The Janeiad

THE JANEIAD at the Alley Theatre

Photo by Lynn Lane

THE JANEIAD at the Alley Theatre

Photo by Lynn Lane

THE JANEIAD at the Alley Theatre

Photo by Lynn Lane

An ingenious pairing of modern grief and ancient Greek mythology that expertly offers a fresh understanding of an oft-read classic.

— the houston press

plot synopsis

In The Odyssey, Penelope’s long wait is rewarded when her husband Odysseus returns home 20 years after leaving to fight in the Trojan War. Will the same be true for Jane in modern-day Brooklyn, 20 years after her husband left for work one fateful September morning?

select productions

— The Alley Theatre, Houston, 2024 (Directed by Rob Melrose)
— The Old Globe, San Diego, June-July 2025, (Directed by Tyne Rafaeli)

more press

“Grief is the star of the Alley Theatre’s haunting world premiere, The Janeiad…[a play] that reminds us that we all want life to be an epic.” —Houston Chronicle

“A marvel to see. The play is layer after layer of philosophy, history, literature and psychology and how those things imprint themselves into our identities.” —Houston Chronicle

“A thoughtful what-if that allows Ziegler to draw out the ways in which myths and symbols can arise and are maintained and puncture logic-shaped holes into them… Poignant, layered, and completely recognizable… Weighty and resonant in its reimagination of myth, grief, and resilience.” —Houston Press

news & notes

The Janeiad named one of 15 Shows to See on Stages Around the U.S. This Fall (Fall 2024) by the NY Times

The Janeiad receives 2024-25 Edgerton Award

Artistic Statement: I want to thank the Edgerton Foundation for its support of our production of The Janeiad by Anna Ziegler. Having this extra week of rehearsal has proved incredibly helpful for the whole team but especially for Miriam Laube who plays ten different roles. It has been such a luxury to have this time months before rehearsals begin to carve out what makes each character different and to start to be able to realize them long before our originally scheduled rehearsals start.

Anna Ziegler is an important and prolific American playwright who has had productions at major theaters across the country and in NYC including The Roundabout, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Old Globe, Seattle Rep, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and the Geffen Theatre. While there are many plays that deal with the direct aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, The Janeiad is a rare look at a widow (Jane) 20 years after the event focusing on how it shaped her life and how she longs to be reunited with her dead husband. The epic nature of 9/11 is fused with the epic of Homer’s Odyssey with Penelope coming into Jane’s life and helping her to wait 20 years for her husband just as she waited for Odysseus. The play is full of humor, poetry, and longing and is an important contribution to the American Theatre. We are so grateful for Edgerton’s support in helping us realize this world premiere. – Rob Melrose, Alley Theatre Artistic Director