ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A razor-sharp, darkly funny duel of ambition and recognition is coming to Ann Arbor as Theatre NOVA presents Athena by Gracie Gardner, a play that drops audiences into the high-stakes world of competitive girls’ Junior Olympic fencing.
Running July 17–August 9 at Theatre NOVA (410 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor), the production follows Mary Wallace and Athena — both 17, both fencers, both training for the Junior Olympics — as their lives intertwine through practice, competition, and the question they can’t quite answer: can they be friends in a world built to make them rivals?
Live swordplay, story-first stage combat
Theatre NOVA’s production stars Jen Pan in the title role, alongside Brittany Batell as Mary Wallace and Amanda Buchalter as Jamie, with fight direction by Joe Wright.
“This cast has some of the most trained stage combatants in the entire southeast Michigan area and I can’t wait for audiences to experience how good and story-driven it can look in a live show,” Pan said.
Wright and Pan are founders of Theatrica Gladiatoria, a Ypsilanti-based company focused on training and choreography for stage and screen. The cast also includes Theatrica Gladiatoria students, including Batell — a 1x certified SAFD Actor Combatant in singlesword with additional training at the Fredericksen Intensive in smallsword — and Buchalter, a 5x certified SAFD Actor Combatant and certified Intermediate Actor Combatant with Fight Directors Canada.
“The thing about stage combat is that each fight is a mini-story in itself, of trading advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses, wins and losses,” Batell said.
Pan added she hopes the show sparks curiosity beyond the theater.
“I want people who come see this show to discover how cool fights can be and, perhaps, get interested in trying a fencing, stage combat, or martial arts class…If you loved Princess Bride or Game of Thrones, this play is for you. Come for the swords, stay for the awkward teenage drama,” she said.
“Violently tender and ferally-feminine”
The production is directed by Shelby R. Seeley, Theatre NOVA Producing Artistic Director and a Yale-certified director who recently returned from an international Directing Residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
“The stories I want to tell are violently tender and ferally-feminine, and Athena encapsulates that,” Seeley said. “I have pitched this play fifteen times over many years to local professional theatres, and Theatre NOVA is the first theatre brave– or crazy– enough to say yes.”
Buchalter notes that the swords may draw people in, but the story sticks for different reasons.
“Fencing is obviously a huge part of Athena, but it’s not what the show is really about,” Buchalter said. “Fencing is a vehicle for what building friendships can feel like in a world that tells you everything is a competition.”
Tickets and venue info
Performances run at Theatre NOVA, 410 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor.
Tickets are $30 general admission, $25 for ages 65+, and $15 for students (student IDs accepted at the door). Tickets can be purchased online at here or in person one hour before each performance. Seating begins 30 minutes before showtime. Theatre NOVA notes ample free parking and walkable access to nearby restaurants, bars, bakeries, and coffee shops.
Full performance schedule
- Friday, July 17 at 8 p.m. — Opening Night
- Saturday, July 18 at 8 p.m. — Student Night
- Sunday, July 19 at 2 p.m.
- Friday, July 24 at 8 p.m. — Industry Night
- Saturday, July 25 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m.
- Friday, July 31 at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, August 1 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Sunday, August 2 at 2 p.m.
- Friday, August 7 at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, August 8 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Sunday, August 9 at 2 p.m.