Dear Audience, Creative Team, and Actors of 'The Penelopiad',

We are hours away from opening night. My heart is full and proud. And for the first time in my directing career, I don’t have to run lights or sound for a show I have produced. I get to sit in the audience. This is HUGE. In the last few moments before we open, I want to take a moment to breathe it all in and remember just how much talent and creativity came together to make this incredible piece of theatre we have to share with the audience tonight.

The play would not be structured, researched, lit, or supported in the incredible way it is, if not for Laura Nessler and Kim Morris, script advisors extraordinaires; Sarah Sapperstein and her dramaturgy superpowers; Mike Smith and his ninja light skills; Lexi Saunders and her exquisite attention to detail as an Assistant Director; and the incredible support of our production manager, Erik Tylkowski and all the other lovely humans I have yet to meet at the Chicago Fringe Festival.

I don’t want to give away any of the secrets, magic, or voodoo that went into making this production, but I’d like to offer you a quick peek at my perspective of the show. The who and the what that made and continues to make this show magical each time I watch it.

In the beautiful handmade dresses Penelope and the maids wear I am reminded of Carla Hamilton’s text to me the night she finished dying them. No message, just a row of hanging haunted dresses. In the masks, I remember Sarah Coleman’s email with the early stages of the ‘Suitors’ masks and how captivating they were even in clay version. When I hear ‘Dreamboats,’ composed by Josh Dumas, I think about how we both HAAAAAATED the song on paper and how hearing it in the girls’ mouths gave us an opportunity to make a big choice in the script.

In all three of our “showstopper” numbers I can see Sheena counting out the steps of the dance and changing the lyrics of the songs to match the description of the moves she was teaching. “Oh Wily Odysseus, SLOSH YOUR BOWL, with a boat full of loot and hands, hands, hands!”  When I see the Oracle make its way across the stage, I am reminded Genevieve is the one of the strongest and most body smart people I know. Anytime Eurycleia or Odysseus bumble or strut, respectively, across the stage I am reminded of the look of relief on Jackie’s face when we decided she did not have to magic herself between being two people onstage at once!

When Danielle dons her Telemachus mask each and every night, I think of the movement portion of her audition when I thought to myself, before she had even spoken, I think I found my Telemachus. Similarly, when Lisa slowly crosses the stage as the Naiad Mother, I think back to the ballet portion of the audition when a beam of bright light suddenly shined down from the heavens on Lisa’s graceful and elegant dancing and I knew I had a Naiad Mother, too.

When Tamara dances, haunts, or joins a shape onstage, I think back to the time she mentioned how even while she was in Miami with the House Theatre of Chicago touring an incredible show, she was still wowed by my Pinterest board for this project and I thought, oh yes! Tamara should definitely be in this play! Every time Avery is anywhere near me, my heart leaps with joy that she stepped up to enthusiastically join our process when one of our original twelve maids had to leave the show. I am thrilled every day to have her.

Every actress is an incredible singer in our cast, but Carolyn’s flirty winks during the song ‘If I Were a Princess’ takes me back to the music rehearsals Josh lead at the end of July when I sat and listened to the incredibly powerful instrument of Carolyn’s voice not only leading, but patiently and kindly helping other singers find the notes. The soulful, howling note Lynnette hits in the middle of Dreamboats makes me think back to our first time working together at the end of May when I thought to myself, I know Lynnette has a darling toddler daughter she could be spending her time with, but maybe she would say yes to carving out some time to spend with us in this production. And she said yes.

As soon as Meredith or Nelia step onstage and bring with them the fiery anger of the maids or the sass of the tambourine, I think back on the nights of rehearsals when they would eagerly step up with questions and ideas that were challenging, but incredibly necessary in shaping the show.

When Katya or Jabu enter the stage, I think about how much they have grown as artists since I started directing at Shimer College last year. Every time Katya dances and straight up seduces any single THING in her sight and every time Jabu puts on that Suitor mask, I think-I always knew they were talented, but how I could I not know they were THIS talented?

One of my favorite moments in the play is in the wedding scene, after Penelope has been dressed in all her jewels. As she rises in the center gold-clad and queenly, I think back to over a year ago when I invited Mary Jo Bolduc to have a drink with me at Fountainhead. I wanted to talk to her about a Margaret Atwood novel that I had been in love with for many years that was based on the story of The Odyssey, but told from the point of view of Penelope, the dutiful wife of wily Odysseus, and her twelve maids, who were put to death upon Odysseus' return home. And I thought maybe…she would like to play…Penelope?

We are so ready for you, dear audience. Please enjoy the show. And to all my ‘Penelopiad’ loves, slosh the hell out of your bowls and some fun!

Happy Opening!

love,

-Erica Barnes, Director of ‘The Penelopiad’

Sheena Laird counts down the final days of rehearsal as we prepare to open next Thursday. Sheena choreographed all of the musical numbers and plays one of the twelve maids in 'The Penelopiad.'

    You guys, it’s here! We’re one week out from opening the show! I love first run throughs: a combined sensation of “Wait, where am I supposed to be now?”, “Yes! my favorite part’s coming up” and “Wow, that went fast!”. Months of hard work finally come together and as the show lifts from the pages it finally becomes ours.

    It’s been so enjoyable to see cast members’ talents highlighted in the rehearsal process and featured in the show. We have so many musically talented cast members who play instruments and sing beautifully, incredible dancers, powerful actors and because we were encouraged to play with these talents during the rehearsal process, they were able to shape our show in a really beautiful way. 

