Odyssey, The - A Play

This dramatic adaptation of Homer's myth begins with a modern young woman who is struggling to understand Robert Fitzgerald's translation of The Odyssey. A classical muse appears, and the young woman becomes the goddess Athena--a tireless advocate for Odysseus in his struggle to get home. With her trademark irreverent and witty twist on classic works, Zimmerman brings to life the story of Odysseus's ten-year journey, depicting his encounters with characters such as Circe, the Cyclops, Poseidon, Calypso, the Sirens, and others.

"Mary Zimmerman can tell classic stories onstage, brilliantly. Part of [her] success emanates from her unique amalgam of deep intelligence and respect for the text, on the one hand, couple with her wild, sensual imagination on the other. Once she understands a great work, she plays with it." --Wall Street Journal

"The Odyssey is a smart, singular example of Mary Zimmerman's unique work in the theater -- vivid in imagery, rich in imagination, witty, and thoughtful in its lively adaptation of a classic work for a contemporary audience." --Richard Christiansen, critic and author of A Theater of Our Own: A History and a Memoir of 1,001 Nights in Chicago

"Not of one age but of all ages. . . . This Odyssey is grand theater." --Philadelphia Inquirer