Penelopeis a meditation on memory, identity, and what it means to come home.
- Sarah Kirkland Snider
On March 7-30, Theatre Magdeburg presents a newly staged production of Penelope by Sarah Kirkland Snider. Originally a 60-minute song cycle for female voice, chamber orchestra, and electronics, the work is set to a libretto by playwright Ellen McLaughlin. Florian Honigmann's new production features mezzo-soprano Emilie Renard, and is conducted by Jovan Mitic-Varutti. Costume designer Meike Kurella and dramaturg Christoph Clausen round out the creative team.
Inspired by Homer's The Odyssey, Penelope tells a story of a women whose husband reappears at her door after twenty years, his mind fractured by the horrors of war. He no longer remembers who he is, and she struggles to recognize whom he has become. As they wait for his identity to resurface, she reads to him The Odyssey, hoping that it will unlock the memories buried beneath his trauma.
For more information, please contact your local Wise Music Promotion Team.
