Homer’s ancient epic is given new life in the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance’s presentation of The Odyssey in Shadow, a large-scale cinematic shadow theater experience. The production will preview on June 1 and run nightly at 7 p.m. through June 4 in the Arena Theatre, Wright Hall. All shows are free and open to the public. Registration is required.
Co-directed by longtime artistic associates and collaborators Caryl Kientz and Lydia Greer from the renowned ShadowLight Productions and the interdisciplinary collective Facing West Shadows, this work merges myth and memory through an immersive visual language of light, shadow and movement. Kientz and Greer are the spring quarter Granada Artists-in-Residence.
Blending traditional shadow theater techniques with live performance, filmmaking methods, experimental cinema and layered projection, The Odyssey in Shadow reimagines Homer’s timeless tale through a contemporary lens — centering perspectives from the margins, reframing the hero’s journey and illuminating the unseen.
From bird-like sirens to the sorceress Circe, from the Cyclops to the ghost-filled underworld, this shadow odyssey conjures the magical and monstrous realms of myth. Fantastical encounters and enchanted landscapes unfold in silhouette and motion, blending the awe of ancient storytelling with the urgency of modern myth-making.
Kientz, a director, producer and educator specializing in cinematic shadow theater, is the theatrical director and co-founder of Facing West Shadows, an experimental shadow theater and arts collective known for blending traditional shadow puppetry with animation, installation and opera. For nearly two decades, she has worked with the internationally renowned ShadowLight Productions, where she now serves as managing director and artistic associate. Her collaborative work has been performed at venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harvard University, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival.
Greer, an interdisciplinary visual artist, filmmaker/director and animator, is the artistic director of Facing West Shadows. Her work has been presented at The Exploratorium in San Francisco, Marin Theatre Company, The Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose (ICASJI), The Strangloscope International Experimental Film Festival, Brazil, The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, MeMeraki Artist Residency in Cyprus and the NaFilM: National Film Museum in Prague.
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