We know the story of the Odyssey and Odysseus’s adventures, but that is not all there is to it. There was a family that he left behind as he went out adventuring. This is the story of that family and the torment his wife, Penelope, endured.

~Review and Photos by Dana Nöllsch~

“The Penelopiad” The Story

The time is somewhere around the 7th century BC. This is a time of heroes, doing heroic things and battling for the righteous truth, but this is not the story of a hero immortalized in poem and song. This is a story of the loving woman whom our hero left behind and the family who was unprotected.

Odysseus, yes, the Odysseus from the Odyssey, was in search of a wife so that he could continue his lineage. Odysseus was a bit conniving and made sure he would win Penelope’s hand, the woman he decided to marry. Penelope was ready to change her life, and Odysseus’ affections were quite welcome, giving her the opportunity to leave her family for adventures with her husband in Ithaca, Odysseus’ home.

Unfortunately, these times were not easy, especially for those considered servants or worse. Penelope soon found out that she was considered slightly more than a servant but not equal. This was especially hard for her to take; bearing Odysseus’s son, she found herself, in essence, abandoned by him as he went to war and then set out on adventures.

While Odysseus was absent, his mother died, and his father was unfit to rule. This left a vacuum that nobody could step up to fill. With the kingdom in chaos and the leader away, life was hard for Penelope and her son, Telemachus. As rumors of Odysseus’s death spread, so came the suitors seeking Penelope’s hand and control of the Kingdom of Ithaca.

Penelope and her 12 trusted handmaids attached a plan to delay the suitors until their beloved Odysseus could return to save his kingdom. And there were secrets and danger around every corner for Penelope, her son, and her trusted twelve. In their hearts, they knew that her husband would return one day.

That one day did eventually come, but it wasn’t truly the Savior they had hoped for. Odysseus does find himself at the head of his kingdom but perhaps not quite the hero.

The Penelopiad is the story of one woman’s journey through unforgiving times, told from a feminine perspective. For me, it illustrated the point of “there are many sides to every story.”

The Penelopiad, written by Margaret Atwood, is a beautiful, tragic, and briefly funny story that resonates with our present times and shows the depth of a story not centered around a mythical hero but instead a determined and steadfast woman in remarkably difficult times.

Here are some photos to give you a taste of “The Penelopiad.”

The Performances

The Penelopiad‘s cast is all women, and I don’t think it would have the same impact if it were anything else. The feminine energy and passion for the story energize the performances, much to the delight of the audience.

Emilie Mardock, who plays Penelope, is truly outstanding, giving her all on stage to the point that, at curtain, you could see she had nothing left, pouring all her energy into her audience and into the role of a strong, determined woman.

The rest of the cast more than hold their own against Mardock’s powerful performance. Most of them playing multiple roles, the women of the cast show their passion for their roles as well, you can certainly tell that this story has touched each of their hearts in the performances they offer the audience.

The Set

Reno Little Theater has done an outstanding job of creating a set that enhances the ambiance without detracting from the performances. Simple yet complex, many of the set elements carry underlying meanings that tie directly back to the depth of the story.

Everything from the set to the lighting blends marvelously, allowing the story’s impact to take hold of the audience.

The Bottom Line

The Penelopiad is a powerful story of a determined woman finding herself in an uncomfortably dangerous position with no choice but to stand on her own. Finding the balance between entertaining and impactful, The Penelopiad is a gripping play that will stay with you and, with luck, open your eyes as well.

And that’s the bottom line

The Penelopiad