BLACK ODYSSEY Now Being Presented at Hattiloo Theatre

Modern performing arts venue Hattiloo Theatre is currently presenting “Black Odyssey. The founder and CEO of Hattiloo Theatre and “Black Odyssey’s” co-director, alongside Maya Robinson, Ekundayo Bandele return to the stage as the play’s lead role, Ulysses Lincoln. He will replace Bertram Williams Jr., who originally portrayed the character. The last character Bandele played on stage was King Hedley, a man recently released from prison struggling to reclaim his life and legacy amidst systemic oppression, in August Wilson's “King Hedley II” in 2015.
 
“Stepping into the lead role, especially with such short notice, demonstrates that "the show must go on" spirit that we have in theater and highlights the background that gave me the expertise to open Hattiloo in the first place,” Bandele said. “Before I had the administrative experience to lead an organization, I was an actor, director, set designer and playwright. Seeing ‘Black Odyssey’ is a rare opportunity for the audience to see me back on stage for a limited time.”
 
Written by Obie-winning playwright Marcus Gardley, “Black Odyssey” blends classic mythology, African American history, and modern theatricality to create the poetic “Black Odyssey.” This vibrant reimagining of Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey” is set in modern-day Harlem. It tells the story of a Black American soldier, Ulysses Lincoln, who struggles to return home from the war and reunite with his family after facing obstacles and confronting his ancestral history.
 
Bandele’s character, Ulysses, a loving husband to Nella Pell and father to their unborn child, finds himself lost in time, struggling to reclaim his identity. His journey home from deployment in Afghanistan, where he tragically kills the son of Paw Sidin, the God of the Sea, becomes a complex exploration of self. Though Paw Sidin seeks revenge, Deus, the God of Gods, intervenes, setting in motion a fateful chess game that sends Ulysses hurtling through time. As he travels through his own bloodstream, Ulysses is guided by his ancestors and their buried history, searching for the lineage that will make him worthy of returning home. Tickets are on sale now. The production will run until Sunday, February 16, 2025.