Starting Nov. 1, Jesuit Drama brings to the stage Will Averill’s comedy “The Odyssey: by Thespis and the Peloponnesian Midwest Regional Third Place Chorus.” Performed in the Black Box Theater, the drama team – made up of Jesuit, Saint Francis, and Rio Americano high school students – is ready to bring to life their unique take on The Odyssey. 

Artistic Director Mr. Ed Trafton is excited for this rendition of The Odyssey. While it may be a familiar narrative, Averill’s version brings a comedic twist. 

“The Peloponnesian Midwest Regional Chorus is tired of placing last in every competition with their ho-hum renditions of heroic myths,” Mr. Trafton said. “Enter Thespis, with a risky idea to cure the Chorus’s recitation-related woes: a full theatrical production! […] Thespis takes the chorus’s version of The Odyssey from just OK, to jaw-droppingly amazing.”

Stage Manager and Sound Intern Jack Orcutt ’25 is excited to show off all of the drama team’s hard work and promises a fun experience for everyone who attends.

“We have an amazing cast and a hard-working crew making this hilarious show come to life,” Jack said. “With names like Directus, Settius, Propius, Costumius, and the Greek gods, everyone that comes to the show is guaranteed to have a good time!”

Along with enjoying the comedy, audiences will learn a valuable lesson about the importance of theater from The Odyssey.

“Although a really funny and silly play, below the laughs, it’s about the importance and power of theater, not just to us as individuals, but to all of us as a whole,” Mr. Trafton said. “The ancient Greeks understood this, and it’s good to be reminded of this from time to time.”

The play premiers on Nov. 1 in Jesuit’s Black Box Theater. Times and tickets for showings of the fall play can be found here.