Ahead of the premiere of a new stage adaptation of Homer's Odyssey, Blake Anthony Edwards, Sam Morehouse, Leslie Stamoolis and Mia Torres joined E.J. Iannelli in the KPBX studio to perform a scene and talk about the play.
Edwards is a lecturer of theater and dance; he wrote and is directing this adaptation. Torres, who was recently in the KPBX studio for her reading in The Revolutionists at Gonzaga, is the student actor filling the role of the narrator. Morehouse is also a student actor. He's playing Dumbocles, a comedic role that Edwards created for this kid- and family-friendly version of the Greek classic.
Morehouse, Torres and Edwards performed a short scene from The Odyseey that depicted Aeolus, the god of wind, providing Odysseus with a powerful bag of winds that Dumbocles then opens, blowing their ship off course.
Edwards explained that most of the epic's major events, such as the lotus eaters and the cyclopes, are retained in this version, just with a more "irreverent" spin than traditional retellings.
Stamoolis later talked about how The Odyssey represents Gonzaga Theatre’s first foray into educational matinees for local schools. During its run, they will be welcoming nearly 600 students from Spokane and Medical Lake to see the show free of charge.
The Odyssey opens this Friday (Mar. 22) for general performances at Gonzaga University’s Magnuson Theatre and runs there throughout this weekend.
To purchase tickets or get more information, visit this link or call the box office on (509) 313-2787.
