1 PREVIOUSLY ON 1
ANNOUNCER
Previously on Live From Mount
Olympus...
SIMON
Theseus? What if this time,
after I leap over the bull, I'm
not quick enough to get away
from it?
THESEUS
That's not gonna happen, Simon!
Teamwork, remember? Let's give
these Minoans the bull dance of
a lifetime!
TRIBUTES
For Athens!!
BULL DANCE COLOR
The Athenians are flowing into
a formation, surrounding the
bull on all sides!
THESEUS
Menestho -- ready?
MENESTHO
Ready!
BULL DANCE PLAY BY PLAY
She's grabbed the bull's horns,
and leapt onto its back -- now
she's launched herself off into
a somersault?!
PHAEDRA
Is it true that the last time,
some of the tributes died on
their first day with the bull?
ARIADNE
That must not happen!
Sound of door opening.
ARIADNE
Professor Daedalus!
DAEDALUS
Princess Ariadne!
ARIADNE
I must find a way to talk to
their leader...to Theseus.
ICARUS
You need a disguise -- wear my
cloak!
DAEDALUS
Remember the charm we've been
working on?
ARIADNE
The persuasion charm?
DAEDALUS
Exactly.
ICARUS
Remember, Ari -- swag!
DAEDALUS
And keep rocking that mustache!
2 INTRO 2
ANNOUNCER
Live From Mount Olympus is
produced by The Onassis
Foundation and is distributed
by PRX.
3 INTERIOR, PODCAST STUDIO 3
EROS
I've let loose the arrows of
love!
APHRODITE
Eros, you have such good aim,
my son!
EROS
Could you see their eyes glow
when my arrows hit their marks?
APHRODITE
Like the moon on a cloudless
night!
EROS
But I bet now you're going to
tell me I have to wait an
eternity until Theseus and
Ariadne meet again?
HERMES
Not quite eternity, Eros --
though it may feel that way to
you. We all know that every
good love story -- every good
story, in fact!
-- contains obstacles and
dangers blocking the way of
fair young hearts so they can
grow stronger...
EROS
Fine, fine. But all those
obstacles can be such a mood-
killer -- Why must we wait
around?
HERMES
Patience is a virtue, Eros. But
you're in luck -- Right now one
fair young heart is wandering
deep into the treacherous,
winding corridors of the
labyrinth...
Sound of a torch crackling.
Sound of Ariadne talking to herself echoing
faintly in the distance.
4 INT. THE LABYRINTH, NIGHT. 4
Sound of Ariadne's slow steps.
Sound of Ariadne's fingers tracing drawings
on the labyrinth walls.
Sound of quiet walking, and snake hissing.
ARIADNE
Hmm...where are the tributes? I
thought it was just down this
way... Okay... Left... and
then...
Sound of quiet walking.
ARIADNE
... follow around this curve
towards the right --
Ariadne gasps.
CHAMBER GUARD
Who goes there?
ARIADNE
("Good" in her
regular voice,
then she lowers it
drastically but
catches a coughing
fit)
Good... evening, it is...
(coughing).
CHAMBER GUARD
You OK?
ARIADNE
(coughing and then
speaking in low
voice)
I'm fine; it's just...
sometimes hard to talk with
this mustache! It's me, Icarus!
I've come to see the tributes.
CHAMBER GUARD
Icarus? Why have you pulled the
hood of your cloak down so low?
ARIADNE
(low voice)
So drafty, can't risk catching
a cold -- important stuff to do
in dad's workshop!
CHAMBER GUARD
(chuckling
sarcastically)
Right, very important... All
that banging at odd hours of
the day and night, giving
everyone a splitting
headache... Love that you're
always doing that.
ARIADNE
(low voice)
Happy to be of service.
CHAMBER GUARD
But why are you here?
ARIADNE
(low voice)
I have orders to see the
tributes.
CHAMBER GUARD
Not so fast, pipsqueak. I have
orders to keep everyone out!
Sound of Ariadne's snake hissing.
CHAMBER GUARD
(afraid)
What's that??
ARIADNE
(otherworldly
hypnotic
serpentine voice)
Yes, that's right, it's
important to follow orders.
There's a new order to let me
passsss. And as you follow your
orders to let me passsss, you
won't even remember that I was
even here.
