Synopsis

Raised by a she-bear in the Arcadian forest after being abandoned because of her sex, Atalanta (“equal in weight”) has only ever experienced connection with the wildness of the forest surrounding her. On her eighteenth birthday and prompted by the patronage of the goddess Artemis, she returns to Grecian society on a quest to discover the life that could have been hers. An exquisite hunter and runner, she is a staggering anomaly within her own culture and struggles with understanding herself and her fellow Greeks.

Will she claim the life she lost or will she fail at being human, after all?  

The Long Shot explores sapphic desire, queer intimacy, gender non-conformity, and familial obligation while confronting patriarchal control and mythic heroism. At its core, it resurrects an ancient Amazon archetype to celebrate the wild feminine and ask what it truly means to be human.

Up Next:

May 18, 2026 | New York Theatre Barn’s New Works Series

the music.

Atalanta: The Long Shot is a completely new musical in every sense of the word, combining elements of vaudeville, electronica, rock, and even Greek tragedy to create a world of its own. The elements of this piece take direct inspiration from the character of Atalanta: someone who is marvelously different.

the hero.

When she is introduced to civilization, Atalanta experiences what it's like to suddenly have her gender affect her opportunity, her autonomy, her ability to relate to others, and her expression. She is one of the strongest female-identified characters in Greek mythology because her desires and abilities exist outside the realm of societal expectation.  When confronted with biases, underestimation, and patriarchal control, she responds the only way she knows how: humble defiance. 

the story.

Exploring the complexities of an intimate relationship between a non-male hero and a goddess, themes of familial responsibility and ownership, gender non-conformity (quite under-represented on the stage!) and the exciting conflict of heroic battles to the death; this show offers us a new way to understand what it means to be human. Truly a hero like no other, Atalanta’s story warns us how ugly society can be when women run too fast.