The
Return of Ulysses—Song of My Father,
a Drama through Music by Claudio Monteverdi combines the mythological story of
Ulysses coming home from the Trojan War to his faithful wife Penelope with the
contemporary and nonspecific tale of damaged American men coming home from
Vietnam to unappreciative civilians. Running May 11 through 27, 2024 this
creatively updated opera is produced by InSeries under the artistic direction
of Timothy Nelson. On May 12, 2024, the
Dresser experienced this
two-and-half-hour production at Washington, DC’s Source Theater.
To achieve the contemporary ambiance of the Vietnam War, song elements (mostly recognized as text) from such songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Phil Ochs were woven through Monteverdi’s Baroque music. Dancers sometimes appearing as four-legged scrabbling “sculptures” (a term used by choreographer Jitti Chompee) with balloon heads provided an abstract and nightmarish landscape to the main character who was both Ulysses and a homeless vet sleeping in the street. Poetry of the contemporary writer Ocean Vuong (offspring of a Vietnamese mother and American soldier), is featured in this production, including his poem “Telemachus” in the voice of the grownup son of Ulysses who meets his father for the first time:
Telemachus [excerpt]
By Ocean Vuong
Like any good son, I pull my father out
of the water, drag him by his hair
through white sand, his knuckles carving a trail
the waves rush in to erase. Because the city
beyond the shore is no longer
where we left it. Because the bombed
cathedral is now a cathedral
of trees. I kneel beside him to see how far
I might sink. Do you know who I am,
Ba? But the answer never comes. The answer
is the bullet hole in his back, brimming
with seawater. He is so still I think
he could be anyone’s father, found
the way a green bottle might appear at
a boy's feet containing a year
he has never touched…
While the Dresser greatly admires the writings of Ocean Vuong and sees the relevance of including his work, the question remains as to whether his work could be heard and appreciated in the context of this production.
What the Dresser liked best about this production was Monteverdi’s music played by INnovãtiõ Baroque Orchestra (they use period instruments like harpsichord, viola da gamba, and theorbo) under the baton of Timothy Nelson, the performances of the singers especially the bass baritone Kevin Short, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Mondragon (as Penelope), tenor Oliver Mercer, male soprano Elijah McCormack (as Telemaco), tenor Derek Chester (as Ulysses), and the oddly costumed ballooned headed dancers and their antics. Singers, except the named characters, play multiple roles from Penelope’s suitors to the off-stage voices of the colorfully costumed gods portrayed by the dancers. Sometimes the singers sang off-stage behind the crowded orchestra pit, causing a level of unnecessary confusion.
The program was divided into two parts. Part I was too long and hard to follow. Part II was shorter and stayed focused on the mythological story of Ulysses’ return. The video projections on multiple screens added nothing to the Dresser’s understanding of the storyline. Staging was minimal and included what looked like a vintage dinette set of table and chairs from the 1950’s.
May 31 through June 2, 2024, this production moves to Baltimore Theatre Project.
Photos by Bayou Elom
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