CHAMBER GUARD
(trance-like)
Yes, of course, I have orders
that you may pass.
ARIADNE
(in her normal
voice)
Why, thank you.
Sound of heavy wooden door opening.
Sound of quick footsteps.
B roll of Ariadne exhaling with relief, like
a quiet "Whew" to make sure the moment
lands/completes.
5 INT. CHAMBER, NIGHT. 5
Sound of snoring.
Sound of flames crackling. We hear Ant and
Theseus talking in the distance but can't
make out what they're saying yet.
ARIADNE
whispering to
herself)
Is everyone asleep?... Oh
wait... Way over there...
Huddled in the corner... Oh my
gods, it's him?! My heart is
beating so loudly, he must be
able to hear it... I haven't
stopped thinking about him
since the bull dance. Get a
grip, girl!
ARIADNE
(hushed lower
voice)
Ahem.
Sound of Ant and Theseus jumping up.
ANT
(startled)
Yoooooo, don't sneak up on a
guy like that.
ARIADNE
(lower voice)
I'm sorry I... I didn't mean to
startle you.
ANT
I'm not startled... I'm just
ah...
THESEUS
Hypervigilant!
ARIADNE
(still with lowered
voice)
Makes sense -- of course you
tributes would be
hypervigilant.
ANT
Who are you and why are you
here?
ARIADNE
(lower voice)
I have private business with
Theseus. Come with me.
ANT
(laughing)
Over my dead body!
THESEUS
It's all good, Ant. I'm fine. I
just need a few minutes with
um...
ARIADNE
(low voice)
Icarus.
ANT
(concerned)
Theseus!
THESEUS
(calmly)
Go join the others and get some
sleep. I'll be back soon.
ANT
(begrudgingly)
Fine, but I got my eyes on you,
Icarus! And what's with that
'stache anyway? It's really
stringy...That would never pass
as a 'stache in Athens...
THESEUS
(sternly)
Ant!
(To Ariadne)
Don't mind him, it's a lovely
'stache.
ANT
(hastily)
I'm out!
Sound of angry footsteps.
6 INT. CHAMBER, NIGHT. 6
ARIADNE
(hushed low voice)
Theseus, come with me to the
dream chamber.
THESEUS
Wow, that sounds amazing. And
confusing.
ARIADNE
Don't worry. It's where healing
takes place.
THESEUS
This dream chamber cures
illness?
ARIADNE
(low voice)
Yes -- with snakes!
THESEUS
Um, I just try to rest and keep
hydrated for a few days. But
snakes?
He shudders.
ARIADNE
They have healed us for
thousands of years.
THESEUS
And I bet you would know --
Ariadne, snake-goddess-in-
waiting!
ARIADNE
How did you???
THESEUS
Your beautiful eyes, your
unique way of moving through
the world, your entirely
unconvincing 'stache.
ARIADNE
(giggling)
Hey, don't touch my 'stache.
THESEUS
(laughing)
What's this made of? Horsehair?
ARIADNE
Close -- it's Icarus hair.
THESEUS
How does this dream chamber
work?
ARIADNE
Well, if someone is suffering
in body, heart, or mind -- the
priestesses give them a special
potion and send them down here
to sleep with the snakes. When
they awaken, they tell the
priestesses their dreams, and
are given the medicine they
need. But go on about my eyes?
THESEUS
I would know your eyes anywhere
after gazing into them when I
presented the bull...
ARIADNE
And my eyes would know you
anywhere too.
THESEUS
But why are you here?
ARIADNE
I -- I don't have a great
answer for that, I just...knew
I had to see you.
THESEUS
Well, I happen to think that is
a great answer.
Silence.
ARIADNE
You were looking off into the
distance. What were you just
thinking about?
THESEUS
I was thinking about the first
time I saw you.
ARIADNE
At the bull dance?
THESEUS
No -- It was the moment we
arrived in Heraklion harbor --
You and your mother, dancing,
up on the cliff with the fire
and the....
(shuddering)
snakes...
ARIADNE
(laughing)
Why do you keep saying "snakes"
like that?
THESEUS
Like what?
ARIADNE
(mocking him,
shuddering)
Snakes!
THESEUS
I said it in a normal way. I
said it in a totally normal
way.
