Choral Odes - The Body & Voice KC

The company of “Choral Odes” embraces instructor and producer Jamie Morrow’s holistic approach to acting through a series of mythological stories. Inspired by the Ancient Greek chorus, these stories are contemporarily re-imagined through spoken word, music, and movement. Morrow yields direction to the performers, allowing them to be motivated by their own instincts and insights into their various modern portrayals of gods and mortals. These portrayals could be interpreted as either irreverent or sincere, but ultimately the actors succeed in achieving authenticity through personal revelations that invite the audience to contemplate the human condition.

“Choral Odes” is a playful yet provocative piece that both condemns and redeems mankind as they were then and as they are now. Navigating such a subject is challenging, but Morrow’s influence is noted by the nuanced physical and vocal expressions that convey certain emotions that cannot be simply put into words. The performance reflects on the themes of whether life is meaningless or meaningful, whether gods are benevolent or indifferent, and ultimately how we mortals find worth in our love of one another.