Greek Odyssey Gets Disappointing ‘Return’

Will Salmon’s “Noman’s Return,” an exploration of the Odyssey from the perspective of Penelope’s suitors, is a rough voyage through a sea of incongruent genres at Pasadena Shakespeare Theatre. The clowns who come courting Penelope say hardly anything worth hearing. Far worse, Salmon’s tale doesn’t explain why Penelope waited 20 years for her philandering husband.

According to the program notes, director, author and composer Salmon was influenced by Noh, Butoh, the Marx Brothers, Monty Python, James Joyce, Homer and the King James version of the Bible. His work leaps from monotheistic ideology to talk about spiteful gods and the myths they inspired. Modern and local references intrude rather than enhance.

Talented musician-singer-narrator Christina Lindhardt plays a few bars of “Some Day My Prince Will Come,” and one character places something “somewhere in the vicinity of Wilshire and Melrose,” but these fail to have any deeper meaning beyond the groan-worthy, obvious humor. Salmon attempts some bawdy Shakespearean punning and some modern-day vulgarities, both achieving only moderate success. Nothing comes together as a cohesive whole.

The suitors are silly men (Susan Marie Keller, Ben Davis, Michael Tuba Heatherton and Eric-Paul Erickson) in clothes from different eras who pine for a noble woman (Stacey Anne Williams). Yet never do they appear a threat to the trickster and warrior absentee husband, Odysseus (Erjon Spiro), collapsing any plot tension or sympathy for the men-in-waiting.

Spiro is disappointingly non-charismatic, but this is partially because of the script and Salmon’s limp directing. At least one leaves this production with gratitude for modern laws on spousal desertion and divorce.

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* “Noman’s Return,” Pasadena Shakespeare Theatre, Pasadena Mall, 2nd floor, Euclid and Green streets, Pasadena. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Jan. 31. $15. (626) 795-4989. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.