ARIADNE
You said it in a totally
freaked out way and your eyes
got really big.
THESEUS
Well... If it sounded like I
was freaked out, it's not my
fault, it's just that snakes
are slimy and sneaky and ugh, I
just don't like them!
ARIADNE
(laughing)
Alright, then. Just how many
snakes have you touched?
THESEUS
I've touched like... like a
hundred... maybe two hundred
snakes. A lot of snakes!
ARIADNE
Oh, I see -- two hundred slimy
snakes. That must have been so
difficult for you.
THESEUS
Well, I wouldn't say it was
difficult...
ARIADNE
You've never touched a snake in
your life, Theseus!
THESEUS
And how could you possibly know
that?
ARIADNE
You're not the only perceptive
one. And this is your lucky
night! I happen to have a
little friend up my sleeve who
will come out and --
THESEUS
(shudders)
Uh uh!
ARIADNE
Come on. You should feel
honored -- Drakaina rarely lets
anyone but me touch her...
THESEUS
Who in their right mind carries
a snake up her sleeve?
Sound of hissing.
ARIADNE
The snake goddess in waiting --
THESEUS
But why snakes?
ARIADNE
Because they're always
connected to Gaia -- to Mother
Earth.
THESEUS
This snake's not gonna bite me?
ARIADNE
I promise.
Sound of gentle hissing.
THESEUS
Whoa! She's um... she's so
smooth. Her scales are dry --
not slimy!
ARIADNE
(chuckling)
See!
THESEUS
(puffing up)
Y'know, the last time I touched
something so strange, I was a
little kid, maybe five, and my
cousin Heracles came to visit.
He wore that Nemean lion skin
and all the other kids were
terrified -- but not me! I
marched right up to him and ran
my fingers down its fur, it was
soooooo smooth...
ARIADNE
Heracles was here, too --
before I was born. He captured
the bull from the sea.
THESEUS
I know that bull! I caught him
in Marathon! And led him to
Athens, where I sacrificed him
to Athena!
ARIADNE
(sadly)
Hmmmmmm. That was a sacred
bull, sent by Poseidon -- it
killed my brother Androgeous in
Marathon -- and was the father
of...
THESEUS
The Minotaur!
ARIADNE
Yes. That is what my father
calls him, always in a
terrible, angry voice. But my
mother gave him another name --
Asterion.
THESEUS
The Starry One.
ARIADNE
Yes.
THESEUS
I want to hear more about the
Minotaur, but first I need to
know -- Did you always love
snakes?
ARIADNE
(laughing)
Are you kidding? When I was
little, snakes slithered
through my nightmares,
intertwining themselves around
my legs, my belly, my arms, my
neck. I'd wake up screaming! I
was terrified of snakes!
THESEUS
Whoa! What changed?
ARIADNE
(quietly)
My mother taught me well...
7 FLASHBACK: INT. ARIADNE'S BEDROOM, LATE 7
NIGHT.
Sound of a blood-curdling scream of a little
girl (6 or 7 years old) echoing from the
past, and the echo of snakes hissing.
Sound of a woman's footsteps in a hall at
night.
YOUNG ARIADNE
(breathing heavily)
Help! HELP! SNAKES!!!!!
PASIPHAE
Ariadne!
(comforting her)
Shhhhh. Another nightmare?
YOUNG ARIADNE
(crying)
Mama!!! Why can't you be the
rabbit or kitten priestess??
Why must you be the snake
goddess on earth?
PASIPHAE
Because that is who I am,
daughter. And that is who you
will become.
YOUNG ARIADNE
I don't want anything to do
with snakes! They're awful! I
dreamed snakes covered every
part of me! It was terrifying!
PASIPHAE
I've been waiting for this
sign.
YOUNG ARIADNE
Sign?
PASIPHAE
Take a deep breath, Ariadne.
Tell me some things you know
about these marvelous
creatures.
YOUNG ARIADNE
Snakes bite people!
PASIPHAE
Not all snakes. What else?
YOUNG ARIADNE
They're always slithering
around!
PASIPHAE
Yes, they're in constant
contact with Gaia, our Mother
Earth, and they hear all her
secrets. You know what else?
YOUNG ARIADNE
What?
PASIPHAE
Snakes shed their skin -- they
become new.
