Monologue Monday: Iris in Thunderbolts and Dunderheads (Todd McGinnis)

This week takes us back to the ancient Greek dramas and comedies of Plato, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Aristophanes. Just kidding. But there are ancient Greek gods involved.

Isn’t that a lightning bolt? Via here.

Todd McGinnis‘ play Thunderbolts and Dunderheads takes office downsizing to Mt. Olympus as this summary explains.

IRIS, the Goddess-Of-Rainbows goes to “head office” on Mount Olympus looking for a promotion. INSTEAD… She’s threatened with being “down-sized”—permanently!
Her only hope of survival is to take on the one job no one else wants, Personal Assistant to the most dangerous employer of all time—Zeus himself! NOW… ZEUS wants Iris to help him make a “love connection” with a visiting Nordic Goddess. BUT… ZEUS’S WIFE, the Queen of the Gods, has ordered Iris to ruin Zeus’s fun… OR ELSE! So what’s a poor goddess to do?

It sounds pretty goofy. Within this play, Iris has her own monologue – she wants more respect from mortals and hopes for a promotion from ol’ Zeus.

Which of the following Irises should mortals respect more? Thanks again to all the actors putting themselves out there!

A

B

 

C

 

D

 

These are some high-caliber actors. And just for fun there are a couple of bonus videos. If you want to learn more about Iris, there’s this explainer:

 

And for those curious about the supposed healing powers of rainbows, there’s always this:

 

Good times.

For a complete list of monologues, click here.