ARTS & EVENTS

Reclaiming Male Myths

City Garage uses Margaret Atwood play to give classical tale a new perspective

By Bridgette M. Redman

While it is a truism that history is written by the victors, some writers excel at reframing historical tales and mythological legends from different points of view. Chief among those talents is Margaret Atwood, the awardwinning Canadian writer and creator of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The City Garage in Santa Monica is staging one of her works through Dec. 18. “The Penelopiad” is a retelling of “The Odyssey” from the viewpoint of the long-suffering wife of Odysseus and her 12 murdered handmaids. By giving Penelope a modern, witty and pragmatic voice, the feminist icon transforms the politics of the Greek classic by letting the women involved tell the story. Now angry in Hades, these 13 spirits tell and retell their story, haunting the men who tormented them. “The Penelopiad” relates that while Odysseus is gallivanting the country fighting a war for the sake of Penelope’s beautiful, shameless and aggravating cousin Helen, Penelope is running the kingdom and raising their rebellious son. Odysseus gets to have adventures and play the hero, but Penelope has to deal with more than 100 brutal suitors. Then when the supposedly conquering hero returns home, Penelope and the 12 faithful maids pay a tragic price. Directed by artistic director Frédérique Michel and produced by executive director Charles Duncombe, “The Penelopiad” is performed by an all-female cast. “One of the attractions of this play is that we have 13 women on stage and they are playing all the parts,” Michel said. “They’re playing the men and the women. It’s really incredible and epic. It has 32 scenes and they’re all very intense. There are several musical numbers which is very new for me. It’s a fantastic tale.” The play, Duncombe added, is filled with gender politics that allows women to portray their oppressors, revealing the violence and abuse of the men in their lives. City Garage Theatre in Santa Monica presents “The Penelopiad” by award-winning Canadian writer and “The Handmaid’s Tale” creator Margaret Atwood through Dec. 18. “But instead of being victims, they’re actually taking control of their own story,” Duncombe said. The production, they warn, does have nudity, though it is done in a tasteful, classical Greek manner. “It’s done in a sense of the pagan culture out of which the mythology emerges,” Duncombe said. “There was a sense of the body in ancient Greece and in classical times. The way Frédérique is using it aligns with that cultural origin. It’s not in any sense exploitative or sexualized. It’s that pagan comfort with the natural world, the body and sexuality itself.” Perhaps more disturbing is the play’s violence. “They have a very violent scene where they are portraying men raping a woman,” Michel said. “It shows the reality of the brutality of men because that is what happened then. They are actually re-acting the scenes, re-acting battles when they were fighting with a horse. They are doing a lot of things on stage. Penelope is telling the story while the 12 maids are recreating the scenes.” Duncombe said that because these spirits are trapped in Hades for all eternity, they are endlessly replaying the story as a way of exorcising their demons, but they remain trapped in their story. “There’s a sense almost of little girls playing pretend, make-believe games where they play all the characters and do all the parts — but there’s this frightening edge to it,” Duncombe said. The narrative relates how the maids were accidently sent to their death, executed at the command of Penelope’s wrathful husband who believed the maids were in cohorts with the suitors when actually they had been sent by his wife to seduce them and spy on them so that she could live in peace. The maids put their faith in Penelope, that she would tell her husband how they had served her, but she didn’t have time to do it and Telemachus, their son, acting out his father’s male rage, hung them all. “In many ways, the play shows the fidelity and fraternity of women at the same time that it shows the egoism and violence of men,” Duncombe said. While the maids are faithful to Penelope, not all women in this show are friends. Penelope expresses her disgust and frustration with Helen of Troy, the woman owning the face that launched a thousand ships to battle the Trojan War and set off tragedy after tragedy. Penelope relates how mean her cousin was to her in their youth. City Garage is using an evocative and unrealistic set, one that makes careful use of platforms, elevations, lights and projections. As they often do, they’ll use cameras to project images of people on stage. For example, when Penelope is doing a monologue, they will project a huge close-up of her in the background. They’ll also make use of costume bits to help the audiences understand when the maids become men and the various roles they take on as they tell their stories. Under Michel’s direction, the changes are designed to happen in a beautiful and fluid manner. In addition to being attracted to the gender politics of Atwood’s play, Duncombe said “The Penelopiad” is a good fit for City Garage because their audiences crave variety and have responded positively to the past adaptations they’ve

