Calypso

Calypso runs approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission. If you require any accommodations, our staff will be happy to assist.

Please do not bring outside food or drinks into the theatre.

Calypso - Evelyn Jane Wohlbier (u/s Olivia Gregorich)

Hermes - Emma Mansfield (u/s Rachel Katz)

Odysseus - Riley Lucas (u/s Casey McKinney)

Director - Emily Newmark

Assistant Director - Olivia Marmer

Music Director - Kieran Minor

Intimacy Director - Bailey McWilliams-Woods

Producer(s) - Clara Zucker, Bailey McWilliams-Woods

Stage Manager - Sofie Schmeltzer

Dramaturg - Naomi Kalter

Marketing Team - Jane Hobson, Emily Waskowitz

Production Manager & Set Designer - Katelyn Mongomery

Costume Designer - Maggie McGlenn

Lighting Designer - Joseph Nelson

Sound Designer - Emmerich Mager

Props Master - Robin Manganaro

Stage Crew - Lizzie Komosa

Poster & Program Art - Andi Muriel

Jordan Muschler is a playwright and director based in Minneapolis. He has developed and directed Calypso with Stone & Sky, SHO Studios, and Minneapolis Arts in the Park; he is honored to continue its journey with the wonderful team at The Village Theater. As a writer, other full-length plays include Grisling Hall and Parasocial Play; as a director, credits include The Buddy Holly Story (Cedar Summerstock), Elegies: A Song Cycle (OSTA), and, most recently, assistant directing A Doll’s House at the Guthrie.

I have always been drawn to Greek myths because their worlds hold power in physical form, gods who walk, rage, and plot among us, forces we can see and confront. I seek these stories because power in our own world often feels abstract, diffused into systems and screens, designed to thin out human connection and isolate us. Calypso speaks to our longing for real, tangible connection, revealing how love, desire, and being truly seen, by ourselves and by others, allow us to discover our voice. 

At its heart, this play insists on the power of creation: no matter how small or alone we may feel, there is immense strength in music and art. The courage to create is perhaps the greatest power we possess, shaping meaning from chaos and breathing hope into the world. Calypso may have all the time in the universe to define her voice, but we do not. Mortals, as Muschler writes, “get the privilege of urgency, knowing it will not last, and knowing they must cherish it while they can.” This line strikes me as a dare: what will you do with your precious time?

— Emily Newmark

The ancient Greek poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, is one of the oldest pieces of surviving literature we have today. The Odyssey is the second epic poem attributed to Homer and serves as a sequel to The Iliad, which recounts the events towards the end of the ten-year Trojan War. The poems are believed to have been written around the 7th century BC. Filled with monsters, nymphs, sirens, and the Greek's beloved gods, the poems were told and performed centuries before being recorded.

At the beginning of The Odyssey we find ourselves following the protagonist of the poem: the king of Ithaca, Odysseus. Following his victory in the Trojan war, Odysseus sets sail with twelve ships full of his men all eager to return home to Ithaca. Odysseus is especially desperate to get home to his wife Penelope and their son Telemachus who was only a baby when his father departed. Along their journey, Odysessus and his men face challenges; from battling Cyclopes, landing on the famous witch Circe's island, surviving man-eating Sirens, and even sailing into the Underworld, Odysseus barely makes it out alive. Despite receiving life-saving help from gods Athena and Aeolus, most of Odysseus's men are killed on their quest.

Desperately seeking sustenance, Odysseus's crew slaughters sacred cows of the gods. As punishment, the remaining men are killed in a brutal storm dealt by Zeus, king of the gods. Without men or supplies, Odysseus is swept ashore on Ogygia, home and prison of the exiled nymph Calypso.

The first textual appearance of Calypso is in The Odyssey, and as far as we know she is Homer's literary creation. In Greek mythology, Calypso is said to be the daughter of the Titan Atlas, sent to live in eternal exile on Ogygia after the Titans lose their war against the Greek gods. From the poem, we know that Calypso is immortal and possesses some divine powers. She spends her days weaving on her loom, singing, and living in forced solitude.

The words enchantress, seductress, and captor have all been used to describe Calypso throughout history. She is the one who holds Odysseus back from returning to his family. She distracts him with immortality and paradise, offering him only the illusion of choice. Yet while so little is revealed about Calypso, what we do know is that she herself was given no choice. She is trapped on the island, condemned to remain there forever for supporting her father, never able to leave and never able to die. When Odysseus arrives she shelters him, offering food, rest, and healing.

His presence offers Calypso a glimpse of god-like control, but ultimately she can only remain as she was: a prisoner.

Calypso's story mirrors Odysseus's, reflecting the tension between power and powerlessness. Though immortal, Calypso is bound by the same chains that bind mortals: fate and love. This makes her both timeless and tragically human. Calypso's story serves as a profound reflection of The Odyssey itself. A journey not only across seas, but through the depths of love, loyalty, and loss.

Each Village Theater production is developed in partnership with a local organization whose mission aligns with the show's central themes. This approach reflects our belief that transformative art is rooted in collaboration and community, and that meaningful theater must be in conversation with the world around it. We’re thrilled to partner with MUSIC Inc, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing equity in music education on Chicago’s West Side, for Calypso. Stop by the table in our lobby and visit their website to learn more!

The Village Theater would like to extend a special thank you to Tara Mallen, Trisha Hooper, Erica Slater, Claire Wolfson, AJ Paramo, Davis Brinker, Parker Hickey, Emma Byerwalter, Mary Anne Montgomery, Tory Montgomery, Cami Ramirez, Rebecca Kaese, Petra Jungbluth, and Lauren Holmes for their generous support.