Photos by Dani Bryant The Penelopiad has been a very special process and privilege for me. I love telling this story with this cast, this director, and this entire crew! It has allowed us to give voice to characters that have been neglected throughout the history of this entire story. Penelope is referred to as the devoted wife to Odysseus, who remained faithful to him while waiting 20 years for him to return to her after the Trojan War. There is not much more than that about her and the maids. However, Margaret Atwood was sure there was more to the story. What was it like for Penelope? What was it like for the maids? What were they to each other? During this time, everything in a kingdom was the King’s property, including his Queen. Any behavior of hers must be in line with his desires. If not, there would be consequence. Living within those tight parameters must have been stressful at the least. The maids were born as property and did not have much choice in their destiny. Penelope was born as royalty and did not have much choice in her destiny either. Despite their lineage, they were all women. They were owned. Women then (and now) learned to find their own way of surviving, and they did so by finding each other. The relationship that forms between Penelope and her 12 favorite maids is the most beautiful and heartbreaking part of this story for me. Sure, at the beginning the maids ‘like’ her because she is the Queen, and have to do so. And sure, Penelope is extremely lonely at the palace in Ithaca and would make friends with anyone just to have companionship. But when they all come together in secret to execute Penelope’s clever unweaving scheme late each night, it is inevitable that bonds are formed. They are able to relax among each other and really be themselves. Penelope begins to see the maids as real people, as individuals with actual names and personalities. The maids also begin to see Penelope as a real person, as a woman not so different from them. In spite of their class differences, they soon realize in their hearts that they are not so separate from each other. This kind of relationship among Queen and maids was unheard of, even forbidden. Yet somehow they become trusted friends. Staying up late with friends working on a project, or just talking, laughing, drinking, cracking jokes is a magical thing. It breaks down preconceived ideas about the other. It solidifies relationships. And, it is just a good time. **Spoiler Alerts Below** As we know, ‘all good things must come to an end’. Odysseus returns and turns everything upside down. He punishes and murders all of Penelope’s potential suitors who are squatting on his property, and hangs her favorite maids who he believes have been unfaithful to their responsibilities to his estate. He does this without even asking Penelope about it. She does not get to tell him the real story and set him straight about the maids and their devoted service. He doesn’t even ask her. He can’t be bothered with her. Instead, he slips something in her drink so she will sleep through it all. She wakes up to discover that all of her friends are dead, and she wasn’t able to do anything about it. She is heartbroken. She knows these girls well. She knows they must have been looking for her while ropes were fastened around their necks. She imagines what they felt like at the moment when they finally realized that she was not coming for them. Betrayal by a trusted friend stings on a deep level, and she knows that even though she did not know any of this happened until she woke up from a drugged sleep, she is still to blame. She promised the maids that she would protect them, and she wasn’t able to keep this promise. She lives with this guilt for eternity. The maids will never know that she was drugged. They know they were betrayed, and they live with this disappointment for eternity. So, yeah. It doesn’t end on such a high note! But the point is that all of these women finally have their say. Good or bad, they get to voice their thoughts and feelings about their own experience in this story. They get to tell the world that they are much more complex and rich and full, and deserve more attention in this story than simply the identifier of ‘maid servant’ or ‘faithful wife’. Margaret Atwood felt there is much more to them. I agree. In fact, there is much more to all of us, and for better or for worse, each of our stories deserve its moment in the sun. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MJ is thrilled to be working with the Lost Geneva Project and this talented group of people! She is grateful to have performed with amazing theatres throughout Chicago including: Signal Ensemble, WildClaw, Mary Arrchie, New Leaf, Right Brain Project, The Nine, Lifeline, Provision, Trapdoor, Akvavit, Timeline, Jackalope, Second City National Touring Company, Annoyance Theater, ComedySportz, and her own –WNEP and Knife & Fork! So often society assumes that its people do not want to hear the stories of the oppressed. That these stories are too depressing or uncomfortable, and we would rather hear a story about a successful hero. But it is within the struggle and the overcoming of obstacles that we see the humanity in our characters. Even if the character’s story ends in their imminent demise, it’s their perseverance that we all cling to and root for. You see, women are and have always been barred from the hero’s journey. Our stories do not always end in triumph, and are closely woven together with stories of the oppressed. But this intricate web of trials which we have worked to overcome is what makes a great story. I’ve been working for a little over a year now on spending most of my free (and not-so-free) time investigating all-female created narratives. I run a feminist arts empowerment program for adolescent girls called {she crew}, which is, in essence, devised theatre for girls. We give them the tools to express themselves and tell their stories in new and creative ways for an audience. My students are at a difficult age when they are putting their authentic selves aside and giving into societal pressures. But through working with them I have learned that they have much more wisdom and insight than most adults give them credit for. My students are around the same ages as some of the maids in The Penelopiad, and while so many things have changed since ancient Greece to present day, there are still many parallels to be drawn. Much like the characters in the play, they are witty, tactful, and smart. They find the humor and joy in daily tasks. They are also subject to a class system, much like the Greeks were subject to a class system, and because of their gender and their ages, they are taught that their stories are not those of value. Because they are middle school aged girls, their tragedies are not seen to be as important as those of an adult’s tragedy. But everyone’s stories and tragedies deserve respect, and deserve a platform. shecrew