February 12, 2010
Performances of ‘The Penelopiad’ set for Feb. 18-20
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Margaret Atwood’s “The Penelopiad” comes to life at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Marion Kleinau Theater in the Communications Building.
The production runs Feb. 18-20, with all performances beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7 for general admission, $5 for students. Tickets are available before the performance.
Elyse Pineau, associate professor in the Department of Speech Communication, adapted the novel into a performance piece, and directs the action.
“The Penelopiad” tells the story of Penelope, the faithful and long-suffering wife of the famous adventurer Odysseus, and her “12 hanged maids,” thought to be disloyal and hanged for it. This tale presents a feminist point of view, and examines the double standards between the sexes observable in most versions of the “Odyssey.”
The audience can expect an evening of witty and sometimes burlesque entertainment in a performance billed to include “singing, dancing and sarcasm.”
Megan Oestry, a senior in speech communication, is assistant director.