“The Penelopiad” is a retelling of “The Odyssey” from the viewpoint of the long-suffering wife of Odysseus and her 12 murdered handmaids. done through the years of Greek mythology, both tragedies and comedies. “We experience it in our contemporary voice in a way that makes it seem not like distant history but more immediate,” Duncombe said. “It relates to what people are examining and reflecting on today, whether it’s power or gender politics or any number of issues.” This is the first time City Garage has produced work by Atwood. They’ve had the rights for some time as they were originally planning to open the show in April 2020, but COVID-19 shutdowns prevented that. While the world has changed in many ways over the past two years, the story still holds the same sway and power it did before. “The same issues still resonate, which is about the position of women in society, the need for equality and diversity,” Duncombe said. “All the issues are still as alive as they were.” Michel has high praise for her actors. She acknowledges that it is sometimes difficult to work with certain women or groups of women on stage, but that she has had none of those issues with this group. “It’s really a great group of actresses who want to do their best and are very excited,” Michel said. “I was a little worried before when I was thinking 13 women on stage was going to be a challenge, when in fact, it’s really great. It’s a really good feeling to have them on stage.”

“The Penelopiad”

WHEN: Through Sunday, Dec. 18 WHERE: City Garage Theatre, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Building T1, Santa Monica COST: $25 students and seniors, $30 general admission INFO: citygarage.org

ACROSS

1 Asparagus piece 6 For the ages 10 Open pages in a browser 14 Channel with

Supreme Court coverage 19 Childish comeback 20 Biblical wedding location 21 Writer’s block cure 22 Troubling signs 23 Very dangerous red? 26 Vatican City masterpiece 27 First novel in Cather’s “Great

Plains” trilogy 28 Coral formation 29 How one must win in volleyball 30 Violinist Leopold 31 “Te __”: Rihanna song 32 “Just watch me!” 34 Email folder 36 “Invisibilia” airer 37 Wine on tap? 40 Look at 41 Actor

Mendelsohn 42 Datebook col. 43 Painting, cinema, ballet, etc. 45 Have 49 Formal talk 53 __ setter 54 Steer clear of 55 Kimono sash 57 Proverb ending? 58 Game that begins with the murder of Mr. Boddy 59 Remains unsettled 60 Sequel to Steinbeck’s “Grapes of

Wrath”? 64 Moo __ pork 67 “Rule, Britannia” composer 68 Outlaw 69 Snacked on 70 French assent 71 Tavern quaffs 72 Trough spot 73 Hangover caused by wine? 76 Like gymnasts 77 Gobi locale 79 A pop 80 At the stern 81 More rational 82 Become frantic 84 Stockpiled 87 Delegates, as duties 89 Endangered

Himalayan mammal 91 Rain-__ gum 93 Coop resident 94 Tax agcy. 95 Wax eloquent about some wine? 100 Sunblock letters 103 Mineral hardness scale 105 Forensic facilities 106 Stretch the truth 107 Actress Polo 108 1965 march site 110 Little brook 111 __ section 113 Skylit courtyards 114 Wine that’s good for one’s bones? 116 Nested supermarket rollers 117 “Red Clocks” novelist Zumas 118 Connection point 119 Teeny pests 120 Private rendezvous 121 Dermatology concern 122 Boxing ref’s decisions 123 Wade noisily

DOWN

1 South Pacific islander 2 Keep from falling 3 More ghoulish 4 Mary of “The

Maltese Falcon” 5 Dappled horse 6 Dermatology concern 7 Create couples 8 Cozy retreats 9 Half-__:lattespec 10 Unfortunate quality in a karaoke singer 11 Arithmetic figure 12 Meat-flavored broths 13 Kid-lit girl with a blueberry pail 14 __ and paste 15 “In the Heights” actor Jimmy 16 Wine that comes in tiny bottles? 17 Lost and found, e.g. 18 Govt. cybersecurity monitor 24 Picks up 25 With the bow, in music 29 Ring event 32 Footnote kin of op. cit. 33 Couple in a boat 35 Radio host John 37 Acts 38 Get in shape 39 Case for Mulder and Scully 41 Back of a hit 45 record 44 Tulsa sch. 45 Family guys 46 In plain view 47 Tale about one Corleone’s love of fortified wine? 48 L.A.’s region 50 Some calorie

counters 51 Less common 52 Historic Nevada city 56 Rock group 58 Forensic series starring Paula

Newsome, familiarly 61 Ben and Jerry 62 Car top 63 “__ my way!” 65 Oscar winner

Mirren 66 Icon tappers 68 “Hello, ewe!” 71 Once more 73 Hebrew prophet 74 Federal org. with a flower logo 75 Sauce dispenser 76 Portfolio part 78 Small drink 82 Buttoned-up 83 Ford’s first minivan 84 Score after deuce, perhaps 85 Hogwash 86 Flows back, as the tide 88 “You gotta be kidding!” 90 Zip 92 City near Disney

World 96 Sci-fi invaders 97 “Heads or tails?” 98 Equal to the task 99 Nephews’ sisters 100 Taken care of 101 Jabbers 102 Wind up 104 Thin openings 107 Hiking path 109 Sloop pole 111 “Order up!” shouter 112 Goals 113 Play a role 114 Great Basin cap.

