A theater is reimagining Homer’s Odyssey through the agony of Ukraine’s war

A theater is reimagining Homer’s Odyssey through the agony of Ukraine’s war A new production of the “The Odyssey” in wartime Kyiv reimagines Homer’s epic through the experience of modern Ukraine ByVASILISA STEPANENKO Associated Press August 28, 2026, AM KYIV, Ukraine -- War’s timeless ache — death, captivity, the agonizing wait and the pull of home — has found a new stage in wartime Kyiv, with Homer’s epic reimagined as a contemporary Ukrainian odyssey. The play “Odysseus, Maeotis” is ready to open in the Ukrainian capital as the ancient tale enjoys a global moment with Christopher Nolan’s IMAX spectacle and box-office hit “The Odyssey” starring Matt Damon. In Kyiv, the story is performed -duty soldiers, including Daniil Mireshkin, a serviceman who plays the warrior king Odysseus “I think this combination of myth and modernity allows us to draw parallels and understand just how critical the question of return is: the return of military personnel to civilian life, the return of our territories and the return of ourselves to our true identity as Ukrainians,” Mireshkin said. The actor spoke to The Associated after a final rehearsal Tuesday, ahead of a premiere that has been repeatedly delayed due to successive Russian attacks. “This story helps us talk about these topics, which, as it turns out, haven’t lost any of their relevance,” Mireshkin said. The staging at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater is designed to be austere and unsettling. Against a darkened set laced with neon light bars, projections wash over the actors themselves. The monsters of the original — the Cyclops and the sirens — are replaced . The play unfolds in parallel: Odysseus’ punishing journey and the long wait at home , Penelope. Director Ivan Uryvskyi is candid about how the play recasts the ancient poem’s themes of return and those trapped in exile and captivity. “Of course, very little of Homer’s original text remains here, because the play was written from scratch. We simply took the core narrative arc — Odysseus’ return home,” he said. Country music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80 after 'brief battle with cancer' Aug 25 Dolly Parton faced health struggles for a year before her death Aug 25 Iran updates: Iran officials push back against Trump's 'economic D-Day' threat Aug 23 An additional Greek reference is carried in the play’s title: “Maeotis” is an ancient name for the Sea of Azov, taken from the people who lived along its shores, a place once considered to be the edge of the known world.