You may have read Homer’s The Odyssey in high school or college. It’s the story of Odysseus, a great hero, his adventures and of course, his journey, or odyssey. But did you wonder what was going on at home all those years that Odysseus was fighting the 10-year Trojan War, then sailing the seas for another decade, meeting goddesses, cyclops, and sirens? What was his wife, the loyal Penelope, doing all that time?
Thankfully, Margaret Atwood wondered that too and she created her novella, The Penelopiad, to answer the question. She also adapted her novella into dramatic form, in the 2007 play, The Penelopiad, now on stage at the Goodman Theatre. Susan V. Booth, the theater’s new artistic director, creates a delightful production with an all-female cast, her first Goodman mainstage production.
Playwright Atwood characterizes The Penelopiad as something like a Brecht/Weill cabaret performance, rather than a long-form musical. It is a play with magnificent language, and occasional songs, dances and rope-skipping. JoAnn M. Hunter cleverly choreographs the movement.
The play opens with Penelope in the afterlife, in Hades, lamenting, “Now that I’m dead, I know everything.” She has learned some things she might rather not know, such as the extent of Odysseus’ lies and fabrications. He was always so plausible, she says; even I believed him, from time to time. Jennifer Morrison plays Penelope with dignity, given her role as loyal royal matron. (She was only 15 when she married and was carried off to Ithaca by her groom, who soon left to fight the Trojan War.)
Morrison imbues the role and her story with a sense of fun, not a little irony and the occasional side-eye. Especially when Helen of Troy is present. The renowned beauty, known as the face that launched a thousand ships, never forgets to let you know that thousands of men died because of her beauty. (And she was the cause of the Trojan War, don’t you know, when handsome young Paris seduces or kidnaps her from her husband Menelaus.) She chides Penelope for being plain, but intelligent.
We learn that dozens of suitors are hanging around the Ithacan palace, certain of Odysseus’ death and their chance to marry the wealthy presumed-widow. Penelope is not ready to give up on seeing her husband again and fends the suitors off with various subterfuges. Her son Telemachus and the old nurse Eurycleia, who has cared for Odysseus since his birth, are of some help too. Odysseus’ parents, Laertes and Anticleia, not so much.
I’ve told you plenty of the story and you may have noticed I haven’t identified any of the actors playing all these roles, and more. That is because all the roles, besides Penelope’s, are played by the 12 Maids. The Maids are Penelope’s pals, supporters and sometimes, co-conspirators. They play all the other roles in the play—men, women, children, animals, Suitors. So hail to the Maids and to casting director Lauren Port for selecting a talented and versatile group of actors.
The Maids are played by Aja Alcazar, Demetra Dee, Maya Lou Hlava, Noelle Kayser, Elizabeth Laidlaw, Helen Joo Lee, Tyler Meredith, Ericka Ratcliff, Andrea San Miguel, Laura Savage (she’s also the dance captain), Allison Sill, and Hannah Whitley.
Neil Patel’s severe set design, a semicircular set of stairs that might lead up to a Greek temple, provides a background for all sorts of murder and mischief. A table that becomes a bed (with a special leg), Helen’s bathtub, Penelope’s loom and a mammoth woven shroud that descends from the rafters, and a riot of costumes and prosthetics. (The one that got opening night laughs is a strap-on naked male chest and belly worn by one of the Maids playing a Suitor.) Costume design is by Kara Harmon.
Lighting design is by Xavier Pierce and sound design by Willow James. Music direction is by Jeremy Ramey with musical composition by Samuel Davis. Jennifer Gregory is stage manager and Kimberly Ann McCann is production stage manager.
If you would like to delve more into Penelope’s story, I highly recommend Atwood’s novella, The Penelopiad, available from the publisher or your favorite bookseller.
The Penelopiad continues through March 31 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Tickets are $25–$90; the theater notes prices are subject to change. Running time is 2.25 hours including an intermission. Get your tickets here or by phone at 312.443.3800.
For more information on this and other plays, see theatreinchicago.com.
Did you enjoy this post and our coverage of Chicago’s arts scene? Please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation by PayPal. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!