Creating a show as captivating as Homer's Odyssey is no easy task. Playwright Naomi Lizuka attempts to capture the adventure and concept of home, while reimagining the long journey home as told in Homer's Odyssey. ANON(YMOUS), now playing at St. Edward's Mary Moody Theatre, is inspired by this ancient Greek work of art than it is an accurate retelling. As in the original epic poem, Odysseus travels far, clashing with many monsters and adversaries along the way. Anon, a young refugee also searching for his home, represents Odysseus in Lizuka's fresh take on this long journey. There are stark differences between the classic and this new version. A few obvious changes involve a swap for a mother to son relationship versus the classic loving wife relationship in the original story. The timeline in Homer's Odyssey is not relative in Lizuka's new telling. Years passing add more passion and drive to Odysseus' journey as he makes his way back to his wife, Penelope. Anon, however, passes through scenes, and different characters pay homage to the monsters originally faced but with a more relatable modern twist. For example, the seductress is a bartender with patrons whom oink like pigs. This is a clear reference to the original telling, but as quickly as Anon enters this scene, he runs away as fast as he can - apparently, he did not want to dance. In the original story, Odysseus spends much more time being tempted. As the similarities occur to the audience during the show, the difference in relative subject matter makes the connection to the audience more powerful. Tackling immigration, cultural diversity and sorrow, much more meaning is added, and people can relate to and learn something from the story.
Playwright Naomi Iizuka radically adapts and retells Ovid's ancient classic Metamorphoses, with homeless youth crafting stories both for their physical survival and for the transformation of their souls. In this contemporary collage of classical mythology and real-life stories of street kids, the play weaves a world where myth-making and storytelling are vital weapons for the characters to survive a system that erases and ignores them.
BAM presents the New York premiere of Haruki Murakami's Sleep, from Brooklyn-based theater company Ripe Time in their Next Wave debut, running November 29-December 2, 2017.
The New York Premiere of Uncommon Sense, a new play inspired by true stories of people living on the autism spectrum, written by Anushka Paris-Carter and Andy Paris, and directed by Andy Paris, opens tonight, November 2nd, at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture.
Sleep will make its world premiere, October 27-28, at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Pennsylvania and will have its New York premiere at BAM Fisher as part of the 2017 Next Wave Festival, November 29 - December 2.
Previews begin tonight (Wednesday, October 25) for the New York Premiere of Uncommon Sense, a new play inspired by true stories of people living on the autism spectrum, written by Anushka Paris-Carter and Andy Paris, and directed by Andy Paris.
Tectonic Theater Project presents the New York premiere of Uncommon Sense, a new play about living on the autism spectrum, which the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture presents for five weeks only, running tonight, October 25, through November 26, at The Sheen Center's Loreto Theater (18 Bleecker Street, NYC).
Victory Gardens Theater announces the extension of the first show of its 43rd season, Fun Home, with music written by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics written by Lisa Kron and directed by Gary Griffin. Fun Home now runs through November 19, 2017 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.
Sleep will make its world premiere, October 27-28, at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Pennsylvania and will have its New York premiere at BAM Fisher as part of the 2017 Next Wave Festival, November 29 - December 2.
Les Waters and the Board of Directors announced today that Mr. Waters will step down as Artistic Director after six seasons at the helm of the Tony Award-winning Actors Theatre of Louisville. Waters will depart in the summer of 2018, following the close of the 2017-2018 season, to pursue personal projects.
California Repertory Company announces productions for the 2017 2018 season. The season highlights stories of resistance and reinvention: resistance to the oppressing effects of misogyny, economic disparity and autocracy; and reinvention of the self through the power of storytelling and imagination.
Victory Gardens Theater and Emerald City Theatre will continue to provide Play Pals, a theater experience for the whole family, throughout the 2017-2018 Season. During designated matinees, children ages 4-11 will engage in critically-acclaimed theater education workshops from Emerald City Theatre while their parents attend performances at Victory Gardens Theater.
Victory Gardens Theater begins its 43rd season with Fun Home, with music written by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics written by Lisa Kron and directed by Gary Griffin.
The SDSU School of Theatre, Television, and Film opens its 2017 fall season with Anon(ymous), a play by Naomi Iizuka based on Homer's classic Greek poem The Odyssey. Anon(ymous) runs Friday, September 29 - Sun. October 8 at San Diego State University's Experimental Theatre. Director is Randy Reinholz. Tickets and information available at theatre.sdsu.edu.
Brooklyn Academy Of Music (BAM) hosts the 2017 Next Wave Festival, running today, September 14, through December 16, comprising 31 dance, music, opera, theater, physical theater, and performance art engagements in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, Harvey Theater, and BAM Fisher.
Arts Alive SDSU has announced the Fall 2017 Signature performing arts events designed to showcase and increase awareness of the range and quality of arts performances and programs at San Diego State University.
Lantern Theater Company will launch its 24th season with the regional premiere of Red Velvet, Lolita Chakrabarti's stirring play based on the true story of 19th century actor Ira Aldridge, who made history as the first African-American actor to portray Othello in 1833 London.
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's popular Off the Hill touring series returns Sept. 30 with THE LAST FIREFLY. The fantastical story combining Japanese fairy tales and folklore runs through Oct. 29 at community centers and schools across the region, from Burlington to Price Hill to Mariemont and at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine.
Victory Gardens Theater continues its 43rd season with Fade, a co - production with Teatro Vista, written by Tanya Saracho and directed by Sandra Marquez. Fade runs November 4 - December 23, 2017, with the press performance on Friday, November 10, 2017 at 7:30 pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.
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