portola High School's "The Iliad, the Odyssey, and all of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less" revitalizes these archaic adventures into contemporary classics.

Caitlin Laranjo
Santa Margarita Catholic
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Portola High School's ‘All of Greek Mythology' is Historically Hilarious
written by Caitlin Laranjo, a junior at Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Time flies when you're having fun, especially at Portola High School's ‘The Iliad, the Odyssey, and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less.' Immersive sound effects, practical costume design, and expertly delivered quips contribute to the fast-paced storytelling in Portola High School's comedic production of ‘The Iliad, the Odyssey, and all of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less.'

Written by Jay Hopkins and John Hunter, ‘The Iliad, the Odyssey, and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less' puts a modern twist on age-old tales. Raging battles are reduced to slap-fights, epic love stories play out on a dating show, and tragic Greek heroes compete before a panel of judges on a game show as actors and crew race against the ticking clock to cover every hilarious tale in Greek mythology.

Standing proud in his business suit atop the double staircase, a hierarchy of gods and goddesses assembled on the steps below, Zeus (McCoy Cariaso) is consistently authoritative as his assertive voice commands attention. With a straight back and powerful strides across the stage, Zeus holds himself confidently as the king of the Olympians. Ever the prideful hero, Odysseus (Ian Aros) outwits monsters with well-timed quips and comedically battles rough seas across stage with exaggerated movements in his two-dimensional boat.

Man (Andrei Szczedrin) and Pandora (Ainsley Johnston) are a hilarious duo as the newlywed couple argues over Pandora's Box. With entertaining stage presence, Pandora paces around the kitchen table, expressively waving her arms, gesturing with her hands, and making dramatic faces. Man combats Pandora's loud and childlike presence with an understandably frustrated tone and angered enunciation.

The ensemble of Trojan and Greek soldiers during the Trojan War displays commendable physicality as they run, slide and clash swords with believable ferocity during dynamic sequences of stage combat. The exaggerated deaths also add to the comedic tone of the play.

While the mic crew experienced some delays, the sound design by Andrew Feng and Bryan Vu was well-timed and made each tale unique and immersive. Costume designs by Ashley Kim and Kathryn Mann were simple but effective for quick costume changes.

Portola High School successfully tells each Greek myth while under a time restraint in ‘The Iliad, the Odyssey, and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less.'

Emily Freeborn
Santa Margarita Catholic
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Portola Gives Greek Myths New Life
written by Emily Freeborn, a junior at Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Portola High School's hilarious production of "The Iliad, the Odyssey, and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less" gives the dusty old pages of Homer's works new life with modern twists and unique portrayals of Greek gods. In this literal race against the clock, Portola's students successfully condense every Greek myth into a 99-minute show.

Emulating charismatic charm with cocky grins and an endearing tone that mixes authority with amicability, McCoy Cariaso brings the king of the gods, Zeus, into the modern world by portraying him like a politician. Cariaso's composure crumbles as his wife, Hera, nearly discovers his adulterous behavior, stammering feebly as his eyes grow wide in terror.

Hera (Anar Bhatt) epitomizes regality in her powerful strides, perfect posture, unrelenting tone, and resolute countenance. Upon discovering Zeus's latest mistress, Bhatt fires vindictive glares at her husband and offers duplicitous advice to the girl while donning a deceitful grin.

Among the Olympians, many memorable interpretations add comedic flair to the production. Sloan DeTorres's surfer-like drawl and laid-back posture are a perfect fit for Poseidon, god of the sea. Hermes (Paris Suttle), the messenger god, pairs a sassy New Yorker accent with crossed arms and draws extra laughs from every scene by sporadically stroking her chin in mock seduction with a deadpan laugh. Nora Nyquist is delightfully perky as Aphrodite, goddess of love, but turns petulant as she whines to her father like a spoiled child.

Ashley Kim and Kathryn Mann pair each actor with a costume that fits with their distinctive portrayal. Hermes sports a tracksuit, Poseidon lounges in a baggy Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts, and Zeus dons a sharp grey suit. Meanwhile, Hera's classical air of regality is represented in an elegant draping blue gown that resembles the traditional Greek toga.

As scenes in the show shift from Greek stories to the sets of television shows, lighting (Seogyung Han and Yuki Yu), sound (Andrew Feng and Bryan Vu), and set design (Altaf Abdulla and Isaac Yang) work in harmony to distinguish location. To create a television set, multicolor lights flash to the rhythm of an upbeat intro as Zeus descends from a grandiose staircase.

Portola elicits fresh humor from ancient Greek myths with original acting and inspired technical direction.