A limited engagement of Penelope—a contemporary musical retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey from the perspective of Odysseus’ wife—will be part of Classic Stage Company‘s 2026–27 season.
The acclaimed show will star its co-creator, Grace McLean (Suffs; Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812). Performances are scheduled for December 10–20 at CSC’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater. Opening night will be December 11.
Penelope features music and lyrics by Alex Bechtel and a book by Bechtel, McLean, and Eva Steinmetz with direction by Steinmetz. Bechtel, who will be featured on piano, will be joined by four to-be-announced musicians, who will all be seen on stage as a musical Greek chorus.
“Penelope
waited 20 years for Odysseus to return from the Trojan War,” according to press notes for the contemporary chamber musical. “Now
she’s ready to share her side of the story…but she’s going to need a
drink first.” Additional creative team members will be announced at a later date
Earlier this year, Penelope
received the 2026 Richard Rodgers Award for Best New
Musical from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The production
just concluded a run at the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Penelope
premiered at Hudson Valley Shakespeare in 2023, followed by productions at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, and Theatre
Horizon in association with Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. In
2025, the first full production, starring McLean, played The Ancram
Center in New York. Penelope: Live from Joe’s Pub was recently released by Joy Machine Records and is now streaming on Spotify and all listening platforms.
Penelope is presented in association with rigor + ruckus.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public September 3 following pre-sales that begin September 1 for CSC Patrons and September 2 for Encore FlexPass holders.
Visit ClassicStage.org.