A Note from Kate Hamill

In some ways, I feel as if I’ve always been meant to adapt The Odyssey—I actually grew up in Ithaca (albeit Ithaca, New York), and before I could even read, my father used to tell me tales from Odysseus’ voyages as bedtime stories. As an adult, I specialize in adapting classics to the stage with a specifically feminist lens: bringing a female-centered, inclusive gaze to these timeless stories that serve as cultural touchstones. I believe that the classics shape us, as much as we shape them (that was certainly true when my father was telling me those bedtime stories)—and that they need not be museum pieces. Particularly in theater, we have a responsibility to re-tell and re-examine these stories for new generations—allowing them to grow, and learning what fresh lessons they may hold. I won’t take on a theatrical adaptation of a classic unless I think that it has the potential to speak to the times in which we live—and I feel strongly that The Odyssey has never been more relevant.

The Odyssey is a veteran’s tale. It is a refugee’s tale. It is a story about the generational and cyclical repercussions of violence—and how we can learn to embrace healing and forgiveness, even in the face of civilization-shaking traumas.

In my play, Odysseus has done terrible things to end the interminable war in Troy; things that he’d rather not remember. His journey back to Ithaca is not only a physical voyage, but an attempt to return to the man he once was. Like so many of our veterans, he struggles to resolve his actions with his conscience and forgive himself for life-changing deeds done in the name of duty. Like so many refugees, he finds himself fundamentally changed by the trauma he’s experienced.

Too often, we see convenient narratives about war and its costs; I wanted to create a piece that not only takes a hard look at the violence of war, but also the price paid by “victors.” Odysseus and his men leave Troy in ashes, its warriors (and innocents) enslaved or killed…and that sin haunts them. Odysseus is often classically depicted as a hero; how does that story jibe with a man who was known as the doom of an entire civilization?

The Odyssey is also, too often, thought of as an exclusively male-centered story; the women are so often reduced to archetypes. My adaptation focuses not only on Odysseus and his internal/external journey, but also on the women in his life: Penelope, his many lovers, and the women of ravaged Troy. As a feminist playwright, I believe deeply in creating female-driven narratives and reclaiming the classics for people of all backgrounds and genders. My Odyssey is narrated by the three female Fates, who literally haunt Odysseus as the spirits of the women of Troy; women drive the story. Not only warriors bear the cost of war, and it’s easy to lose the stories of how often women and children are the victims of brutal conflict around the world.

I’m also deeply interested in Penelope’s complexities. Families and spouses also change when a loved one is away from home, especially in war or emigration; Penelope, like Odysseus, must reconcile her desire to return to the past with the acceptance of her present.

One of the things I love about working with A.R.T. (where my Sense & Sensibility played in 2017) is that they are interested in creating new and re-envisioned classics: works that aspire to speak both to the present moment and universal themes. They are always asking, “Why this story, why now?” This thoughtful questioning has resulted in a rich history of play development conducted with extreme care, boldness, and creativity. What’s more, they support work that is specifically theatrical—pieces that embrace the audience as partners and collaborators and enlist audience imaginations.

I’m interested in exploring how stories—including Odysseus’ and Penelope’s—evolve, and why we so often feel that our tales must feature people who are “good” or “bad,” when the truth is that (especially in violent circumstances) most of us fall right in the muddy middle. We know from studies of PTSD that those who commit violent acts and those who are victims of violence often share similar psychological symptoms after the event(s) in question; I’m interested in building a story wherein there are no easy moral judgments. The Odyssey offers a unique theatrical opportunity to re-examine our attitudes towards violence, trauma, and forgiveness—and how we choose to depict those in our stories—yes, even in our bedtime stories for children. I’m invested in asking complex questions without simple answers: How do we decide who our heroes are? What actions truly end cycles of violence? And can we ever truly return “home,” after suffering trauma?

Photos:

Shana Cooper, Kate Hamill, Steph Paul, and Jason O’Connell in the October 2023 workshop for The Odyssey: Nile Scott Studios.

Director Shana Cooper and Kate Hamill in a puppetry workshop for The Odyssey: Ken Yotsukura.