The 蜜桃传媒 Theatre Department presents 鈥淎non(ymous),鈥� an adaptation of Homer鈥檚 鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� by Naomi Iizuka, Feb. 22, 23 and 29 and March 1 at 8 p.m. in Porter Theatre. Admission is $15, $7 for students and seniors. The public is also invited to hear Iizuka talk about her work at a keynote address Thursday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Porter Theatre.
Professor John Blondell will direct this re-imagined 鈥淥dyssey,鈥� in which Odysseus becomes Anon, a present-day refugee washed ashore in the United States. Iizuka, a former professor of playwriting in the UC Santa Barbara Department of Dramatic Art and Dance, uses the story to explore immigrant experiences, cross-cultural encounters, and the shifting meaning of home. Iizuka will be on the 蜜桃传媒 campus Feb. 21 and 22 visiting classes and talking about her writing. Her residency is co-sponsored by the theatre arts department and the Intercultural Programs office.
A nationally known playwright, Iizuka has earned accolades including a Stavis Award from the National Theatre Conference, a Rockefeller Foundation MAP grant, Princeton University鈥檚 Hodder Fellowship, and many others. Her plays include 鈥�36 Views鈥� and 鈥淧olaroid Stories鈥� and have been produced by the Huntington Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theater, the Joseph Papp Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival, the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, and the Children鈥檚 Theater Company, where 鈥淎non(ymous)鈥� originated. She currently directs the playwriting program at UC San Diego.
Local high school students will be invited to special matinees of 鈥淎non(ymous)鈥� as the second installment of Found in Translation: Great Literature in the Theatre. To reserve tickets, please call (805) 565-7140. For more information about Found in Translation: Great Literature in the Theatre, please call (805) 565-6889 or e-mail ssquire@westmont.edu.