PENELOPE

The author Uršuľa Kovalyk wittily retells the myth of eternal waiting. When writing the play, Uršúla Kovalyk was inspired by the Greek myth about Penelope. In Greek mythology, Penelope is the archetype of exemplary wife, waiting for her husband Odysseus to return from the war for twenty long years. During his absence, a hundred suitors were interested in her, yet she turned down each. She claimed she would marry one of them when she completes weaving her late father-in-law’s burial shroud. According to the myth, Penelope weaved during the day and unweaved at night. Why should we deal with myths in our day? The past resonates with us and ancient stories are in our lives in a form and intention different from how we know them. How does Penelope resonate in us today? What do we still have in common with her? Aren’t we, in a sense, all Penelopes? What are we waiting for?