    In most musicals of which I’ve been a part, the notes on the page are the song we sing and that’s that. But with Josh’s trust and openness he allowed us to explore harmonies (and even melodies) within the music he created for us. The music that resulted with the vocal and musical talent of the group with Josh’s guidance is something of which we can all feel a part.

    Similarly for movement; everyone’s ideas were welcome. So by combining the ideas of movers and dancers alike some really attractive shapes took place and dances evolved. We took inspiration from images, dances, photos and videos from innovators like Isadora Duncan, Margaret Morris and Pina Bausch and worked with each other to create the visual elements of our show. Our characters began moving in new ways the deepened our connection with them and a cool bonding among the cast developed.   

    So when our pieces started coming together under Erica’s direction, and exciting energy filled my bones. The ideas of the cast and the creative team were all working together. And with this emerging product develops a kinship amongst the cast that is one of my favorite parts of the creative process. And we all get to perform something of which we are very proud. Something we’ve all left our mark on. 

    As we head in to tech week and opening our show I think each of us takes with them one little piece of the performance of which we’re especially proud. That little stamp we’ve given to something much larger. 

    I’m so excited to perform this show. I’m eager to showcase what the group has created and to add the last and most magical piece of any performance: the audience. For they, too, bring something to each performance. Each audience will bring their own knowledge, experiences, strengths and truths which will inform how the respond to, absorb and interact with the show. So they, too, will leave their stamp on each show. And that’s what’s so neat about live theater: everyone’s involved in the story telling. For if a story is told to an empty room, could it be considered an echo of an echo of an echo?
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Sheena is so excited to have worked with Erica and this amazing group on The Penelopiad. Other credits include the recently re-named sketch group, Unlikely Company, Disney Cruise Line, Scribble Bibble, The One-Minute Play Festival, Chicago Women's Funny Festival, The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, and choreography for many Club Meds throughout the Caribbean. Sheena is grateful for the support of her family and friends!

Genevieve Lally-Knuth gives us a sneak peek into the making of The Penelopiad. Genevieve plays one of the twelve maids in The Penelopiad.

The journey… not the destination?  When I’m traveling, it is easy to remember that it is more about the act of going than where I’m trying to go.  In daily life it takes a little more effort to remind myself not to get too wrapped up in worrying about the end goals and to enjoy the ride.  And when creating a show it is so easy to put all the focus into what the show will be once opening night arrives.  And then I’m given the gift of being cast in The Penelopiad and rehearsals become a place where we are not only allowed, but are encouraged to luxuriate in the process of creating the work.  I use the word luxuriate on purpose.  It is one of the words Erica used to describe a movement quality and it really stuck with me.  The way Erica approaches movement work really resonates with me.  From day one she made it clear that there are no mistakes or wrong ways of moving.  She gave us a comfortable space to try things that might be new, and therefore uncomfortable, and promised us that we couldn’t do it wrong.  We were then encouraged to explore the different ways we could do the same movement – to explore what happens when you change a movement from direct to indirect or from sustained to quick.  We floated or glided or ran through the space as Erica called out directions.  And a beautiful thing happened- I became so engrossed in figuring out how my body could move that I forgot to worry about if I was doing it wrong.  I stopped focusing on how I thought it was supposed to look and really started to experience how it felt.     

    It is exhilarating to learn something new and immediately be able to apply it, and then make it your own.  And we have been given that since day one of rehearsal.  We would start with a gentle warm up and learn new movement vocabulary.  Then we would learn some ballet and be given some combinations to do across the floor.  And then we were given time to play, to take what we had just learned and create something that we could perform.  One exercise I really enjoyed involved choosing three images from a magazine and using them to create a short dance phrase we could teach.  We then taught it to our group (there were about five in a group).  Once we had learned everyone’s phrases we put them together and created a dance.  It was one of the quickest and most successful experiences I have ever had generating choreography.

    Then we got to the music. What a great experience it has been to get to learn music that has been created for us, for our show.  I was initially nervous about singing.  I don’t have any vocal training and I was in a room full of amazing voices.  This cast is talented! And before I even had the chance to be intimidated I found out just how supportive and encouraging these women are.  The music rehearsals quickly became a favorite part of the rehearsal process. 

    And now we have started putting it all together.  I can’t wait to get to rehearsal and see what choreography Sheena has created.  I can wait to get to rehearsal and sing to Josh’s music.  I can’t wait to get to rehearsal and see the next piece of Erica’s vision come to life.  And yes, I can’t wait to share this story with you when opening night gets here.  Until then, it’s all about the journey.

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Genevieve is an actor, aerialist, and adventurer who loves a good story.  She recently did the movement design and performed on aerial silks for an extremely physical adaptation of The Tempest at What a Do Theatre (Battle Creek, MI).  In Chicago she has worked with Strangeloop Theatre, The State Theatre, The Actor’s Gymnasium, Chicago dell’ Arte, and the Tall Ship Windy, among others.  Internationally, she has studied and performed Classic Theatre in Greece and has trained in West African Drum and Dance in Guinea.  She holds a degree in Art and Theatre from Cornell College.  Her current favorite adventures include whitewater kayaking and bicycling through Chicago during rush hour.

Jackie, Genevieve, Danielle, and Lexi are working hard on our woven postcards!

Costumer Carla Hamilton braves the itchy carpet to cut the looooooooong pieces of the shroud.