So many questions lie in an uncertain future.
Waiting can make you antsy, edgy, and frustrated while fluctuating between hope, anticipation and dread. No one knows waiting quite like Penelope from Homer’s epic work, The Odyssey. From a Cliffside island abode, Penelope waits for years for her husband to come home after the Trojan War with no idea of what’s ahead. However, boasting an eclectic mix of catchy, playful, melancholy and soothing songs, thoughts travel even when the body does not and a lot can happen even while the world is still.
Directed with introspection by Courtney O’Connor with eclectic music direction by Dan Rodriguez, Lyric Stage presents Alex Bechtel’s new musical, Penelope live and in person at Lyric Stage Company in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, March 1. This stirring and semi-interactive one woman cabaret style production contains adult language and runs 80 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.
Homer’s The Odyssey is considered one of the most influential and most read mythological works of all time and has been getting particular attention lately. American Repertory Theatre debuted Kate Hamill’s The Odyssey last year and this summer, Matt Damon leads an all star cast in Christopher Nolan’s new adaptation of The Odyssey. The Odyssey explores several significant themes including war, temptation, survival, and redemption, but it is not necessary to refresh yourself on Homer’s work to appreciate this musical. Its focus is less on the plot and its exclusive focus is on Penelope’s perspective, Odysseus’s clever, steadfast, and powerful wife who holds onto hope for Odysseus’s return while touching upon a few themes from Homer’s classic work. Penelope also explores the relatable nature of waiting and looking for answers while facing an unknown future.
Illuminated in warm pastels and elegant and detailed oceanic ripples by Karen Perlow, Janie E. Howland’s wooden, wicker and stone set has certainly created a beautiful and inviting sanctuary for Aimee Doherty as Penelope in her Ithaca Cliffside abode in vibrant teal adornments. Mikayla Reid’s breezy costumes further captures the musical’s carefree Grecian façade with the onstage orchestra adorned in all in white and Doherty stands out in a flowing burgundy jumpsuit. The manner in which the intimate orchestra take the stage accompanied by Alex Berg’s soothing and sweeping sound design provides comfort and solace and Doherty’s occasional interactions with them feel more like a collaboration than exclusively a one woman musical.
However, Penelope’s heavy heart has much to consider in deep reflection in her soaring vocals as she waits for her husband’s homecoming. This musical takes its time, but in a gradual unfolding without dragging. Every moment builds with care. Doherty’s Penelope is clever, frank, graceful, charming and is all too aware of her place in the world in the Bronze Age, even with the show’s contemporary flair. She remarkably evokes her thoughts and a myriad of complex emotions while quietly inviting you on this journey. Doherty’s tense stillness, quiet anticipation, vulnerability and stark loneliness are palpable as her eyes flicker and in a jolting movement, her feelings may sweep over you as well.
As much as the musical is about the anguish of waiting and suffering as depicted in the frustrating Prayer and poignant number Lose My Mind, Penelope also provides its share of raw and humorous moments in both dialogue and song as demonstrated in the cheeky Drunk Iliad. Funny, soothing, and earnest, Penelope unveils the wonder of the ordinary even if the waiting is the hardest part.
Directed with introspection by Courtney O’Connor with eclectic music direction by Dan Rodriguez, Lyric Stage presents Alex Bechtel’s new musical, Penelope live and in person at Lyric Stage Company in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, March 1. Click here for more information and for tickets.