15,693 lines. 200 translations. 24 books. 12 movies.

Starting 10 p.m. on Sunday, November 20, Classical Entertainment Society and Court Theatre are hosting a 24-hour interactive, staged reading of the Iliad that will last until Monday evening. The Homerathon will feature several high-profile professors from the University of Chicago, including Classics Professors David Wray, Alain Bresson, Clifford Ando, and Sarah Nooter; English Professor Christina Von Nolken; and Philosophy Professor Agnes Callard.

“We’ve invited readers to read in any language or translation they choose,” says Court Theatre’s Resident Dramaturg, Drew Dir. “One of the faculty members, for example, is reading… a translation by eighteenth-century English poet Alexander Pope. We’ve also invited participants to read it in the original ancient Greek, which many here at the University of Chicago are more than prepared to do.”

Students and community members are welcome to the stage to read. Interested readers should contact Ryan Mease at rmease@gmail.com to reserve their spot.

Throughout the event, various activities and movie screenings will also take place in the lobby. Movies to be featured include (but are not limited to): Troy, Helen of Troy, Percy Jackson ad the Olympians, O Brother Where Are Thou, Clash of the Titans, and 300. Guests will be able to try their hand at crafting Greek vases, shields, mini Trojan horses, and clothespin gods. Food and drinks will also be provided throughout the 24 hours.

The reading will take place on the set of Court’s upcoming production, An Iliad, which is set to premiere Saturday, November 19. Directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell, the modern, one-man adaptation of Homer’s classic revisits the voice of the lone poet as he delves into a story of human loss and folly that resonates across three millennia. Timothy Edward Kane stars in the leading role.

Don’t miss this celebration of one of Western culture’s most enduring legacies as all 24 books of Homer’s Iliad are read aloud from start to finish.