Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Presents Penelope, a One-Woman Musical Inspired by The Odyssey
CENTER VALLEY, PA (May 20, 2025)—Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF), in partnership with Philadelphia’s Theatre Horizon, presents Penelope—a fiercely original musical that finally gives voice to one of history’s most enduring—and long-silenced—women. This one-woman tour de force reimagines Homer’s epic with a soulful score, razor-sharp storytelling, and an onstage band serving as her modern Greek chorus. No longer a footnote in her husband’s saga, Penelope takes the mic—drink in hand—to reclaim her story in an electrifying solo cabaret.
Inspired by Homer’s The Odyssey, Penelope—featuring music, lyrics, and a book by Alex Bechtel, co-written with Grace McLean and Eva Steinmetz—was recently named a Barrymore Recommended production. It previews May 28–29, opens May 30, and runs through June 8 in the Schubert Theatre at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University.
Created by five-time Barrymore Award-winning composer, actor, writer, director, teaching artist, and multi-instrumentalist Alex Bechtel, Penelope has captivated audiences from concert stages to full productions—including acclaimed performances at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Signature Theatre in Washington, DC, and Philadelphia’s Theatre Horizon.
According to Bechtel, “Penelope is a musical love letter to all those who wait—for someone they love, for something to believe in, and for the hope that the waiting will end well.”
Rachel Camp reprises her performance as Penelope, returning to the role after its celebrated run at Theatre Horizon. She is joined by Eva Steinmetz (co-author), who returns as director. Camp’s select regional credits include Ragtime (Arden Theatre), Into the Woods (Theatre Horizon, Barrymore Award), and productions at the Walnut Street Theatre. Steinmetz, artistic producer at Philadelphia’s Pig Iron Theatre Company, has directed and co-written works at the Wilma Theater, FringeArts, and Off-Broadway at WP Theater and New York Theatre Workshop.
A live band serves as a modern Greek chorus with Music Director Justin Yoder, also on cello, conducting the ensemble featuring Garrett Davis (percussion), Nicole Fassold-Harabaruaru (viola), Jamison Forman (piano), and Rachel Massey (violin).
The creative team includes set and props by You-Shin Chen, lighting design by Thom Weaver, costume design by Nikki Delhomme, and sound design by Damien Figueras. The production stage manager is Randi Alexis Hickey.
Penelope previews May 28-29, with the official opening on May 30, and runs through June 8 in the Schubert Theatre at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts (Center Valley, PA). A Barrymore Recommended production—don’t miss this limited engagement of just 12 performances. Get tickets at pashakespeare.org; by calling 610.282.WILL [9455]; or in person at the box office.
The Production Sponsors for Penelope are Keith and Stefanie Wexler; and the Co-Sponsor is The Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation.
The Festival’s 2025 Season Sponsors are Marilyn McDonald, MD and Joe Folger. The Associate Season Sponsors are Mary Bongiorno, Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth, Kathleen Kund Nolan and Timothy E. Nolan, Yvonne Payne and Edward Spitzer, The Szarko Family, and Harry C. Trexler Trust.
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is the Lehigh Valley’s Professional Equity Theatre hosted on the campus of DeSales University, and the official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, featuring acclaimed actors from Broadway, television, and film, and is the summer home to over 200 artists from around the country, including winners and nominees of the Tony, Obie, Emmy, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Jefferson, and Barrymore Awards.
The 2025 Summer Theatre Series—
“Play On!” Community Tour – William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing
May 30 to June 15 | Directed by Jason King Jones
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s “Play On!” Community Tour brings free performances of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing to libraries, parks, and community centers all over the region.
On the Main Stage:
The Producers – June 11 to June 29
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks. Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan.
Directed by Jennifer Childs
Choreographed by Tara Jeanne Vallee
Adapted from Brooks’ 1967 film, this laugh-a-minute romp features larger-than-life characters, wickedly funny double entendres, and splashy show-stopping musical numbers. With a truly hysterical book co-written by Brooks and Thomas Meehan, The Producers proudly proclaims itself an “equal opportunity offender,” skewering Broadway traditions with enough chutzpah to fill Times Square!
