Bob Russ, assistant professor of English, will present a one-man play titled “Homer Tonight! — The Death of Hektor” at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 8 in Yeager Recital Hall, located in Center for the Arts on the Elon campus. The performance is free and open to the public.
Russ will perform as Homer, the ancient poet who told of the classic adventures of the Greek heroes during the Trojan War. The performance is a live rendition of Book XXII of Homer’s “Iliad,” and is a modern re-creation of the ancient Greek rhapsodes with the added elements of props, music and slides. In this episode, the warrior-hero Achilles first tries to fight the god Apollo, and then pursues and kills Hektor, a prince of Troy, while the besieged city mourns its defender and awaits its doom.
As an English professor, Russ has taught from both Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey numerous times, but prefers to give his students and audiences the opportunity to experience firsthand the oral methods of the ancient performers. Russ has performed in a variety of venues since he began performing as “Homer” in 1996, including high schools and colleges, coffeehouses, bookstores and conferences.
Russ allows time for discussion following his performances and answers questions about the Iliad’s modern relevance in relation to issues such as war, the role of women in society and religion.
Russ’s performance is sponsored by the English Department, the Humanities Forum, Classical Studies and Sigma Tau Delta.