The Lightning Thief at Empress Theatre

I have been obsessed with Greek mythology all my life for obvious reasons (google my first name) so I was really excited when the Empress Theatre announced The Lightning Thief as part of their 2026 season. I was so excited I got a ticket for opening night and I had the best time watching this energetic show with a large and boisterous crowd! Perseus "Percy" Jackson (Elias Silva) is expelled from his fifth school in as many years after he kills a Fury masquerading as a substitute math teacher named Mrs. Dodds (Cheryl Cripps) on a field trip. His mother Sally (Monique Derr) takes him to the beach to explain why he has powers that he cannot control but, before she can reveal anything, they are attacked by a Minotaur who kills her before Percy can kill it. Soon after, his Latin teacher Mr. Brunner reveals that he is really Chiron (Konnor Hafen), a centaur, and that his best friend Grover Underwood (Parker Skeen) is really a satyr, a goat-like creature, before taking him to Camp Half-Blood, a refuge for the children of humans and gods. The camp counselor Dionysius (Josh Starr) introduces him to Luke Castellan (Beck Bassett), the son of Hermes, Annabeth Chase (Eloise Derr), the daughter of Athena, Silena Beauregard (M. Francis Le), the daughter of Aphrodite, Kate Gardner (Fiona Derr), the daughter of Demeter, and Clarisse LaRue (Lucy Bawden), the daughter of Ares. He also eventually discovers that he is the son of Poseidon (Josh Starr). However, he is accused of of stealing Zeus's lightning bolt and must go on a quest to retrieve it from the real thief, Hades (Konnor Hafen), to prevent a war between the gods. On the journey to the Underworld, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth encounter three Furies, Medusa, and the Chimera but, when they finally arrive, Hades informs them that they have been manipulated by Ares. This culminates in an epic battle in which Percy is helped by Poseidon. They return to Camp Half-Blood heroes but learn that they must face an even bigger threat. I really love this show because, while it is an amusing and clever take on Greek mythology that will make you laugh, it is also a poignant story about the struggle to fit in and feel good enough and seeing this young and talented cast embody this struggle so well is incredibly moving. Silva is an enthusiastic and charismatic Percy who is very entertaining to watch but I was most impressed by his touching performance of "Good Kid." I had a similar reaction to "My Grand Plan" by Derr and "The Tree on the Hill" by Bassett because the emotion is palpable and they gave me goosebumps. The ensemble cast, most of whom play multiple parts, is also outstanding but my favorites are Hafen because he is absolutely hilarious as both Chiron and Hades and Cheryl Cripps because she brings the house down as Charon in the song "D.O.A." The minimal set, which features three large columns made of fabric and plaques representing all of the gods, and the contemporary costumes (I especially loved the Camp Half-Blood t-shirts) are very effective and I really enjoyed the energetic choreography. Finally, one of the reasons I love seeing shows at small community theaters is because they have to be really clever when it comes to special effects (they usually don't have the technical wizardry or the budget for elaborate spectacles) and this production does a brilliant job of portraying the monsters with just colored lights, shadows, and projections. This is so much fun and it has an important message about belonging so I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through August 8.