REVIEW: Penelope (Signature Theatre)
Is it just me, or is Greek mythology having a Moment™?
In the last five years (or three, excluding 2020-21), we’ve had the explosive hit that is Hadestown dominate Broadway, touring houses, and now London for the second time. There’s a new Percy Jackson television series on Disney+, which, from what I hear, is the adaption that the people have been demanding since the series’ prior attempts on the screen (and stage).
Even here in DC, we’re getting a slew. Woolly is dropping Amm(I)gone in April, which seeks to intertwine Antigone to the Quran, and now Signature has opened Penelope this week, a backstage look at the wife of Odysseus during his two-decade war effort in Troy. Before I get into my thoughts, I did want to acknowledge something: at my performance, Penelope’s director and co-author Eva Steinmetz pointed out how Signature is currently producing two (!) new, original musicals — something “that doesn’t happen” in her native Philadelphia. Ain’t nothing like DC theatre!
Book/Music
Full disclosure: I know next to nothing about Greek mythology. I didn’t know what a “Eurydice” or an “Orpheus” was until like, 2017. Even then, it took watching Hadestown for me to fully get it. That’s why I love this job; I get to make up for all the shortcomings my high school English curriculum failed me at!
Penelope is introduced as just a musical, but I cast my doubt over this descriptor; if you’re familiar with the idea of a “play with music”, consider this “music with a play”. The presentation is quite concertesque. The titular chanteuse is introduced alongside a five-piece orchestra — essentially a character in themselves — and enters a forlorn tirade against her still-missing husband while left to her devices on Ithaca. Steinmetz collaborates with composer Alex Bechtel and Grace McLean to interpret these years lucidly; expect themes of intense yearning, rife with emotional ballads and opaque sonic aesthetics. Preventing Penelope’s psyche from flying off the floorboards (or helping, your pick) is viscerally lush orchestrations by Bechtel and music director Ben Moss. From the first piano chords, to the solo introductions to each musician (particular praise directed at Susanna Mendlow, whose cello skill is unmatched), the multi-genre music array is gorgeously constructed, superbly complementing the laments of Penelope. Laments which don’t always make for clear storytelling, that is, though I was often too mesmerized by the intimacy of the piece to care. Signature’s program includes a fair bit of context for the piece which is helpful for someone like me (see above), which allows the music to transcend traditional plot. In summary, it simply explores what historians and theologists understand about the lore of Penelope and her husband, but expands upon her spiraling thoughts via a solo jazz show. If Hadestown took place at 600 T on Rhode Island Ave, it could probably look something like this. Poppy, jazzy, gospel-y, what have you, each path Penelope whittles new audible intrigue from the trunk of the Western canon. 9/10
Acting
Jessica Phillips is Penelope, encompassing the myth as she sines between serene motherhood and thunderous longing. Her bright, verdant persona is accentuated by Danielle Preston’s vivid silk costume, too, allowing her to truly shine as the sole acting performance….or, at least the only one listed as such. Something I love to see, and that Signature is not a stranger to, is when the musicians are involved in a performance directly. This Brechtian approach always makes for a livelier experience, especially one where the line between concert and theatre is blurred. There’s one moment in the 75-minute piece (that, somehow, feels twice as long) that exemplifies this best; it’s very well done and unifies the room as one theatrical vessel. 9/10
Production
The nature of the play as a one-woman solo show lends itself perfectly to the intimate Ark space; since you’re never more than 8 feet from the performance area, plenty of moments create opportunity for eye contact or call-outs from Phillips. The pointed stage by Paige Hathaway represents a ship, with its sandy stilts and loose floorboards. I’m actually quite surprised how well she was able to make use of it, only once the entire show departing it despite having room to do so. The lighting design fluctuates between warm and pale hues, with the occasional iridescence, but I still found Penelope obscured by her own poorly-placed shadow more than I’d like. 5/10
Viz
Though the scrim is not fully indicative of the nature of its Greek origins, it does provide a warm, welcoming environ comparable to a jazz bar. The lighting is dimmed, there’s a space for a future band setup, and the rippled wooden backdrop glows with potential. The key art for the production depicts Penelope in a dark room, holding a rocks glass with a small ship in it. 6/10
Verdict
Penelope is a refreshingly feminist take on a Greek epic, utilizing the music and those who play it to amplify the story of a woman scorned. 29/40
