**** Recommended The problem with Greek history (but really any history) – it is ‘his-story’. Women are rarely mentioned, and when their names pop up, their contributions are denigrated. Such is the case of Penelope, who held it together, protecting her son and fending off aggressive males, for more than twenty years. She got a mere mention for her efforts, while he got The Iliad! It took a thousand years, but finally she has her day, thanks to Margaret Atwood. Although The Penelopiad puts the spotlight on Penelope’s story, it ends sadly, as do all Greek tragedies. 4 Spotlights
As the audience is getting settled, a solitary woman sits on a theatron (the curved stairs one might find in an outdoor amphitheater) stretching across the stage. This is Penelope (Jennifer Morrison), who tells her story. It’s a familiar tale, as a young woman, she was married off to Odysseus and taken to his palace. Although she was his wife, she had absolutely no power since her mother-in-law ran the house. After she gave birth to a son, Telemachus, the family nursemaid took him away.
But then her cousin Helen ran away from her husband, and Odysseus got the call – and off he went to the war in Troy. Eventually the war ended, but Odysseus didn’t come home … and he didn’t come home. Her in-laws passed away, her son grew up … and he didn’t come home. And there she was, a wealthy ‘widow’ with a palace, a prize just waiting for all those “circling sharks of the land” as Jimmy Buffett would say.
Penelope announced that she would weave a shroud for her father-in-law before she’d even think about accepting an offer of marriage. Every day she worked on her weaving, every night, she unraveled her work.
Penelope’s maids, whom she loved dearly, helped her in any way they could – and sometimes that meant fending off unwelcome advances. Her son’s nurse hated her and hated her maids even more. When Odysseus returned home, the nurse whispered evil tales about them, so he hung them – that's right, killed all of them - and expected Penelope to welcome him with open arms.
The Maids – Aja Alcazar, Demetra Dee, Maya Lou Hlava, Noelle Kayser, Elizabeth Laidlaw, Helen Joo Lee, Tyler Meredith, Ericka Ratcliff, Andrea San Miguel, Laura Savage, Allison Sill and Hannah Whitley – are phenominal! In addition to their duties as maids, they play Penelope’s family, Odysseus and his family, the nurse, and the suitors. They sang, they danced, they fought, they filled the stage.
A huge call-out tor Director Susan V. Booth and Choreographer JoAnn H. Hunter. The Penelopiad was stunning – in so many ways. By the way, kudos to Kara Harmon for her clever costuming. By adding a single shoulder pad, or a chest protector, or even a codpiece, she was able to turn a maid into a suitor and so on.
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The Penelopiad runs through March 31st in the Goodman Theatre’s Albert Theatre,170 N. Dearborn, Chicago. Most reasonable parking option for the Goodman is the Government Center garage on Lake between LaSalle and Dearborn, $18 online advance payment at www.interparkonline.com/goodmantheatre.
Running time is two hours and 15 minutes, with an intermission. Performances are: Wednesdays at 7:30 pm; Thursdays at 2:00 & 7:30 pm; Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2:00 and 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:00 pm.
Accessible & Special Performances: ASL Interpreted Performance, Friday, March 29th at 7:30 pm; Touch Tour & Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, March 30th, 12:30 pm Touch Tour, 2:00 pm Performance; Open Captioned Performance, Sunday, March 31st at 2:00 pm; Spanish Subtitles, Saturday, March 30th at 7:30 pm.
Tickets $25-$90. FYI (312) 443-3800 or GoodmanTheatre.org/Penelopiad