Quantum Theatre kicks off its 30th Anniversary season with a live, outdoor performance of Jay Ball’s An Odyssey at the iconic Schenley Park Ice Skating Rink from August 13 to September 5.
Directed by Jed Allen Harris, An Odyssey is a contemporary treatment of Homer’s classic filled with humor. It pointedly explores the definition of heroism in our present by emphasizing female characters (mere footnotes in the original) and how they see Odysseus’s actions through their own eyes. The project reunites Jed with key members of the imaginative team behind Quantum’s 2016 production of Collaborators.
An Odyssey is Quantum’s 11th collaboration with Citiparks. Its home in the Schenley Park Ice Skating Rink evokes an enormous facsimile of a Greek amphitheater. The rink allows audiences plenty of room, amazing vistas, and sunsets to provide a natural backdrop for the show. This sense of scale and visual depth is amplified by Narelle Sissons’ imaginative scenic design: an immersive installation employing dozens of sheets and thousands of feet of rope and yarn, primarily donated by Quantum audience and community members.
– George Hoover, Pittsburgh in the Round
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