Percy Jackson Takes the Stage – and Absolutely Crushes It

On Friday, April 11, 2025, Daytona State College’s theater program put on an awesome production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical! From start to finish, it kept the audience engaged with strong acting, a creative set, and plenty of energy.

DSC student Seth Kirk was a great fit for Percy Jackson, He brought just the right mix of humor, confidence, and charm to the role, making Percy feel real and relatable. Whether he was facing off against monsters or tossing out sarcastic remarks, Kirk kept the crowd invested in his performance.

Jordan Goddard also stood out, she juggled multiple roles—including Sally Jackson and Charon, and others, all while delivering consistently impressive vocals. At one point, when she hit an especially high note, the audience let out a sharp little ooh! in awe, reacting instinctively to the strength of her voice.

The set design was a major win, too. Instead of using a traditional backdrop, they used scaffolding that let the actors climb and move across different levels. It added so much energy to the show and kept the action flowing in a way that felt fresh and exciting, and the lighting effects that they used throughout the performance were awesome as well; lots glowing blues/purples, and reds/oranges that gave the whole stage a kind of cinematic look.

Tezza-7458JPG Caption: The two teams getting ready for a fight to capture the flag. Photo byMia Alexander.

Beyond the technical elements, the show’s humor was a major highlight. The cast had sharp comedic timing, especially when they were delivering joke after joke, or when Percy had quick sarcastic comebacks, particularly when they had to do with him being a demigod when he was only in middle school. It kept the energy levels up and the audience laughing throughout. Especially in one scene where Percy, Grover, and Annabeth were on a train headed to LA for their hero’s quest and Annabeth was half asleep, dreaming, and said “Mom?… he remembered my birthday!…”

Between the talent, the staging, and the overall creativity of their performers and crew, The Lightning Thief was a total win for DSC’s theater program. Their hard work brought the show to life in a fun, and memorable way.