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The only set strictly required for this production are three-tiered show choir risers, but a projector screen for backgrounds would enhance the experience. The following are my ideas on various other aspects of the production.
Runtime, Intermission, and Changes to Songs:
Currently the runtime of the released albums is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes long. The Epic wiki says that the whole saga is supposedly 2hr 6min long, but I am prone to doubt that the last two sagas will fit into 20 minutes when the five-song sagas seem to average around 15 minutes each. I’m going to assume that the entire concept album, once released, will be around 2.5 hours long. For comparison, Hadestown has approximately a 2.5 hour runtime that includes intermission. If every song in Epic were played as is, and we include a 15-minute intermission and another, say, 10 minutes for scene changes throughout the length of the show, we’d be looking at a 3-hour production. I’m not saying that it hasn’t been or can’t be done, but for the sake of an audience that will be primarily parents and grandparents, and especially for the actors (who are minors in this scenario), I aim to keep the entire production’s time to 2.5 hours including a 15-minute intermission between Act 1 and Act 2. This means that some songs will have to be altered to fit the runtime.
Scene Changes, the Moirai, and the Chorus
To facilitate scene and costume changes (and brief water breaks for our main cast), I have added in the characters of the Moirai aka The Fates. They also serve the purpose of providing exposition to the members of the audience who didn’t grow up on Percy Jackson and Greek mythology like those of us who love this musical.
I had considered this role to go to a ‘Chorus’ a la the role of the chorus in traditional Greek plays. However, in Epic, the people who serve the modern role of the chorus (ie the big group of background singers), are Odysseus’s Crew, and I wanted to preserve some of that aspect for. I envision that for most of the time, the roles of the background chorus would be shared between the Crew, and the dead Greeks and Trojans who stand along the edges of the risers, half in shadow; as the Crew die, they join the Chorus in the side-stage shadows.
Costuming:
‘Armor’ costumes could be purchased as cheap, Spirit Halloween level plastic breastplates and helmets; alternatively, breastplates could be made from cardboard, metallic spray paint, and/or the help of Art Department students. The aim of costuming is not to be realistic, but to make characters easily distinguishable to even a distant audience with the use of colors to designate groups (ie Odysseus’s crew vs Meneleus’s men vs the Torjans), and the use of silhouettes to distinguish individuals (such as Odysseus and Eurolychus’s differing helmets).
If short on funds or supplies/time, reserve breastplates and other distinguishing pieces of costume for main named characters, primarily Odysseus, Polites, Eurolychus, and Athena. The following are how I would dress some of the characters:
Odysseus wears a breastplate over a red short-sleeved shirt and a sword at his hip. He sometimes carriers a red-plumed helmet but rarely wears it. If costuming allows, he may wear a red half-cape. The outline of a wolf’s head is painted or printed on his breastplate.
Eurolychus wears the same, but with an non-plumed helmet.
Polites wears the same as Eurolychus, but with some distinguishing detail; ie longer or shorter sleeves, a different style of helmet, glasses, Eurylochus wears a half-cape where Polites does not, etc.
Odysseus’s Crew wear breastplates with wolves’ heads over red t-shirts, or just red t-shirts if there are not enough breastplates.
Athena wears a breastplate over a blue dress and a helmet with a blue plume, and carries a spear and shield. LED lights on her helmet give the appearance of blue glowing eyes; LEDs on her spear and shield could further designate her divinity.
(Note: I know her eyes are grey in mythology, but I don’t think there are many ways to make that read well at a distance, whereas blue LEDs are easy to get).
Props and Special Effects:
My only ideas on props are to either go the Spirit Halloween route, or to make creative use of cardboard, metallic spray paint, and LED lights. Special effects can be as limited as intense use of lighting effects and a projector screen for backgrounds.
Personal Casting Decisions:
Odysseus is shorter than both Athena and Eurylochus.
Odysseus, Polites, and Eurylochus can be played by actors of any gender. This is never addressed in any way. No lyrics change to make it "gender accurate".
Neo, as the pre-teen son of Achilles, is the shortest and/or youngest-looking member of the chorus, perhaps even a member of the Jr. High choir.
Changes to the Tracklist / Song Order
The Troy Saga: The Horse and the Infant, Warrior of the Mind, Just a Man, The Journey Begins (Full Speed Ahead + Open Arms medley)
The Cyclops Saga: Cyclops' Lair (Polyphemus + Survive), Remember Them, My Goodbye
The Ocean Saga: Storm, Who You Can Trust (Luck Runs Out + Keep Your Friends Close), Ruthlessness
The Circe Saga: Puppeteer, Wouldn’t You Like (Abridged), Done For, There Are Other Ways
The Underworld Saga: the same as in the concept album
The Thunder Saga: Suffering (Revised), Different Beast, Scylla, Mutiny (Revised), Thunderbringer
The Wisdom Saga: Legendary, We’ll be Fine, Love in Paradise (Abridged), God Games
There will likely be changes to Not Sorry for Loving You in the Vengeance Saga.