WGHS Theater Bringing THE ODYSSEY to Life at The Grove

Photo Courtesy of Universal Studios

Ms. Gibson and the rest of the drama department are excited to present The Odyssey here at the Grove and at the GHSA One-Act Competition. When October and November come around, ancient Greek stories will be brought to life.
by Zeke Hughes, Ava Turpin, and Mariana Castaneda

Ms. Gibson and the rest of the drama department are excited to present The Odyssey here at the Grove and at the GHSA One-Act Competition. When October and November come around, ancient Greek stories will be brought to life.

Ms. Gibson (Drama Teacher)
Ms. Gibson, Walnut Grove’s drama teacher, was part of a traveling performance team in 2011 that took the play The Odyssey to local elementary schools, which inspired her to bring The Odyssey to Walnut Grove. In Ms. Gibson’s words, “The experience of watching people experience myths and epic legends in real life left a huge impact on me. I've wanted to bring Greek theatre back to Walnut Grove, and this seemed like the perfect way to introduce this story back into our program.”

Ms. Gibson is most excited to see the action sequences—specifically the Charybdis and Scylla storm scene. The technical upgrades received in the auditorium renovation will help with upcoming scenes, including a plan to have a full-scale, immersive performance with lights, sound, lyrical dance, and movement. The version of The Odyssey being performed includes heavy use of music, which is different from the original epic. This version is much shorter—at 55 minutes—compared to the massive text written by the epic Greek poet Homer.

According to Ms. Gibson, the biggest challenge she and her Advanced Drama 2 class have faced has been working with the material: “Our students are used to physical comedy shows, and this Greek epic is a huge genre change for them. They are learning how to perform with masks, act and move in complete unison, and use body language and creative staging to enhance parts of the story. They're having a great time learning the ropes of early Greek theatre, and the show is coming along quite nicely.”

Micha Philips (11th Grade)
In The Odyssey, 11th-grader Micha Philips plays the lead role of Odysseus. Micha expressed his excitement for the Cyclops scene and how his part unfolds: “In the Cyclops scene, I enjoy working with some of my best friends and seeing Ody’s cunning.”

Micha also shared how it feels trying to embody Odysseus: “Trying to understand Ody is difficult because he’s really complex.” Through consistent practice and gaining a deeper understanding of the character as the story progresses, Micha explained, “At the start of Ody's arc, he’s very confident—a general who thinks he can get out of anything. At the end, he’s completely changed and feels accomplished; he just wants a quiet life now.” Micha has shown that even with such a complex character arc, growth and deep understanding are achievable.

Kolton Anderson (12th Grade)
Kolton acts alongside Micha Philips as the characters King Alcinous and Eurylochus. They have been enjoying playing these characters, especially King Alcinous, stating, “Being able to play royalty is admittedly very fun.” Kolton also noted that watching co-star Micha perform his fighting choreography has been awesome to see.

Kolton says getting into character for Eurylochus has been a challenge. Trying to emulate the feeling of being lost at sea has not been easy, but they still enjoy the experience of Eurylochus coming home: “Eurylochus is naturally more weathered and cautious than the rest of the younger crew, so by the end, I can imagine the relief of finally arriving home in Ithaca!”

Dariah Bradshaw (12th Grade)
Dariah Bradshaw, a senior at WGHS, is taking on three different roles in The Odyssey: Penelope (Odysseus’ wife), Circe (a powerful witch), and Scylla (the six-headed monster). Although Dariah is excited to bring each character to life, she is especially excited for Circe because she enjoys playing witches: “If I could turn every man who did me wrong into a pig, I would absolutely do it, too!”

One challenge Dariah has faced is the slow blocking process. She explained that she is “just in the background,” especially because her first line is her only line until she becomes Circe. Another challenge has been memorizing her lines. Although it might seem tough now, Dariah states, “I'm just thuggin' it out, because I know I will do just fine!” All in all, she is staying confident and continuing to work hard to do her part in the play.

Since Dariah is playing multiple characters, she explained how each character brings a distinct dynamic to the story: “Penelope is mourning for her husband... Circe is, well, crazy. She turns men into pigs... Scylla doesn’t have any lines, and to be completely honest, it is just doing whatever it wants to do!” Dariah is looking forward to showing the audience the different personalities of each character when the play is performed.

With that, the students and Ms. Gibson are excited for the opening performance of this highly anticipated play. Get ready for a story of heart, thrill, and adventure!