Odyssey

When war is the catalyst, the path to forgiveness is an Odyssey. This original adaptation of Homer’s classic, written and directed by Kate Marks, playfully uses anachronism and humor to examine the repercussions of war.

Using lies and deceit, you’ve won the war waged in the sand. Now all you have to do is sail home… no problem. Your men? Eaten like baby sausages by a Cyclops. Your manhood? At the mercy of a woman who could turn you into a pig. Your ship? A bone to a six-headed salty dog. The wrath of a WWF Poseidon. Ten years lost at sea… and you thought the ’80s was a bad decade.

Odysseus’ voyage is a journey of redemption. After a decade of fighting the Trojan War, triumphant Odysseus ignores Cassandra’s plea for protection from his soldiers. Angered by the brutality of the soldiers, the goddess Athena punishes him with a great storm that flings him off course. Odysseus leads his men through many of the famous trials of Homer’s The Odyssey (Including the Lotus Eaters, the Cyclops, Circe, The Underworld and The Sirens) as he attempts to reconcile his hubris with the tragic results it has on his fortunes.

Taking inspiration from clown and dance, this production utilizes the bold physicality of the actors to stage the impossibilities of the play (including shape-shifting from men to animals, a towering Cyclops, a half-man/half-woman prophet and an epic sea storm). This production illuminates the theme of transformation as Athena shape-shifts into a stag, a pig and Penelope, while Poseidon changes into a rope and Telemachus. However, the deepest transformation will be the nature of Odysseus himself.

Appropriate For Ages: 13+