I remember sitting on the subway in the middle of winter last year bundled up and squished like a sardine when I first came across the advertisement for Nightwood Theatre’s The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. I immediately ran home, hopped on my computer and did a search for the production that stars Canada’s much beloved Megan Follows.
Like many children across Canada, my sister and I grew up watching Anne of Green Gables. An opportunity to admire one of Canadas most celebrated actors performing in a piece of theatre written by one of the countries most acclaimed writers was to say the least, an exciting one. I was thrilled to take the two ladies in my life to see the show but unfortunately my travel commitments got in the way: I was off to Guatemala, Panama and the Galapagos Islands.
It seems as though I have been given a second chance, as has Kelly Thornton the shows Director. Toronto Theatre fans can rejoice as The Penelopiad has been brought back to the stage for a second run due to its fantastic success last year. I was so pleased to be able to attend the opening night of the show with my sister before we zoomed off on a press trip with Waterloo Tourism the following morning.
I arrived at Buddies in Badtimes Theatre a few minutes before the show started. Our eyes shot around an entirely packed audience looking for two seats marked, DOBSON. I spotted Ms. Atwood sitting a few rows behind me reviewing her program. I imagine she must feel such triumph having successfully transformed one of her literary masterpieces into a sold out theatre run. I found my shoulders relax as the lights dimmed, gusts of smoke crawled across the stage as a stream of light glowed behind Ms. Follows who tip toed towards the audience.
The Penelopiad is Atwood’s playful response to Homer’s The Odyssey following Penelope (played by Megan Follows) through the 20-year absence of her husband Odysseus who is fighting in the Trojan War. She is left to raise a son alone while fending off hundreds of vulgar yet opportunistic suitors while maintaining composure amidst scandalous rumours. The heroin enlists her maids in a ruse to protect her but when Odysseus returns and massacres the suitors and brutally hangs the 12 maids, all eyes turn to Penelope. “Now that I am dead I know everything” are the first words uttered as she returns from the underworld, Hades, to set the record straight. The show begins with this monologue which sets the scene for a piece of theatre which perfectly taps into the themes of grief, remorse, lust, gender and the mysteries surrounding the feminine mystique.
Megan had the attention of the audience from first breath to final bow. Her facial expressions, body language and ability to believably transform herself into Penelope are a testament to why she is so often referred to as one of Canada’s top talents. While Penelope leads us through her complex and provocative tale, the entire cast consistently have the audience bellowing with laughter. At intermission one sits and appreciates how Ms. Atwood has interpreted an ancient text and made it accessible, relevant and amusing.
The costumes used throughout the show hang innocently on the 12 maids which create a fantastic juxtaposition against the other larger than life characters we encounter throughout the story. Many of whom are often covered in feathers or surrounded by a sea of indigo blue fabric.
The 12 maids consistently provide a haunting narrative. Throughout the show they gather together as a choir, chanting and singing in unison with a childlike quality which embodies the innocence of woman and forces us to reflect on the heart of the story.
The subject matter of the Penelopiad only occupies 10 verses in The Odyssey. Ms. Atwood has successfully interpreted this male-centric and masogonistic epic saga through the lens of a discriminating feminist. “I have always been haunted by the hanged maids; and, in The Penelopiad, so is Penelope.” Ms. Atwood has created a space where woman who were once a footnote have a powerful voice and a unique opportunity to control the narration of their brutal fate.
Penned and performed by two of Canada’s most celebrated female artists, The Penelopiad is not to be missed.