'The Nutcracker'

Westside Ballet’s annual holiday performance returns to BroadStage

By Jeff Favre

Last fall, not only did a starring role in the company’s most anticipated production appear out of the question for two Westside School of Ballet veterans battling illness and injuries—but even dancing again at any level seemed in doubt. What a difference a year makes. Lilly Olvera and Jasmine Harrison, both 18, fought their way back into the studio and now, onto the stage. The longtime friends will share the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in Westside’s annual production of “The Nutcracker,” beginning an eight-show run on Nov. 26 at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. The Sugar Plum Fairy joins the Cavalier in the famed pas de deux, a dance that Olvera would watch in her first years at Westside, as she appeared in the smaller roles meant for beginners. Back then, she didn’t want the coveted part. “It terrified me, because it's the longest piece, and you’re what the audience sees last,” she said. “You're the grand finale. It always seemed so intense. It looked so scary. But at the same time, the scary things are the fun things, Westside School of Ballet will present eight performances of “The Nutcracker” at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center beginning Nov. 26. because then I get to look back at them and say, ‘I can't believe I did that.’”

What was scarier, though, was when Olvera began feeling ill during the beginning of the pandemic. But it wasn’t COVID.

“I have a condition called POTS,” she explained. “I also had, growing up, chronic migraines, and my migraines would get really bad. I would get visual symptoms, so I wouldn't be able to walk around my house even, because I would walk into walls. Obviously, dancing was off the table, and that was really awful.” Olvera’s neurologist diagnosed her, and with the help of a cardiologist and nutritionist her health improved and she was able to resume dancing. The first day back in the studio with Westside artistic director Martine Harley felt like a literal dream to her. “Martine has always been very nice and very sweet, but I was so scared, because I really wanted her to know that I could do this,” she said. “I remember at the beginning we were a little bit into bar, and she came up and put her hand on my shoulder and said, ‘You are just as beautiful as I remember.’ It was honestly the most cliche thing, and for a second I thought I made it up in my head, but then the girl next to me was like, ‘That was so sweet,’ and I was like, oh my gosh, thank God I didn't make that up.” For Harrison, the road back to the studio went through a physical therapist’s office. She said repetitive stress caused a substantial hip injury, and she had to take off several months while healing. Grateful to dance at all again, she didn’t imagine getting any of the major roles in “The Nutcracker.” “But then Martine asked me to do Sugar Plum,” Harrison said. “Even with my hip injury, I guess I was able to come back and dance at the same level that I was before. I had to do a lot of physical therapy, I had to do Pilates, and just make sure to know when I’m reaching my limit, and I think it's working.” Harley has been thrilled watching two of her longtime students recover. “Lilly and Jasmine grew up at Westside, and the two of them overcame some incredible physical challenges,” Harley said. “They have such resilience coming back and saying, ‘This is what I want to do. I want to graduate in my “Nutcracker” at the top of my game.’” Westside’s “Nutcracker” follows the 1954 George Balanchine choreography that most companies use. Harley maintains to keep the tradition of Westside’s founders, which first produced the show 49 years ago. The setting remains the same, but Harley updated a few elements. “We made some changes to the Arabian costume and also to the Chinese dance,” she said. “In the Chinese dance, it was traditional to hold up two fingers for the Chinese dancers, which was representing chopsticks. That was more recently viewed as culturally insensitive or stereotypical. I researched it and watched what are the most traditional dances in China, so I re-choreographed the dance to be with fans instead, and the younger dancers hold lanterns.” Westside also has invited professional Maté Szentes, who has been a member of several major companies, to perform the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Cavalier. For Harrison and Olvera, one of the brightest spots at the end of their long journey to becoming the Sugar Plum Fairy is watching others who are just beginning. “I get to see all the kids that are like so excited,” Olvera said. “And I love helping out in the dressing rooms, getting everybody ready for their costumes, because it reintroduces the magic. Last weekend, I was helping out one of the younger girls, putting on her beaded and shiny head piece, like a crown. And I get to see them experience it as I did.”.

“The Nutcracker”

WHEN: 1 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4 WHERE: Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica COST: $50 INFO: westsideballet.com/ nuttix or 1-800-595-4849