Multinational, multimedia production reimagines Homer’s 'Odyssey' in 'Anon(ymous)' - UMaine News

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

Two people act out a scene from “Anon(ymous)” on stage.

Multinational, multimedia production reimagines Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ in ‘Anon(ymous)’

October 15, 2021 Arts

In collaboration with performers from Kolkata, India, the University of Maine School of Performing Arts Division of Theatre and Dance presents “Anon(ymous)” by Naomi Iizuka, debuting at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15 in the Cyrus Pavilion Theatre.

The multimedia production, which will run for the next two weeks, is directed by UMaine Libra assistant professor of theatre and English Rosalie Purvis and collaborator Debaroti Chakraborty in Kolkata. The cast features 13 UMaine students and nine cast members from Kolkata, including professional actors and theatre students at Presidency College.

“Anon(ymous)” reimagines Homer’s “Odyssey” as a contemporary story of forced migration. Separated from his mother, a young refugee called Anon journeys through the U.S. in search of his family, encountering a variety of people — some kind, some dangerous and some cruel.

“I like to work on projects that address political issues through emotional and personal pathways,” says Purvis. “I believe that work about migration and displacement and borders tends to challenge conventional narrative structure, which tends to rely on a sense of ‘coming home.’ When we do not know where home is, when we are moving from place to place and adapting from culture to culture, this changes the way we think and tell stories, even our own stories. Somehow I felt our community would relate to this.”

“Anon(ymous)” will be Purvis’s directorial debut at UMaine, and she is thrilled to have brought a cross-continental production to the stage.

“This process really is reminding me of the main reason I so deeply love performance, which is to connect across boundaries, even those that seem impossible to traverse,” she says.

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15–16, 21–23; and at 2 p.m. Oct. 17 and 24. Tickets are $12 or free with a student MaineCard, and available for purchase online.