Full Cast & Creative Team Unveiled for The Acting Company's World Premiere of Lisa Peterson's ODYSSEY 

The Acting Company has revealed the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Odyssey, adapted and directed by internationally renowned writer and director Lisa Peterson, and based on Emily Wilson's 2018 translation of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey-the first English translation published by a woman.

Odyssey will premiere at Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley, CA) August 31 - September 24, 2023 as the first stop on a nationwide tour. Tickets are now available for performances across the country and may be purchased at each presenter's respective box office.

Set in a present-day relocation center for refugees on the Isle of Lesbos, four young women fleeing conflict in Middle Eastern, North African, and Eastern European countries await the next step of their quest for home and family. Through the extraordinary characters of this epic tale, the women explore what it is to host a stranger, follow the rules of generosity, question what it means to belong without a "place" to call home, and discover the thrill of adventure at the heart of it all. Odyssey promises to bring bold theatricality, humor, and grace to a story we all think we know.

The cast for Odyssey will feature (in alphabetical order) Layla Khoshnoudi (Anoud), Zamo Mlengana (Zee), Abiola Obatolu (Understudy), Anya Whelan-Smith (Hana), and Sophie Zmorrod (Béa).

Under the direction of Lisa Peterson, the creative team for Odyssey includes Tanya Orellana (Scenic Design), Sarita Fellows (Costume Design), Russell Champa (Lighting Design), Sinan Refik Zafar (Sound Design), Masi Asare (Original Music and Lyrics), Jesse Cameron Alick (Dramaturgy), Margaret Lee (Associate Director), Xavier Clark (Voice and Speech Director), Stephanie Weinzapfel (Production Stage Manager), and Cello Blanks (Assistant Stage Manager).

The key art for Odyssey was created by illustrator Shirien Damra.

TOUR SCHEDULE

· Mill Valley, CA, at Marin Theatre Company (8/31 - 9/24)

· Philadelphia, PA, at The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in The Harold Prince Theater (9/30 - 10/2)

· Easton, PA at Lafayette College (10/3)

· Bloomsburg, PA at Bloomsburg University (10/6)

· Lexington, VA at Washington and Lee University (10/9)

· Richmond, VA at the University of Richmond (10/11)

· Great Barrington, MA at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (10/14 - 10/15)

· Burlington, VT at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts (10/17)

· Asheville, NC at the Wortham Center for the Arts (10/20)
Culver, IN at The Culver Academy (10/23)

· Decorah, IA at Luther College (10/26)

· East Lansing, MI at The Wharton Center for the Performing Arts (10/28 - 10/30)

· Steamboat Springs, CO at the Strings Music Festival (11/1)
Worcester, MA at The Hanover Theater for the Performing Arts (11/8)

· Montclair, NJ at Montclair State University (11/9)
Galloway, NJ at Stockton University (11/10)

For more information, visit www.theactingcompany.org.

ABOUT The Acting Company

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Kent Gash, Managing Director Erik Schroeder, and Producing Director Devin Brain, The Acting Company brings professional productions and education programs, in-school residencies, and teacher training workshops to thousands of audience members and students in underserved communities and schools each year. Founded by John Houseman and Margot Harley, the company seeks to develop emerging actors and build enthusiastic, knowledgeable audiences for the theater in towns across the United States. The Acting Company launched the careers of nearly 500 actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Mary Lou Rosato, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, Lorraine Toussaint, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, Lisa Banes, Jeffrey Wright, Hamish Linklater, Jesse L. Martin, Roslyn Ruff, Jimonn Cole, and Kelley Curran.

Over 5,000 students in New York City and across the country benefit from The Acting Company's in-school residencies and educator workshops every year. Annually, over 30,000 audience members see an Acting Company production across the country who otherwise lack access to professional classical theatre.

Among many accolades, The Acting Company received the 2003 Tony Award for Excellence in the Theater, and recently won the 2019 Audelco Award for Best Play for its production of Nambi E. Kelley's Native Son directed by Seret Scott.