YOUNG ARIADNE
So they never get old like
people do?
PASIPHAE
Well, snakes do get old, but
you could say they live many
short lives within one long one
because they are reborn again
and again and again.
YOUNG ARIADNE
(reluctantly)
I guess that's kind of cool...
PASIPHAE
Snakes are deeply connected to
many gods -- When your
intended, Dionysus, was born,
Zeus crowned him with snakes.
YOUNG ARIADNE
A crown made of snakes -- yuck!
What does "your intended" mean?
PASIPHAE
As snake goddess to be, you are
betrothed to the great god
Dionysus!
YOUNG ARIADNE
"Betrozhed"?
PASIPHAE
You'll understand when you're
older.
YOUNG ARIADNE
Mom! I'm seven -- tell me now!
PASIPHAE
A goddess-in-waiting needs to
learn how to, well, wait...
Sound of snake hissing.
YOUNG ARIADNE
Nooo! A snake is slithering out
of your sleeve! Get it away
from me! Get it away from me?
PASIPHAE
Ariadne, meet Drakaina.
SNAKE
(emphasizing the
sibilance)
Nice to meet you, goddesssss to
be...
YOUNG ARIADNE
Snakes can TALK?!
SNAKE
I sssspeak. But not everyone
can hear.
YOUNG ARIADNE
I...I hear you!
PASIPHAE
Of course you hear her --
you're my daughter. Touch her.
YOUNG ARIADNE
No! I'm scared.
PASIPHAE
You will learn to push through
your fear -- You are goddess to
be.
YOUNG ARIADNE
Mom...
SNAKE
I am your partner, goddesssss
to be... Trusssst me.
YOUNG ARIADNE
OK... I um... I trust you... I
trust you.
Sound of snake hissing in pleasure.
YOUNG ARIADNE
(laughing)
You're so smoooooooooth!
PASIPHAE
How do you feel now?
YOUNG ARIADNE
Strange...like I might shed my
skin too... May I hold her?
PASIPHAE
Of course. This is not my snake
-- Drakaina is yours.
8 INT. CHAMBER, NIGHT. 8
THESEUS
Whoa -- I'd heard Knossos was
full of strange things -- but
snakes that talk???
ARIADNE
Is that so unlike your oracle
at Delphi? We may be very
different people, but we grow
from the same root.
THESEUS
That's true...but what's all
this "betrothed to Dionysus"
stuff? Is that really a thing?
ARIADNE
Nah -- That's been said about
the goddess in waiting for
generation after generation,
but Dionysus has never shown
up, so my guess is it's some
ancient priestess lore or
something...
THESEUS
You know, my mother is a
priestess too.
ARIADNE
A priestess, really?
THESEUS
Really! When I was little she
took me along to all the
rituals. I had no idea what was
happening. I just remember a
feeling, you know? A feeling of
strangeness, of power... Once I
was able to talk, I was
forbidden to go with her. Moms
can be so mysterious.
ARIADNE
The only time I spend with my
mom is at ceremonies and when
she's training with me... It's
a little lonely...
THESEUS
I felt lonely growing up too...
It's not easy to connect with
royal parents...
BEAT
ARIADNE
Ah, bull dance practice starts
early tomorrow -- you should
rest.
THESEUS
(sadly)
Yeah.
ARIADNE
Promise never to tell anyone of
our meeting.
THESEUS
I promise. But why have you
risked so much to find me? My
winning personality?
ARIADNE
Before your ego gets too big,
it's because I must hear your
answers to some important
questions. I will return to ask
them tomorrow night.
THESEUS
Promise?
ARIADNE
I promise. Don't miss me too
much, Theseus. Farewell.
Sound of Ariadne walking off.
THESEUS
(calling after her)
Ariad -- I mean Icarus!
ARIADNE
(hushed deeper
voice from a
distance)
Do you miss me yet?
THESEUS
I think I'm going to miss you
too much.
ARIADNE
(happily)
Good night, Theseus.
THESEUS
Good night!
9 INT. PODCAST STUDIO, DAY. 9
EROS
Why didn't they kiss? I saw
the arrows hit, I saw their
eyes glow -- What's the problem
with these two?
