IC Theatre will share the story of Homer’s "The Odyssey" transported to the modern world in “Anon(ymous),” written by Naomi Iizuka. Guest directed by Jen Wineman, the production tells the tale of shipwrecked Anon as he considers what it means to be an immigrant in America, searching for home while steering his way though chaos, cruelty and temptation.
Performances will run in the Clark Theatre in Dillingham Center at 8 p.m. on December 1, 3, 4 and 5, as well as at 2 p.m. on December 5 and 6. “Anon(ymous)” is suitable for school-aged children; in fact, the play was originally commissioned by a children’s theatre company.
Ticket prices are $10 for the preview performance on December 1 and $14 for all performances on December 3, 4, 5, and 6. Student tickets for all performances are $7. Tickets are on sale online at ithaca.ticketforce.com, and through the Ithaca College box office located in Dillingham Center. The box office is open noon–5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon–4 p.m. on Fridays. Tickets may be reserved at the box office by calling (607) 274-3224.
“It's been exciting working with the 17-person cast to create the numerous landscapes, interiors and environments in which the play takes place,” says Wineman, co-founder of Studio 42, a New York–based theater company that focuses on producing “unproducible” new work by emerging artists. “I am very accustomed to making work in which the imagination is at the fore, but each time I enter a process, it’s important to find the visual vocabulary required for that particular play.Our rehearsal process has been an exercise in ingenuity, collaboration and experimentation, and it’s been tremendously gratifying working with a group of such creative, generative artists.”
Scenic design student Randy Wong-Westbrooke ’16 proposed the play for inclusion in the 2015–16 season. Its themes resonate strongly with current events concerning the global movement of refugees and immigration.
“The Greek city of Ithaka is the home Odysseus voyages back to after the Trojan War, but he runs into all sorts of diverse characters along the way,” says Wong-Westbrooke. “The story is very much an adventure story, but by setting it in the contemporary world, Iizuka provides a chilling depiction of the global refugee experience and the perilous journeys that they take.The journey home -- whether home is someplace new, someplace unknown, or all bundled up in a person -- the sense of belonging is something we all can relate to.”
The cast of “Anon(ymous)” includes Jordy Diaz ’18, Jelani Pitcher ’16, Daniel Krackhardt ’18, Daniel Wisniewski ’17, Mackey Smith-Simmons ’18, Celena Morgan ’17, Lea Sevola ’18, Sydney Parra ’18, Clarise Fearn ’16, Maya Musial ’17, Rachel Wong ’17, Daniel Ghezzi ’16, Lawrence Bierra ’19, Natalee Merrill-Boyet ’16, Lauren Rexach ’19, Connie Bahng ’19 and Ian Smith ‘18.
The artistic team includes assistant director Rachel Langton ’17 , costume designer Anna Blazer ’16, lighting designer Emily Weisbecker ’17, sound designer Josh Samuels ’16 and scenic designer Wong-Westbrooke ’16.
A nationally recognized professional theatre-training program, the Department of Theatre Arts attracts students from across the globe. Throughout the school year, undergraduate students present all aspects of theatre in a professional model. Visit www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/theatre/mainstage/ for further information.
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The Dillingham Center accommodates all patrons. Individuals with special needs are asked to contact (607) 274-3224 to request accommodations as soon as possible.
From day one, Ithaca College prepares students for personal and professional success through hands-on experience with internships, research and study abroad. Its integrative curriculum builds bridges across disciplines and uniquely blends liberal arts and professional study. Located in New York’s Finger Lakes region, the College is home to 6,100 undergraduate and 460 graduate students and offers over 100 degree programs in its schools of Business, Communications, Humanities and Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Performance, and Music.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/2015111617163148