Hamlet – July 9 to August 3
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Lindsay Smiling
Shakespeare’s masterpiece delves into the depths of human thought, revealing the darkness that lies beneath loyalty, love, and justice. Experience the pulse-pounding tension and psychological intrigue that have made this play endure for centuries. Hamlet will play in repertory with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead – July 17 to August 2
By Tom Stoppard
Directed by Jason King Jones
Lost in a Shakespearean drama they barely understand, two glorified extras from Hamlet stumble into the spotlight. Watch as our hapless heroes flip coins (which mysteriously keep landing heads), ponder the meaning of life (spoiler: they don’t figure it out), and wonder if they’re actually the main characters in someone else’s tragedy. Occasionally, the “real” play crashes their existential party, sending them into a panic of “Wait, which one am I again?” Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead will play in rotating repertory.
In the Schubert Theatre:
Penelope – May 28 to June 8
Music and Lyrics by Alex Bechtel.
Book by Alex Bechtel, Grace McClean, and Eva Steinmetz.
Based on writings in The Odyssey by Homer
Directed by Eva Steinmetz
A Co-production with Theatre Horizon
This witty musical flips the script on the dutiful wife history wants you to believe in—Penelope’s done being a footnote in her husband’s epic; this time, she’s writing her own odyssey. With soulful songs, razor-sharp storytelling, and an onstage band doubling as her modern-day Greek chorus, Penelope transforms the tale you thought you knew into a solo cabaret act like no other.
A Raisin in the Sun – June 25 to July 13
By Lorraine Hansberry
Directed by Akeem Davis
The members of the Younger family dream bigger than the cramped apartment where they live on the south side of Chicago. When a life-changing insurance check arrives, three generations are suddenly given the chance to turn their hopes into reality. As they navigate the complex landscape of 1950s America, the Younger family discovers that unity, resilience, and love can overcome even the toughest challenges in their pursuit of a better life.
Timon of Athens – “Extreme Shakespeare”
July 23 to August 3
By William Shakespeare
Timon of Athens, once the life of every party and generous benefactor, finds himself abandoned when his fortune runs dry. Betrayed by those he trusted most, his legendary generosity turns to seething rage, transforming him from Athens’ favorite host to its most dangerous outcast. Performed “Extreme Shakespeare” style—actors arrive with lines learned, rehearse on their own, and open within days. No directors. No designers. Just pure adrenaline and raw talent unleashed on Shakespeare’s blistering commentary on wealth and loyalty.
Children’s Theatre Productions:
The Princess and The Frog Prince | July 4 to August 2 | Schubert Theatre
By Jason King Jones | Based on the Grimms’ Fairy Tale | Directed by Jessica Bedford
This fresh spin on the classic tale follows a basketball-loving princess who’d rather shoot hoops than wait for Prince Charming. But when her ball rolls into a well, she meets an unlikely hero—a talking frog under a magical spell. As friendship sparks, the duo proves that sometimes your perfect match is the teammate you least expect.
Shakespeare for Kids (S4K) presents Hamlet | July 23 to August 2 | Main Stage
By Erin Sheffield | Directed by Matt Pfeiffer
A high energy one-hour production, S4K activates imaginations and generates laughs for the entire family. Using a combination of songs, puppets, and scenes from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, S4K provides families with the opportunity to introduce children to Shakespeare in a welcoming, super kid-friendly environment.
The Festival will host its annual Community Day event on Saturday, June 28, 2025. The event will take place on the mall and in front of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts at DeSales University.
Artistic Leadership:
JASON KING JONES (Artistic Director) is excited to embark on his third year with PSF. In his first two seasons, Jason expanded the organization’s footprint to include the “Play On!” Community Tour, the launch of Shakespeare 4 Kids to libraries, and Community Day. Prior to moving to the Lehigh Valley with his family, Jason spent ten years at Maryland’s Olney Theatre Center, where he served as Senior Associate Artistic Director and Artistic Director of National Players. In the past twenty-six years Jason has directed over seventy-five productions, mentored hundreds of early-career theatre makers, and established various in-school and summer educational programs. He is an Acting Company alumnus, a proud member of the PSF Board, the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit & Business Partners Council, and the Shakespeare Theatre Association’s Executive Committee. Jason holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Missouri State and an MFA in Directing from Boston University.
