Brief: Hangar’s ‘An Odyssey’ opens this weekend

Hangar’s ‘An Odyssey’ opens this weekend

The Hangar Theatre’s first-ever outdoor summer season closes with “An Odyssey,” a co-production with The Cherry Arts, running Aug. 27 through Sept. 4. The opening performance of “An Odyssey,” adapted and directed by Samuel Buggeln, founding artistic director of The Cherry Arts, will begin Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m. A preview performance will precede the opening Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m.; matinee and evening performances will run through Sept. 4. An epic new piece of theatre created by our town, for our town, “An Odyssey” celebrates the skills and talents of Ithaca’s diverse community, working alongside professional theater artists, to create a fresh and unexpected adaptation of Homer’s unforgettable tale. With music, magic and adventure, it reflects the myriad journeys we have all been taking, and must continue to take, during this extraordinary time in our lives. “In this moment in our lives, we decided to reach into the wisdom and talents of Ithaca’s great variety of people, to discover how the stories of our lives might speak to one of the oldest and most famous stories of the western world,” Buggeln said. “What is The Odyssey, if it’s not the story of one heroic man on a journey, but the story of a whole community finding its way through crisis?” “An Odyssey” breaks down barriers to access and participation in the creation of theater, while uniting people with a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to create a story together. To engage partner organizations in the play development process, Hangar Artistic Director Shirley Serotsky and Buggeln held workshops with organizations including Community Arts Partnership, Circus Culture, Racker, Lifelong and Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC). “For a long time, folks have talked about how great it would be if Ithaca’s different theatre companies could work together, combining our strengths to create something that none of us could do on our own,” Buggeln said. “And now, thanks to Shirley Serotsky and RJ Lavine, it’s happening! The Cherry Arts could not be more excited to be joining forces with the Hangar to forge something truly new to both of us.” In this photo (from left to right): “An Odyssey” actors Cynthia Henderson, Madison Hertel, Seth Koproski, Sylvie Yntema, Stacia Zabusky, Jack Damien, K. Foula Dimopoulos, Marissa Accordino and Jessica Dreiling.