Since 1972, The Acting Company has performed for over four million people in 48 states, 10 foreign countries, on and Off-Broadway, and at leading resident theaters including The Guthrie and The Kennedy Center. New works commissioned by the company include plays by William Finn, Marcus Gardley, Rebecca Gilman, John Guare, Beth Henley, Tony Kushner, Lynn Nottage, Meg Miroshnik, Ntozake Shange, Maria Irene Fornés, Spalding Gray, Marsha Norman, Charles Smith, Samm-Art Williams, and Wendy Wasserstein.

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ABOUT MARIN THEATRE COMPANY

Marin Theatre Company is the Bay Area's premier mid-sized theatre and the leading professional theatre in the North Bay, producing new American plays. MTC is committed to the development and production of new plays, with a comprehensive New Play Program that includes productions of world premieres, readings and workshops by the nation's diverse emerging and established playwrights. MTC's numerous education programs serve more than 4,500 students from over 40 Bay Area schools each year. MTC envisions theatre as a vital space for sharing diverse stories to build a more just and equitable world. MTC is dedicated to inspiring conversation, learning and action to build more inclusive communities. We do this by providing a sustainable home for developing the work of diverse American Playwrights and producing innovative theatrical experiences. MTC was founded in 1966 and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

CREATIVE PROFILES

Lisa Peterson (Playwright and Director) is a two-time OBIE Award-winning writer/director. Her works include An Iliad, written with Denis O'Hare (NYTW, OBIE and Lortel Awards); The Good Book (co-written with O'Hare, Court Theater and Berkeley Rep); The Waves (adapted from Virginia Woolf with composer David Bucknam, NYTW). Lisa is renowned for directing new plays and classics across the country; recently she directed the world premiere of Doug Wright's Good Night, Oscar on Broadway. She was Associate Director at Berkeley Rep, Center Theatre Group, and La Jolla Playhouse. She is a recent recipient of the Gordon Davidson Award for Lifetime Achievement. Upcoming writing projects include The Song of Rome with O'Hare, and The Idea of Order with composer Todd Almond.

Tanya Orellana (Scenic Designer) designs performance spaces for theatre and opera. Originally from San Francisco's Mission District, she is a core member of the award-winning ensemble Campo Santo. Previous collaborations with Lisa Peterson include The Kind Ones by Miranda Rose Hall at The Magic, Timon of Athens and Coriolanus at Utah Shakespeare Festival. Recent collaborations include Poor Yella Rednecks: Vietgone 2 directed by Jaime Castañeda, Fefu and Her Friends directed by Pam MacKinnon, Oedipus directed by Jenny Koons at The Getty Villa, The Industry's Sweet Land, an immersive opera directed by Yuval Sharon and Cannupa Hanska Luger, and LEAR by Marcus Gardley, co-directed by Eric Ting and Dawn Monique Williams. Tanya received her MFA in Scenic Design from CalArts and is the 2016 recipient of the Princess Grace Fabergé Theatre Award. She is a member of Wingspace Theatrical Design and an organizing member of La Gente: The Latine Production Network. www.tanyaorellana.com Instagram: @tanya_orellana

Sarita Fellows (Costume Designer) born in Freetown Sierra Leone, her more recent works include projects such as Death of a Salesman, Broadway; Drinking in America, Audible Minetta Lane Theater; Theater of the Mind, Denver Center of Performing Arts; Elyria, Atlantic Theater Co; A Midsummer's Night Dream at Portland Center Stage, Blues for An Alabama Sky and Sweat, Guthrie theater; Joy and Pandemic, and Our Daughters Like Pillars, Huntington Theater; Seize The King, Alliance Theater; A Bright Room Called Day, Public Theater; Fefu and Her Friends, American Conservatory Theater. In the dance world, Sarita has worked with choreographers such as Liz Lerman, and Edisa Weeks. MFA in design from Tisch School of Design. Sarita also instructs at the University of Connecticut and Princeton. Recent awards include; Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design (The National Black Theater Festival 2022). Lily Award (2020)

