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Humanities news
Northwestern theatre presents new version of The Odyssey
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Dec 8, 2004
A premiere retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey was presented by Northwestern theatre Nov. 19-20 and Dec. 1-4 in the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center.
Director Robert Hubbard, associate professor of theatre, collaborated with playwright T.M. Camp of Grand Rapids, Mich., to produce this stage version of The Odyssey, the legendary story of Odysseus’ 20-year journey back from the Trojan War to his beloved Penelope.
Hubbard says audience members may be more familiar with contemporary retellings like the Coen brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou? or the novel Cold Mountain, which recently was adapted for screen.
Hubbard says Camp’s retelling emphasizes the story’s comedy, and he describes it as “… playful, postmodern and full of puns. It’s often categorized incorrectly as a tragedy,” explains Hubbard, who, with Camp, found elements of a romantic comedy in Homer’s epic.
Cast members for The Odyssey played a number of roles, wearing masks to travel back and forth in time to tell Odysseus’s story. The production was very physically comic, with elaborate costumes and staging.
“Working on and evolving this original script has been very fun,” says Hubbard. “Creating something that’s never been created before—Northwestern theatre does a lot of this.”
The Odyssey included original music, including a never-heard-before sirens’ song composed by Dr. Andrew Sauerwein, visiting assistant professor of music.
The opening night production was followed by an open forum with the play’s author.
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 Humanities |
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