Live From Mount Olympus |
Atalanta

Ancient Greek myths tell tales of many heroes – but only one of them is female. Atalanta is abandoned at birth in the deep forest, where all expect her to perish. Instead, she’s adopted by a mama bear, who raises her as her own. As Atalanta grows, she knows she is loved but senses that she is different – she doesn’t look like her brother and sister, she runs on two legs faster than they can on four, she has no fur of her own. But if she’s not a bear, then what is she?

Artemis teaches the bear girl how to hunt, Athena teaches her the finer points of human society, and Atalanta becomes a skilled archer, ready for adventure. She joins the greatest heroes in Greece (who are furious about having a girl in their midst) to hunt a wild boar ravaging Calydon. Atalanta surprises them all.

Confronted by so many people who urge her to do what they want, Atalanta has to fight to forge her own path, and to figure out who she is and where she belongs.

Once upon a time, myths helped us understand how the world works and how we find our place within it. They still do.

"I grew up not having an awareness of the Ancient Greek Myths, so a big part of the joy of Live from Mount Olympus has been my own personal discovery of these stories. Being introduced to them, through Nathan Yungerberg's retelling and the voices of a cast that spans generations and cultures, has revealed these myths' power to reflect the complexities of humanity in a way that is accessible and joyous. I am thrilled and always so moved at being a part of passing on these myths to another generation while having the power to imprint ourselves onto these stories. I’m always hopeful that a newer generation will feel reflected in our retelling and then empowered to imprint themselves on history."

- Keenan Tyler Oliphant, Director

"The third season of our podcast, “Live From Mount Olympus,” tells the story of a tiny baby girl cast out by her own parents and raised by a loving family of BEARS!

While her upbringing may not be traditional, Atalanta (our heroine), grows into a fierce, determined young woman ready to chart her own destiny and make her mark in the world.

Atalanta’s story, like so many of the Greek myths, depicts a world much like our own but amplified on a gigantic scale.

As we consider, for example, a girl being raised by a bear family, it reminds us that all different kinds of families exist and that any of them can provide the right circumstances for a child to mature and become a productive and empathic member of society."

-Karen Brooks Hopkins, Executive Producer

"Working on Live From Mount Olympus with the TEAM and Onassis Foundation has been one of the most joyful experiences, and I think you can feel that joy embedded in the podcasts themselves. These are ancient stories, and yet somehow in the voices of our sensational multi-generational cast — and retold by vibrant writer (and parent!) Nathan Yungerberg, they feel fresh. Radical and strange, our re-telling of these myths balances weight and philosophy with silliness and exuberance. And as someone who was addicted to mythology as a kid, from Andromeda to Anansi, I love being a part of (re)introducing these stories to a new generation."

- Rachel Chavkin, Director