Argonauts, Gods, and Monsters, Oh My! Argonautika Character and Cast List

Welcome back, future voyagers! To prepare to attend the show June 2-17 in the Pardoe Theater, here is a list of the show's characters, placed in the following categories:

• Argonauts
• Gods, Goddesses, and Creatures
• Other Characters

Brief descriptions have been provided. A character map will also be featured in the program. This will help you see how everyone fits together. Plus, the costume renderings below (provided by co-costume designers Hannah Cutler and Juliette Lewis) will help you recognize the characters on stage. Lastly, many actors in our 16-member cast play multiple characters in the show, so a cast list is provided at the bottom of the blog, which will also be in the program. Mary Zimmerman (and greek mythology) sure do love lots of people in their stories! Perhaps it makes it more epic and unforgettable. If you desire to do more research on Greek mythology, I recommend these sites:

• http://www.greek-gods.org/    
• http://www.theoi.com/  
• https://www.greekmythology.com/

THE ARGONAUTS

Jason

• nephew to Pelias,
• husband to Medea,
• captain of the Argo
• leader of the Argonauts    

Pelias’s Son

• cousin to Jason

Idmon 

• physically blind
• seer of visions in the future

Tiphys

• helmsman of the Argo

Castor & Pollux: 

• Sons to Zeus

Hercules

• Son of Zeus

Hylas

• companion/arms bearer of Hercules

Atalanta 

• the only female argonaut
• extremely fast

Zetes

• Son of Boreas

Meleager

• son of Oenus (king of Calydon) and Althaea (who will briefly appear in the play)
• cursed by the Fates to die when a particular log completely burns up
• Althaea saved him...for now

Uncle

• uncle to Meleager

GODS, GODDESSES, AND CREATURES   

Hera

• wife to Zeus

Athena

• daughter to Zeus

Boreas

• god of the North Wind
• father to Zetes

Amycus

• monstrous boxer
• son of Poseidon

Aphrodite 

• goddess of Love
• daughter of Zeus
• mother to Eros

Eros

• son of Aphrodite
• makes people call in love with his bow and arrow

Goddesses of the Desert      

Dryope

• nymph
• seduces Hylas to join the rest of the nymphs

OTHER CHARACTERS

King Pelias

• king of Iolcos, usurped throne from Jason’s father Aeson
• Brother to Aeson, uncle to Jason

Cepheus and Asterion

• King Pelias's servants

Aeson

• Jason’s father

Alcimedes

• Jason's mother

Dymas

• traveler who joins the Argo during the voyage and helps Jason and the Argonauts prepare for feats along the way

Phineus

• former king of Thrace
• blind
• tormented by the harpies
• cursed to be prevented from ever eating

Harpies

• birdlike creatures that eat away at Phineus's food, preventing him from eating

• king of Colchis
• father to Medea and Apsyrtos

Medea

• Aeetes’s Daughter
• wife to Jason

• Medea’s fiancé

Apsyrtos

• Medea’s brother

Andromeda

• royalty, captured by Amycus the Boxer
• Hercules and Hylas set her free

       
CAST LIST The information below shows how we have divvied up the roles between cast members. This will be in the program when you attend the show. For those who were cast as more than one character, why do you think the actor was given these specific roles? As you watch the show, ask yourself if any of the characters played by the same person have any similarities. Other than costumes, how do the creative actors choose to differentiate their many characters?