Conceived by Gaby Rodriguez and commissioned by Asolo Rep, Looking for Ithaca is toured in schools and communities around Sarasasota, presented by Asolo Rep and produced by the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.
“Stranger! You are welcome here…”
An imaginative, musical retelling of the classic journey of a family, fractured by war and fighting to reunite. The story centers on Telemachus, son of Odysseus, as he embarks on an Odyssey of his own, looking to fill the shoes of an unknown father. They may return home, but that isn’t where their journey ends.
The part of Medea’s story you never hear… the love story
“Shakes off the dust of centuries to arrive at something freshly inspired and immediate. Chicago Critic
“… sparkling dialogue, cheeky mythological allusions, and surreal references to physical law…. Shoemaker wisely tempered the story with some truly rip-snorting levity, right down to the very last line of the play.” – Nuvo
“crafted with care and detail… and a poetic flair, it also gives audiences a fresh approach to this oft-told tale.” - Chicago Theatre Beat
(& Medea)
The Book of Orpah
This poem-play traces the love of three women across their collective history: together, the women grapple with the impacts of generational trauma, the nature of God and whether it is possible to reach one another across their differences and boundaries.
50 Shades of Shakespeare
Not even the actors know what’s going to happen in this a collection of the sexiest scenes in the canon. Intoxicating, unsettling and often giggle-inducing: 50 Shades of Shakespeare is a raucous evening of sex, love and really good Shakespeare. A huge gender-bending hit at the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival, you can also catch the play annually if you happen to be in Chicago around Valentine’s Day.
“… an hour with these four and their barmy fivesome with the Bard might just get you in the mood to—how to say this delicately— put some wood in the O.” – Chicago Theater Beat
“one of the funniest and strangely erotic sex scenes I have ever seen on a Chicago stage… If you are looking for an hour of goofy fun with both a classical unpinning and a happy ending, this show is for you” – Chicago Stage Standard
Jess Shoemaker 