The Odyssey Experience Playing at Davenport Junior Theatre
The Odyssey Experience is playing at Davenport Junior Theatre from Saturday, October 12th through October 20th at 1 & 4pm on Saturdays, and 3pm on Sundays. The interactive 60-minute play is based on Homer’s epic The Odyssey. The Junior Theatre cast includes 24 students ages 10–18 led by our Artistic Director, Ashley Becher.
“I’m so excited for audiences to experience this interactive style of theater. The show brings the audience into the action and relies on their participation to tell the story. I knew this different style of theater would be a challenge, but the cast and crew have really risen to the occasion!” says director, Ashley Becher. “The show is fresh, yet melds with the origins of theater, building on the traditions of ancient Greece. We hope this show will inspire creative storytelling to continue at home!”
Audiences will go on a wild adventure with the famed warrior Odysseus, King of Ithaca, in this completely interactive production. This innovative experience welcomes the audience to be a part of the play as they are transported back to the time of the Trojan War. This participatory style of theatrical storytelling, “experiential theater,” will take Quad Citians in the audience on a journey unlike any they’ve traveled before.
Student, Kennan Baldridge, shares, “Working on this show has been really special for me. I have been hoping for an opportunity to try out an improv based style of theatre, and where better to experiment than at my second home, DJT!” She is excited for the audience interaction, adding “I look forward to sharing this inspiring tale and watching how the delivery of the story changes with each performance.”
Bonnie Sloat, president of the Junior Theatre, Inc. board of directors, hopes people will use this as an opportunity to visit Junior Theatre and be reminded of why it’s such a unique community asset. “Junior Theatre has been in the news a lot lately as we face a major transition. The community has been so supportive and vocal in their love for Junior Theatre, and it has meant a lot. We hope that this show—like all of our mainstage productions—can give families the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful afternoon of high quality live theater!”
For information on the show and other offerings at Junior Theatre, visit our website www.davenportjuniortheatre.org. The Odyssey Experience is the first of three productions making up Season 73. Our work is made possible by our generous community partners and individual donors. This project is supported by Quad City Arts re-granting program Arts Dollars, supported by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and the Quad Cities Community Foundation – Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment. Additional support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Tech and accessibility assistance was made possible by funds contributed by the Scott County Regional Authority. Culver’s of Bettendorf is a Junior Theatre Season 73 sponsor.