CASEY WILLIAM GALLAGHER (Managing Director) has worked at PSF for 26 seasons. Over the years he was a box office intern, a stage management intern, the assistant house manager, box office manager, company manager, assistant producer, director of development and worked directly with PSF Founder Jerry Schubert in the early years of the organization. Since 2004, in his role as general manager and later managing director, he served as the administrative leader of the Festival, working very closely with former Producing Artistic Director Patrick Mulcahy and the box office, business, development, marketing and production departments. Since 2023, Casey is co-leader of the Festival with Artistic Director Jason King Jones. Beyond PSF, Casey was treasurer for the Shakespeare Theatre Association, director of audience services for The People’s Light & Theatre Company, a board member for Civic Theatre of Allentown, a peer panelist for the New Jersey Council on the Arts and a judge for the Greater Philadelphia Barrymore Awards for excellence in theatre.
Artists and Creative Team:
Rachel Camp (Penelope) Regional: Arden Theatre: Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbitt), Gypsy (Dainty June), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena/Snug); Theatre Horizon: A New Brain (Rhoda), Lobby Hero (Dawn), Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive, Barrymore Award, Musical Lead Performer); Walnut Street Theatre: Grease (Marty); PTC: The Bridges of Madison County (Marian); Act II Playhouse: Red Herring (Maggie); PAC: Fair Maid of the West (Bess); 1812 Productions: The Carols (Lily); Flat Rock Playhouse: Pump Boys and Dinettes (Prudie); Arvada Center: Into the Woods (Witch/Baker’s Wife u/s); Team Sunshine Performance Corporation: The Sincerity Projects 1-5 (Ensemble/Associate Director).
Alex Bechtel (Composer/Lyricist/Book) creates new works of music, theatre, and musical theatre. PSF: Original Music, Arrangements, and additional lyrics for The Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, Henry V, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona—all collaborations with director Matt Pfeiffer. Off-Broadway: Music & lyrics for Lightning Rod Special’s The Appointment (“Best of 2019” – The New York Times, Vulture, TimeOut NY, “Best of 2023” – The New Yorker), and music direction for Night Side Songs by the Lazours. Regional: Arrangements/Music direction for Pig Iron Theatre Co’s Poor Judge, Music & Lyrics for People’s Light & Theatre Company’s Peter Panto, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, and Shakespeare in Love, and Music/Arrangements for Arden Theatre Company’s The Light Princess. Bechtel is a graduate of The Pig Iron School and The University of the Arts. He is a 5-time Barrymore Award Winner, and a 2015 Independence Fellow in the Arts. Bechtel is the creator/composer of The West, Philadelphia Nocturne, and Cheer Up, Dostoevsky. Penelope has had concert performances at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre and Rockwood Music Hall in NYC and productions at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and Signature Theatre in DC. See and hear more at alexbechtel.com.
Eva Steinmetz (Director) Regional: Theater Horizon, Penelope (Director/Co-Book Writer), Art Houses (Director); Pig Iron, Poor Judge (Director), Caregivers (Dramaturg); Wilma Theater, Dance Nation (Associate Director); FringeArts, Sad Boys in Harpy Land (Director), The Appointment (Director/Co-Writer). Off Broadway: WP Theater & New York Theater Workshop, The Appointment (Director/Co-Writer). TV/Film: Madeline’s Madeline (Claire/Woman in a Pig Mask); Marina (Writer/Director). As Artistic Producer for the Pig Iron Theater Company, Eva is developing digital and live performances, and piloting educational and workshop-based initiatives. Website: evasteinmetz.org.
Justin Yoder (Music Director) PSF: over a dozen productions, including Much Ado, Macbeth, Midsummer, & The Tempest. Off-Broadway: Sandra (Vineyard), The Total Bent (Public), Kingdom Come (Roundabout), Exit Strategy (Primary Stages), King Hedley II, How I Learned What I Learned, The Liquid Plain (Signature Theatre Company). Select Regional: Huntington, Arden, Wilma (Associate Artist), Alley, Milwaukee Rep, Chicago Shakespeare, Getty, Portland Center Stage, Folger Theatre, Asolo Rep, Round House, Hangar, CenterStage, CA Shakespeare Theater, Syracuse Stage, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Lincoln Center Festival, & Yale Repertory Theatre, as well as numerous designs with Pilobolus. Awards: two Jeff Awards, Helen Hayes Award, six Barrymore Awards and two AUDELCO Awards. Education: Carnegie Mellon and Yale.