Russel H. Champa (Lighting Designer) previous design for The Acting Company includes Desire (59E59). Current and recent projects include The Iron Bell And The Butterfly (The Dallas Opera), Josephine's Feast (Magic Theater), Fefu and Her Friends (American Conservatory Theater), Becky Nurse of Salem (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Everest (Lyric Opera of Kansas City), and Thresh|Hold (Pilobolus). Broadway credits include China Doll (Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre), In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Lyceum Theatre/Lincoln Center Theater) and Julia Sweeney's God Said "Ha!" (Lyceum Theatre). New York work includes Playwrights Horizons, Theater For A New Audience, The Public Theater, Second Stage Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, and New York Stage and Film. Regional work includes Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Wilma Theater, Trinity Repertory Company, California Shakespeare Theater, the Mark Taper Forum, and The Kennedy Center. Thanks J+J! PEACE. russellchampa.com

Sinan Refik Zafar (Sound Design) Broadway: What the Constitution Means to Me (also NYTW, National Tour). National Tour: What to Send Up When It Comes Down (also Playwrights Horizons, BAM, A.R.T.) Off Broadway includes Letters From Max (Signature); Which Way To The Stage, All The Natalie Portmans (MCC); To My Girls (Second Stage); The Vagrant Trilogy, Cullud Wattah (The Public); Wish You Were Here, What To Send Up When It Goes Down (Playwrights Horizons); English (Obie Award), Shhhh (Atlantic); and Montag (Soho Rep). Regional includes Kennedy Center, Guthrie, Mark Taper Forum, Berkeley Rep, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and more. sinanzafar.com

Masi Asare (Original Music and Lyrics) Broadway: Paradise Square (lyrics, Tony/Outer Critics Circle nominee). Off-Broadway/International: Monsoon Wedding (lyrics), Notes from Now (contributed music/lyrics). Commissions: Theatre Royal Stratford East, Barbara Whitman/Grove, Lilly Awards, Concord Theatricals. In development: Delta Blue (music/lyrics), The Family Resemblance (book/music/lyrics, O'Neill), Rishvor (book/music/lyrics), Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood (music/lyrics). Her spy musical Sympathy Jones (music/lyrics), and Marvel super hero play Mirror of Most Value have collectively had 100+ productions. Honors: Dramatists Guild Fellow, Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award, Theater Hall of Fame Grant, Women to Watch on Broadway. Degrees: Harvard, NYU Tisch. Masi is on the theatre faculty at Northwestern. masiasare.com / @masiasare

Margaret Lee (Associate Director & Staff Director) is a Hawaii-born, NYC-based director/movement director. Current: Install Director of Scarlet Night (Virgin Voyages' signature immersive show). Past: Director for Moxie Arts NY (3 commissioned World Premieres), From A To Double D by Mandy Murphy (IRT Theater), The Golden Spike by Don Nguyen & The Lobbyists (BRIC House Artist Studio), Resident Director of immersive nightclub-theatre Eschaton. While serving as Artistic Director of Chicago troupe 33rd Street Productions, she focused on fostering cross-disciplinary creativity with artists primarily in STEM, in addition to helming productions of Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon, Venus in Fur by David Ives, and Company by Stephen Sondheim. She has been fortunate to assist Kathleen Marshall, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, and David Mendizabal at theatres such as The Old Globe, MCC Theater, New York Stage & Film, and Long Wharf Theatre. Margaret is a Drama League Directors Project Alumna, a member of Roundabout Directors Group, a Fled Collective member, and an SDC Associate Member. LeeMargaret.com | @margareadyornot

