On November 20th, 21st, and 22nd 2025 Cue and Curtain – Clarkstown North’s drama club – stunned audiences with their performance of The Iliad, The Odyssey, and all of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less by Jay Hopkins and John Hunter, with direction by Mr. Reid, English teacher and Cue and Curtain advisor. In this captivating fall comedy, the actors recited all the myths, legends, and stories from The Iliad and The Odyssey whilst under the strict time limit of 99 minutes. The comedy was high energy and celebrated the myths, and, at the same time, parodied the myths with modern references – such as celebrity romances, video games, and sports channels – all with a satirical tone.
With the strict time limit, the cast went from one scene to another rapidly. “Having such a short time limit was stressful for both myself and my castmates,” exclaimed Cue and Curtain secretary Alexandra Brewer. “It was very difficult to make the show understandable while making sure it was within the time limit, but we pulled it off in the end.” Indeed, on opening night the show finished in 96 min 18 sec, the second in 95 minutes and 27 seconds, the matinee in 95 minutes and 21 seconds, and closing night in 94 minutes and 48 seconds.
The show also featured cameos from familiar faces around Clarkstown North. Each night, an audience member was picked to act as Semele, who is the mother of Dionysus with Zeus, during a back and forth between Zeus and Hera. On opening night, English teacher Ms. Phalen was chosen to play this role, and during the matinee show, English teacher Ms. Fischer was chosen to play Semele. Furthermore, for the matinee show during the Pandora’s Box scene, AP Mr. Stoll was chosen to be “Frank,” who is not an actual character from the myths, as he was entrusted with the key to open the box.
“My favorite part of the show is how bonded the cast was,” commented Adi Kushnir ‘27, who played Menelaus, “Everyone in the cast was very approachable at all times. The whole cast was all friends with each other and that is what made the show so much better.” This collaboration made the show that much more memorable to the cast and crew with a shared sense of energy and authenticity.
Overall, the show was a massive success with four sold out shows – with the cast and crew giving their all for each performance. Cue and Curtain will begin auditions for the Spring Musical Guys and Dolls in the beginning of December 2025 with production dates of March 19th, 20th, 21st 2026. For more information go to cueandcurtain.com.
