This weekend, audiences filled Theatre 21 as actors greeted them to the eerie set with interactive games, setting the stage for a whimsical and moving performance in the underworld. The performance balanced the heaviest topics with refreshing humor.
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS
“Eurydice” starts off with a couple deeply in love and about to get married. On the day of the wedding, Eurydice, played by junior theatre major Alexandra Edwards, is lured into a trap by the lord of the underworld, played by freshman theatre major Kgopotso Sedibe. This is just after she expresses grief at the absence of her deceased father on her wedding day. She dies, and it is here that the real plotline begins.
In the underworld, Eurydice meets many important characters that help her remember her former life, while her husband, Orpheus, played by senior communication studies major Seth Johnson, does everything in his power to find her again. Through sweet, heart-wrenching and excellently executed monologues, audiences will find themselves moved to pity for Orpheus as he seeks his beloved. Eurydice, on the other hand, is a brilliant, child-like character whose optimism and honesty shine throughout the play, contrasting her husband’s ability to feel deeply.
DEEP WATERS
The characters find themselves pondering the importance of life and death, the difference between the two and the special bonds humans share as a result of shared life experiences and memory. The lines beg audiences to consider the same themes for themselves, while, at the same time, weaving a playful storyline with refreshing comedic relief—found primarily in the lord of the underworld.
In director Zach Bortot’s statement about the play in the program, he addresses the heaviness of the play, while also hoping that audiences find light in it.
“Some may leave this production feeling only a sense of melancholy, which is understandable,” Bortot said on the program. “But as a creative team we have also aspired to find the moments of hope embedded in the poetry of the text.”
These “moments” abound. Though, hope of goodness might not be what the play communicates, it certainly finds meaning in the darkness that death presents.
“It seems that here you can better see the far reaching consequences of your actions,” Eurydice’s father, played by Frank Mihelich, says in his letter from the underworld.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The play is captivating, not containing an intermission and lasting for nearly two hours. With this in mind, audiences should expect to be thoroughly entertained and spoken to on a deep level. The lines alone are enough of a sell—but the actor’s excellence in execution, especially on the part of Johnson, makes this play a must-see.
Photosensitive viewers should be aware that there are multi-colored and flashing lights throughout. The play will show in Theatre 21 for the rest of this weekend and next. Tickets can be found on the website.
