Nobody ever compared his speed to that of a bullet, or his power to that of a locomotive, as those things weren’t around in ancient Greece. And as for leaping over tall buildings, that was probably small potatoes for the mythological deity Zeus. But, the god of sky and thunder said, there are many similarities between ancient “superheroes” and today’s web slingers and men of steel.
Local storyteller Terry Lynch took on the guise of Zeus for a recent fundraiser hosted by the Dyer Arts Visionaries, or DAVe. The program Superheroes Then and Now was held in conjunction with the Dyer Historical Society at Dyer Town Hall and kicked off an effort to showcase DAVe’s latest project — a brick fundraiser to garner funds for a sculpture to be placed on the corner of Hart Street and U.S. 30 in Dyer.
The group is selling bricks that will be set around the concrete pad already built at the corner. Funds from the sales of these bricks will go toward the purchase and placement of public art on the pad. A sculpture representing the community is in the planning stages.
“It is DAVe’s hope that enough money will be raised to place more artwork in and around the town of Dyer, as well (as the sculpture),” said Paul Benninghoff, founder and president of the group.
His group is a grass roots organization committed to promoting the visual and performing arts in and around the surrounding communities of Dyer.
But at the fundraiser, the focus was on characters that are larger than life.
“I’m a big superheroes fan of all time,” said Daniel Strong of Highland as he waited for the program to begin. “I have no idea what’s to be presented, but my mind’s open.”
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As the sky and thunder god who ruled from Mount Olympus, Zeus discussed the similarities between heroes of the past and those of today.
“Your heroes seem to be a lot like those we had,” he told the audience. “For instance, Pericles from my day was a helpful man, improving life for the people of Athens in many ways, just like Peter Parker, your Spider-Man of today, who always likes to help people in trouble.”
Zeus also mentioned Hercules — the Roman name for the Greek hero Heracles, who was the son of Zeus — as someone who took the weight of the world on his shoulders, performing super-human tasks. “Just like your strong man, Superman,” Zeus said.
Audience member Jim Lohrman of Dyer found the presentation comical as well as informative.
“We’re getting a little history lesson here, since Zeus is talking about the lives of ancient people we’ve heard little about,” he said. “And he’s keeping it interesting by joking about these characters and keeping us laughing.”
The Dyer Arts Visionaries group is comprised of individuals joining together to enrich the Dyer community through the arts. They currently display local artists’ work in Dyer businesses such as Centier Bank, Intrigue Salon & Day Spa, The Candy Cafe and Symphony Home.
More information is at [email protected] or 219-670-3958.
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.