APHRODITE
Patience, Eros -- You heard the
catch in his voice when he
called after her -- he's
clearly smitten --
HERMES
And girl, she's smitten, too.
You know, for someone who's
supposed to be all playful and
mischievous, you do worry a
great deal, Eros.
APHRODITE
You must have noticed the hope
in her little smile when he
called her back?
EROS
I liked that. But where is the
kissing and the smooching?
APHRODITE
You, of all gods, know that
there are different kinds of
fires. Some burn quickly and
brightly, others smolder for a
while before the sparks fully
catch...
HERMES
And, baby, tonight the sparks
were flying!
EROS
(excitedly)
So they'll kiss when they meet
again?
HERMES
Well... We'll all just have to
wait to find out -- next time
on Live From Mount Olympus!
THE END
CREDITS
ANNOUNCER
Live From Mount Olympus is
produced by the Onassis
Foundation. Karen Brooks
Hopkins is executive producer.
Our series creator and
showrunner is Julie Burstein.
Live From Mount Olympus is co-
produced by Brooklyn-based
theatre collective The TEAM.
Our co-directors are Rachel
Chavkin, Zhailon Levingston,
Keenan Tyler-Oliphant, and
Josiah Davis, with additional
direction by Joan Sergei. And
our actors are: Eric Berryman,
MaYaa Boateng --
ARIADNE
Oh, I see -- two hundred slimy
snakes. That must have been so
difficult for you.
ANNOUNCER
Sean Carvajal --
CHAMBER GUARD
Not so fast, pipsqueak. I have
orders to keep everyone out!
ANNOUNCER
EJ Duarte --
ANT
Yoooooo, don't sneak up on a
guy like that.
ANNOUNCER
Jill Frutkin --
APHRODITE
You heard the catch in his
voice when he called after her -
- he's clearly smitten!
ANNOUNCER
Divine Garland, Adrienne
Hopkins, Natalie Hopkins,
Caroline Hopkins, Modesto
"Flako" Jimenez, Na'Shay Kelly,
Julian Hart-King, Libby King,
Ian Lassiter, Zhailon
Levingston, Evalisse Lopez,
Kimberly Marable --
PASIPHAE
A goddess-in-waiting needs to
learn how to, well, wait...
ANNOUNCER
Jake Margolin, Marcel Isaiah
Martinez, James Harrison
Monaco, Xavier Pacheco --
THESEUS
I just try to rest and keep
hydrated for a few days. But
snakes?
ANNOUNCER
Joham Palma, Damir Priestley,
Angel Rodriguez, Conor Sweeney -
-
EROS
I've let loose the arrows of
love!
ANNOUNCER
Jillian Walker, and André de
Shields is Hermes!
HERMES
We all know that every good
love story -- every good story,
in fact -- contains obstacles
and dangers blocking the way of
fair young hearts.
ANNOUNCER
The TEAM's producing director
is Emma Orme, and associate
producer is Sabine Decatur.
Casting support from Melissa
Friedman, co-artistic director
of Epic Theatre Ensemble. Live
From Mount Olympus is written
by Nathan Yungerberg, with
additional writing by Julie
Burstein and Jason Adam
Katzenstein. Audio production
and mix by John Melillo. Audio
editing and sound design by
Yonatan Rekem. Magdalini
Giannikou composed our original
music, which was performed by
Banda Magda, and mixed and
mastered by Luca Bordonaro.
Jason Adam Katzenstein created
our illustrations and is series
humor consultant.
A big thank you to our creative
advisors Dr. Michael Cohen and
Richard Nodell. Mandy Boikou is
administrative director and
Sofia Pipa is project manager
at Onassis USA. Will McClelland
is our production assistant and
Gizelle Winter is our series
antiquities consultant. Live
From Mount Olympus was recorded
with engineers Roy Hendrickson,
Mor Mezrich, Matthew Sullivan,
and Matthew Soares at the Power
Station at Berklee NYC. Press
by Grand Communications.
Graphic design by Onassis
Creative Studio. Live From
Mount Olympus is distributed by
PRX. Want to learn more about
Hermes and the Olympians? Check
out our website at
www.onassis.link/olympus. Since
1975, the Onassis Foundation
has been dedicated to culture,
community, and education, with
projects that can effectively
inspire social change and
justice across borders. Learn
more at www.onassis.org.