20 Years of Waiting: The Janeiad Premieres in St. Louis

The play centers on a twenty-year wait for a husband to return. That specific duration anchors the narrative of The Janeiad, a stage production arriving in St. Louis this week. The story connects two women separated by millennia but united by the same prolonged absence.

The work traces a clear path from creation to the local stage. Anna Ziegler developed the script in 2022 at the Ojai Playwrights Conference. She drew inspiration from a widow of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The title serves as a twist on Virgil’s Aeneid. The play had its world premiere in Houston in 2024. It subsequently ran in San Diego the following year. That production featured Michaela Watkins, an actress and Saturday Night Live alumna.

Upstream Theater brings the piece to The Marcelle in Grand Center starting November 6. The run continues through November 22. Kim McKean serves as the director for this Illinois-based company. She notes that the timing aligns with a renewed cultural interest in The Odyssey. McKean points to the resurgence of the story this summer and the upcoming 25th anniversary of the 2001 attacks. She describes the moment as a beautiful gift for telling this specific story.

The plot follows Jane, a former schoolteacher and mother of twin boys. In the opening scene, it is September 11. Jane sits in her Brooklyn brownstone reading The Odyssey. She receives a call from her husband, Gabe, who works at a firm in the World Trade Center. She speaks to him one last time while watching the buildings collapse. For the next two decades, Jane retreats from reality. She agonizes over the event and wonders if he will return.

Jane’s subconscious introduces Penelope, the loyal wife of Odysseus. Penelope has spent twenty years in Ithaca waiting for her husband to return from war. She fends off suitors while Odysseus battles giants, witches, and other mythological figures. The two women bond over their shared trauma. Penelope breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience. When Jane asks how long the wait will last, Penelope confirms the answer: twenty years.

McKean explains that Penelope morphs into various characters in Jane’s life. These include Jane’s mother, sister, housekeeper, therapist, yoga teacher, and realtor. Each character offers different advice on how to move forward. A fellow September 11 widow even assists Jane in creating an online dating profile. The housekeeper provides care, while the therapist helps Jane process her emotions. The yoga teacher encourages presence, and the sister reminds Jane that she is loved.

The production addresses how individuals find hope when paralyzed by grief. It explores the internal stories people tell themselves about their identity after loss. The relationship between Jane and Penelope forms the core of the drama. They process their grief in distinct ways while challenging and supporting one another. McKean emphasizes that the play is not solely about September 11. It focuses on mourning, coping, and sisterhood. It asks how long is too long when it comes to patience and suffering.

The director highlights the perspective of those left behind on a journey. Odysseus leaves on his adventure, but the story examines the experience of the people waiting. This mirrors how society processes the trauma of 9/11 twenty-five years later. McKean hopes the audience leaves with a desire to live in the present and reclaim their own narratives. Tickets for the show range from $40 to $45. They are available for purchase online. The venue is located at 3310 Samuel Shepard.