Contemporary Odysseus is Anon(ymous)

The Westmont Theatre Department presents “Anon(ymous),” an adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” by Naomi Iizuka, Feb. 22, 23 and 29 and March 1 at 8 p.m. in Porter Theatre. Admission is $15, $7 for students and seniors. The public is also invited to hear Iizuka talk about her work at a keynote address Thursday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Porter Theatre.

Professor John Blondell will direct this re-imagined “Odyssey,” in which Odysseus becomes Anon, a present-day refugee washed ashore in the United States. Iizuka, a former professor of playwriting in the UC Santa Barbara Department of Dramatic Art and Dance, uses the story to explore immigrant experiences, cross-cultural encounters, and the shifting meaning of home. Iizuka will be on the Westmont campus Feb. 21 and 22 visiting classes and talking about her writing. Her residency is co-sponsored by the theatre arts department and the Intercultural Programs office.

A nationally known playwright, Iizuka has earned accolades including a Stavis Award from the National Theatre Conference, a Rockefeller Foundation MAP grant, Princeton University’s Hodder Fellowship, and many others. Her plays include “36 Views” and “Polaroid Stories” and have been produced by the Huntington Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theater, the Joseph Papp Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival, the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, and the Children’s Theater Company, where “Anon(ymous)” originated. She currently directs the playwriting program at UC San Diego.

Local high school students will be invited to special matinees of “Anon(ymous)” as the second installment of Found in Translation: Great Literature in the Theatre. To reserve tickets, please call (805) 565-7140. For more information about Found in Translation: Great Literature in the Theatre, please call (805) 565-6889 or e-mail ssquire@westmont.edu.