BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Touchstone Theatre’s new season is at once both new and ancient.
Touchstone co-founder Bill George will star in "Odysseus," a solo work he developed throughout the pandemic based on the classic Greek tale of “The Odyssey.”
- Touchstone Theatre's 2022-23 season is set to open with an original adaptation of "Odysseus," based on the classic Greek character's journey
- Touchstone co-founder Bill George wrote and stars in the production
- Showtimes are 7 p.m. Nov. 2-5 and 3 p.m. Nov. 6
Performances are set for Wednesday-Sunday at the theater, at 321 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem.
According to George, the performance conquers themes of masculinity, the need for restraint, spirituality and longing for home.
He said it was a story that has made an impact on him ever since he read first read it decades ago.
“When you first see Odysseus, he's weeping, he's like filling the briny sea with his salty tears longing for home,” George said.
“I thought, wow. At that age, when I was 14 or 15, I was trying to figure out what does it mean to be a man. I thought, 'Well, if Odysseus can cry, so can I,' and that was really a thing for me in terms of a fundamental pillar around which I shaped building my own persona.
“It's really important to shaping who we are as a culture, as a civilization, as men. And we're going through so much turbulence now, men particularly."
Going against the grain of fast-paced media that has come out over recent years, he said he wanted to be able to slow down to take something in, and thinks the audience might, as well.
“It's in a very straightforward, unadorned form of storytelling,” George said. “I take on 25-some different characters, the narrator being one of them. It’s just 'Sit back, here’s somebody in a space. With our imaginations, we're going to go on a journey.' ”
He said there are realizations that the past is also in our lives now. It’s an ambitious project that demands a lot of the performer, but he wants to turn it into something that can resonate.
“Hopefully, people will enjoy it,” George said. “This is a brand new production. It's never seen the light of day. People are going to tell me whether it works or not.”
The work also features musical soundscapes from Rob Aptaker.
Thursday's performance will feature a talk-back with George, Director Gerard Stropnicky and Aptaker.
The run time for the production is about two hours and 30 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission.
Tickets are $25, or $15 for students and seniors. Wednesday will have pay-what-you-will tickets available at the door. Tickets are available in advance.
Other works scheduled in the season include the annual "Christmas City Follies," "The Games We Play," "The Last Play" and more. The schedule can be viewed on Touchstone’s website.
View a promotional video for the production featuring George here:
