[This post was originally published on The Living Room Tumblr.]
I’m a member of the Young Professionals Board at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, which runs the Denver Center Theatre Company’s “Fourth Wall” program for young-adult theatergoers. In that capacity, I’m “co-hosting” an event this Saturday*, in preparation for which, I went last Saturday to see Marcus Gardley’s world premiere play black odyssey.
*[Side note to fellow 20- and 30-something Denverites: You’re invited! I can get you a discount! Contact me for details!]
Black odyssey is billed as a “retelling” of Homer’s Odyssey, in which “classic Greek characters and themes meet modern African-American culture.” Folks “in the know” at DCTC all seemed very excited about “this compelling new play [that] fuses modern reality, humor, and song with ancient myth.” But, personally, in all candor, I didn’t know quite what to expect. I’ve never read The Odyssey – here’s where I kick myself for taking regular general-education classes at USC, instead of challenging myself with Thematic Option – and I have only the most cursory knowledge of African-American culture (having been accused, more than once in my life, of being the “whitest white boy ever”). I also had no familiarity with Gardley’s work as a playwright. So, quite honestly, I wasn’t sure if this play would be “for me,” or if I’d “get” it.
Boy, was I wrong. I was blown away by black odyssey. It’s absolutely phenomenal!!
(Photo by cast member Eric Lockley, a.k.a. emel07 on Instagram.)
The script and plot are wonderful, nuanced, weird and awesome. It’s hard to describe, to someone who hasn’t seen it, what’s happening and why it’s so great – you sort of have to to experience it for yourself. Heck, you may still be a little confused at the intermission. 🙂 But trust me: before it’s over, you’ll get swept up in the “odyssey.”
Also, for a play that isn’t a “musical” per se, there’s a ton of music, all very compelling and/or haunting and/or just generally fantastic. At first, it seems a little strange, but before long, you start to accept and understand what’s going on, and it makes perfect sense. And it’s great.
Besides, “Superfly Tiresias” is worth the price of admission all by himself. He’s pictured above, sorta, but the photo doesn’t do him justice. I won’t give anything more away about that, though. You gotta see it.
Seriously, GO SEE THIS PLAY!
(Fourth Wall members and guests: if you choose The Legend of Georgia McBride – which is also rumored to be awesome – for Saturday’s “choose-your-own-world-premiere night,” that’s great. Heck, that’s what I’m doing! But I highly recommend using one of your 30% discounts to go see black odyssey on a different night. It’s totally worth it. Even if you, too, are ignorant of the classics, of black culture, etc., you should go anyway. Trust me. You’ll love it.)
P.S. Additional links and reading materials about black odyssey:
- Applause Magazine program (rename the file extension to “PDF” if your computer can’t read “ASHX” files)
- Denver Center “study guide” (rename the file extension to “PDF” if your computer can’t read “ASHX” files)
- Denver Center Tumblr: Numerous blog posts about black odyssey
- Denver Post: “Playwright Marcus Gardley’s big ambitions set sail”
- Westword: “Chay Yew on Marcus Gardley’s Black Odyssey”