is run byThe Penelopiad's Meredith Montgomery and Jessica London Shields So, when Erica emailed me and asked me to audition for The Penelopiad, of course I dug it. You mean I can continue to investigate female stories through performative and collaborative arts? UM YES, THANKS. When we delved into Margaret Atwood’s telling of this story I felt so exhilarated to be part of a community that had the privilege to bring these narratives to life. Though the maids in The Penelopiad are fiction, they are representative of real women whose stories were never told. Their need for a platform on which to tell their stories is so justified, and yet, still lacking air time. Even within the form of The Penelopiad, the maids are seen but rarely heard, showing in metaphor the silence and anonymity imposed upon them. This play gives voices to those who needed one, but it also clearly shows the class system in which we still function today. I feel that The Penelopiad as a written piece and as a theatrical creation is one that is challenging what we deem as a worthy and worthwhile story to tell, and I am so proud to be a part of it. We all want to be remembered for something great, but what we cannot forget is it is our humanity that will proceed us. We just need to be working harder to allow for the airwaves to be shared evenly. Meredith Montgomery is super stoked to be a part of Penelopiad! Some of her regional credits include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and A Lie of the Mind (Mary Moody Northen Theatre), Murder on the Nile (Peninsula Players), and Blue/Whitney (StageLeft). She also has recently given a TEDx talk on the importance of being a badass feminist. Meredith is the Co-founder and Program Director of {she crew}, a feminist based artistic empowerment program for girls in Chicago. You can find out more at shecrew.org! As some one who was not a part of the original production of 'The Penelopiad' and was unable to see the first incarnation of the show, there were quite a few nerves stepping into the world of the play. I diligently studied this blog to find clues of what would lay ahead (thanks Erica for the photos and entries) and created my idea of what was to come - Ballet classes! Movement workshops! Musical creations! ALL OF THE GREEK KNOWLEDGE! All the glorious time to create!!! Needless to say, my mind tricked me to forget we only had two weeks until opening until midway through the second rehearsal. Remounts are a very different beast. In one way, it is terrifying to be a newbie in an ensemble who has such a history of the work. So many helpful tidbits are being relayed of what happened during the first round that you struggle to marry every last thing you're hearing at once. Word of warning: this may cause feelings of panic and reactions of kicking yourself about why you weren't able to see into the future to tell your old self to go watch the play you had no idea was happening last summer. But there comes a moment when you flip to the other side. When you find peace in the ignorance that you can't compete with the past production, because for you, there is only this one. Even more, you're lucky because since so many of the other actors have that history with their characters it gives you the ability to make snap choices and gut responses. You have the glorious opportunity to just react with what you're seeing and receiving, because there's no time to think about your choices - you open in four days! When we opened three Monday's ago, of course there were nerves, but as I sat curled up in the stage manager's box I felt completely at peace. I knew despite what little time there had been to get 'The Penelopiad' to that night, we all were connected to protect each other and to play with the choices we received from one another. In just a short time we had built a trusting ensemble of new and old players - and what a glorious ride it has been!! Grayson Heyl is thrilled to be joining the Lost Geneva Project family with this reincarnation of The Penelopiad! Since receiving her degree from Oklahoma City University in Music Theatre and Vocal Performance, she has worked with Oklahoma Shakespeare in the parks (Henry V, Macbeth), Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (Henry V, The Recruiting Officer), Northlight Theatre (Tom Jones), Light Opera Works (Damn Yankees), and most recently with Oracle Theatre (The Jungle) and Piccolo Theatre (The Love of Three Oranges). Many thanks to LGP for this wonderful opportunity, as well as her family and friends for all their love. Assistant Director Lexi Saunders, interviews Director Erica Barnes, Dance Choreographer Sheena Laird, and Music Composer and Director, Joshua Dumas on what it took to remount 'The Penelopiad.' What does it mean and what does it take to “remount” a show? I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about that question in the past month because as a young actor/director I have never remounted a show before. When it was announced that we would get to remount The Penelopiad at Rhino Fest and The Poetry Foundation, I was so excited to see how this show could further develop but I had no idea what that process would actually look like. At first, the possibilities felt endless because we already had a great show on our hands and now we got to make it even better! Then I looked at our rehearsal schedule and realized we only had two short weeks to completely transform the show to fit the new space and five new cast members. Moving from a theater-in-the-round venue at Chicago Fringe Fest to a proscenium stage at PROP Theater meant almost all the blocking and choreography would have to change. I was excited about the changes but the thought of starting over felt overwhelming. Now a month later, I must say I am incredibly proud of this show and all the changes it has undergone. All the moments and elements that meant the most to the cast, creative team, and audiences are still there and pushed even further than before. Things we weren’t perfectly happy with the first time around, we got to tweak and fix or completely scrap. How many times do you open a show and wish you had more time to do all those things?! The freedom, challenges, and improvements it allowed us were beyond rewarding and I think it will be equally wonderful for audiences who saw the original run at Chicago Fringe as it will be for newbies! So I was curious to hear about the experience of remounting this show from the perspective of our insanely talented creative team: Director Erica Barnes; Dance Choreographer Sheena Laird; and, Music Composer & Director Joshua Dumas. I decided to interview them about their inside perspectives of what it took to remount this show because this is a director, a choreographer, and a music director who all poured every ounce of their hearts into this show the first time and now somehow they have poured even MORE. -Lexi Saunders Photo by Dani Bryant Going into the remount, what did you want to |