ATWOOD’S RETELLING OF THE ODYSSEY: Director Trent Blanton discusses Rider University’s production of “The Penelopiad” with Marissa Girgus, who portrays the title role of Penelope. To learn more and to order tickets, call (609) 896-7775 or visit www.rider.edu/arts.

Rider Theatre will present Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad in the Yvonne Theater on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville from October 7 through 11. A preview performance will be Wednesday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m., and performances will be Thursday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 10 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, October 11 at 2 p.m. The production, directed by Trent Blanton, will be performed by Rider University students. 

Based on the best-selling novella of the same title, Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad re-imagines The Odyssey from Penelope’s perspective. Set in Hades, Penelope and her 12 slain attendants show that there are “two sides to every great story.” The production is recommended for mature audiences.

Trent Blanton is assistant professor of theatre at Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts. His directing credits at Rider include Metamorphoses, The Crucible, The Laramie Project, Anatomy of Grey, and Striking 12. A member of Actor’s Equity, Blanton’s professional acting credits include Young Frankenstein, Les Misérables, A Christmas Carol, 1776, Fiddler on the Roof, A Christmas Carol, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew, and Masada. He played virtually every major city in North America in the Broadway National Tour of Les Misérables. He was also in the Chinese premiere of Les Miz in 2002 with Colm Wilkinson at the Shanghai Grand Theatre. At Rider he teaches acting and movement. He received an award for excellence in directing from the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival for his direction of Rider’s productions of The Crucible and Metamorphoses. He is an associate artist with the Forestburgh Playhouse, where he directed A Murder is Announced and Oliver this summer.

Rider University’s Theatre program has a rich tradition of preparing students for successful careers in all aspects of the theatre. Graduates of the program are working with national theatre companies, in film, and on television. The campus productions have earned critical praise for more than 50 years and offer the community the opportunity to see aspiring actors in the early stages of their careers.

Tickets for The Penelopiad performances are $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. They can be purchased at the door, through the box office at (609) 896-7775 or online at www.rider.edu/arts. General admission preview tickets are $9 and are only available at the door. For more information, visit rider.edu/arts. Rider University is located at 2038 Lawrenceville Road in Lawrenceville.

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