Xavier Clark (Voice and Speech Coach) is a bilingual Voice & Speech practitioner who studied Voice under Alithea Phillips, Ursula Meyer and apprenticed with Dawn-Elin Fraser. He recently served as the Dialect Coach for TFANA's Orpheus Descending and as the Voice and Speech Coach for The Acting Company's National Tour of Romeo and Juliet and The Three Musketeers. He is on Faculty with the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and Powerhouse Theatre at Vassar College. Training: RADA, NYU Tisch (BFA) and UC San Diego (MFA). @xavierbclark

Jesse Cameron Alick (Dramaturg) is a dramaturg, producer, poet, playwright, essayist, artistic researcher and science fiction expert. Jesse is the Associate Artistic Director at the Vineyard Theater in NYC where he is a dramaturg and producer. Jesse is an active freelance dramaturg at various off-Broadway theaters in the city, nationwide and in the UK. Jesse studied writing with Adrienne Kennedy and has taught theater courses, lectured at classes and mentored students at a myriad of programs, currently teaching at NYU.

Emily Wilson (Translator) is the College for Women Class of 1963 Term Professor in the Humanities, professor of Classical Studies, and graduate chair of the Program in Comparative Literature & Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania. Wilson attended Oxford University (Balliol College B.A. and Corpus Christi College M.Phil.) and Yale University (Ph.D.). She has been named a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome in Renaissance & Early Modern scholarship, a MacArthur Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. She lives in Philadelphia with her three daughters, two cats, two rats, and one dog.

CAST PROFILES

Layla Khoshnoudi (Anoud) is an Iranian-Texan actress based in New York. She received an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College. Select theater credits include Men on Boats (Clubbed Thumb); 7 Minutes (Waterwell); Dance Nation (Playwrights Horizons); Bull in a China Shop (Lincoln Center); Dido of Idaho (Ensemble Studio Theater); I am Gordafarid (Noor Theater); Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater); Will You Come With Me? (Play Company); Nobody's Girl (NJ Rep); Wyoming (Lesser America). TV: Instinct (CBS); FBI (CBS); All Hail Beth (BricTV), My Ex is Trending (YouTube). Film: Long Nights, Short Mornings; Bad at Birthdays. Short films: Nadia Jaan; Androgen; Bookends.

Zamo Mlengana (Zee) is thrilled to be making her stage debut in Lisa Peterson's Odyssey. Zamo recently earned a BA in Fine Arts from New York City's famed The Juilliard School, where she was a Shubert Foundation Scholar. Zamo proudly hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. She would like to thank God, her family and team for always supporting her.

Anya Whelan-Smith (Hana) recently completed a run of Hamlet at the Guthrie Theater, playing Ophelia. Other theater credits include: 2022 New Works Festival (Gulfshore Playhouse), His Girl Friday (Barrington Stage Company), A Class Act (Berkshire Theatre Group), Macbeth & Taming of the Shrew (MaineStage Shakespeare, repertory) and Blue Ridge (Williamstown Theater Festival, Original Workshop Production). TV: FBI: International (CBS), Law & Order: SVU (NBC). Film: Fall to Rise, Pizza Party, Souvenir Drunk (upcoming). MFA Acting, The Juilliard School.

Sophie Zmorrod (Béa) is an actor, vocalist and playwright based in Brooklyn, New York. Theatre: Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd (Trinity Repertory Company), Marjana and the Forty Thieves (Target Margin Theater), INVASION! (Ancram Opera House), Miss U in Promenade (The María Irene Fornés Marathon at The Public), Hamlet in Machine Learning Hamlet (MetaPhys Ed), The Protest (Cherry Lane Theatre), Ocean Filibuster (Pearl D'Amour) and James Joyce's The Dead (Hangar Theatre). Brown/Trinity Rep: Robin in Wolf Play, Yitzak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Death in Everybody, Leontes in The Winter's Tale, and Mona in Lex Derman's Play House. Film/TV: For Life (ABC/Hulu). MFA in Acting from Brown/Trinity Rep, Stephen Sondheim Fellow and David Wickham Prize in Playwriting. BA cum laude in Music from Columbia University. www.sophiezmorrod.com

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