You-Shin Chen (Scenic Designer) You-Shin Chen is a Taiwanese American scenic designer. As a theatre collaborator, she is committed to diversity and humanity. You-Shin centers humans, both the characters and the viewers, and their experiences in her process of creating a three-dimensional space. Her design works have been seen across the continental US and Europe. Some of her favorite credits include: How To Defend Yourself (NYTW); Wolf Play (SohoRep & MCC, Lortel Awards); Red Velvet (STC, DC); Finn, Dragon King’s Daughter (Kennedy Center, DC); Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie (ArsNova, Lortel Awards); Troy Anthony’s The Revival: It Is Our Duty (The Shed, NYC); A View From the Bridge (Long Wharf, CCC Awards); Walden (TheaterWorks Hartford, CCC Awards). Assistant professor at Muhlenberg College. USA829. Website: youshinchen.com
Nikki DelHomme (Costume Designer) PSF debut. Local: Applied Mechanics, Pig Iron, Kimmel Center, Arden, People’s Light, Quintessence. Regional: Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Yale Repertory, Bedlam Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Disney’s RedCat, Trinity Repertory, Barrington Stage, CalArts University, The Flea, Redhouse Theatre, Teatro Vision, A Noise Within, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Piven Theatre Ensemble, and Princeton University, amongst many others. Film/TV: Assistant on True Blood (HBO), Super Sportlets (Nickelodean), Party Down (Starz). MFA Yale University, BFA Carnegie Mellon, proud member of USA829. Website: nikkidelhomme.com.
Thom Weaver (Lighting Designer) PSF: over a dozen productions including Much Ado, Macbeth, Midsummer, & The Tempest. Off-Broadway: Sandra (Vineyard), The Total Bent (Public), Kingdom Come (Roundabout), Exit Strategy (Primary Stages), King Hedley II, How I Learned What I Learned, The Liquid Plain (Signature Theatre Company). Select Regional: Huntington, Arden, Wilma (Associate Artist), Alley, Milwaukee Rep, Chicago Shakespeare, Getty, Portland Center Stage, Folger Theatre, Asolo Rep, Round House, Hangar, CenterStage, CA Shakespeare Theater, Syracuse Stage, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Lincoln Center Festival, & Yale Repertory Theatre, as well as numerous designs with Pilobolus. Awards: two Jeff Awards, Helen Hayes Award, six Barrymore Awards and two AUDELCO Awards. Education: Carnegie Mellon and Yale.
Damien Figueras (Sound Designer) is a 7-time Barrymore nominated designer. Recent credits include: Party Face (Off-Broadway, NY City Center), Intimate Apparel (Arden Theatre Company), Beehive (Walnut Street Theatre), Peter and the Starcatcher (DE Theatre Company), Lovesong (Inis Nua Theatre), The Play That Goes Wrong (1812 Productions), a hit dog will holler (Azuka Theatre), Kiss (Wilma Theater), Tick Tick Boom (Theatre Horizon), Rose: You Are Who You Eat (Bearded Ladies Cabaret). In addition to his design work, Damien is the Production Manager for Wolf Performing Arts Center and is a founding member of Apartment 20 Theatre. Website: dfigueras.com.
Randi Alexis Hickey (Stage Manager) is a Philadelphia based stage manager, director, and self-producer. She makes new musicals with her company, Apartment 20, and is passionate about creating safe and exciting spaces for artists to create. She also runs her own pet sitting business, Randi Sits. Credits include: Nosejob (Lightning Rod Special), Lilith & Her Demons (Polyphone Festival for New and Emerging Musicals, Apartment 20), The Mad Ones Lab (Kerrigan & Lowdermilk), Tick, Tick…BOOM! (Theatre Horizon), Broccoli, Roosevelt, and Mr. House (The Berserker Residents). www.randialexishickey.com
Information provided to TVL by:
Tina Louise Slak
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
The Professional Theatre at DeSales University
2755 Station Avenue
Center Valley, PA 18034
p: 610-282-WILL [9455]
www.pashakespeare.org
