This post was contributed by David Orace Kelly.
“there’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” -Leonard Cohen
This Play, Eurydice. Last year, our audiences selected this play as their top choice for our Upper School production. Eurydice pops up from time to time in high school programs across the country and features high-level acting and technical opportunities for our students. From building an elevator that has water coming down in it, an overworld and underworld simultaneously presented, and a sound design that propels the narrative further, our tech students have been engaged since the start of the school year putting this all together. This production gives our student actors the opportunity to work with modern poetic text in the context of an ancient, yet updated, myth. This production in the design and acting addresses hope, fear, loss, and love throughout the story. We are featuring work from 9th to 12th grade in directing, scenic lighting design, sound design, costume design, and of course acting.
A Modern Re-telling with a flipped perspective. Our story is originally a Greek myth about newlyweds, Orpheus, the son of Apollo, and Eurydice. In the original, Eurydice dies tragically and is sent to the underworld. Having lost his wife, Orpheus journeys to the underworld, using his music to help him make his way, to find and rescue Eurydice. Hades is convinced to let Eurydice go, but only if Orpheus leaves first, sending Eurydice after. If Orpheus looks back, to see if Eurydice is there, the deal will be forfeit. Orpheus is unable to keep the deal. He looks back and sees her, and Eurydice is forced to stay in the underworld. This production puts the focus on Eurydice, follows her journey, and casts Orpheus as a supporting character.
Eurydice and her mother. By focusing the narrative on Eurydice, Sarah Ruhl’s play offers a distinct femaic-centric perspective. The original play, which we are not exactly presenting, features Eurydice’s father in the underworld. Working with Ruhl and the publisher, we were given permission to change the role of father into the role of mother. This brings a new interpretation to the story, allowing it to be seen through a matrilineal line. Our production maintains Ruhl’s exploration of love, memory, and difficulties in the underworld while following the important plot points within the original myth.
Music and Poetry. The poetry of Ruhl, celebrates the power of music and poetry by bringing the ancient myth of Orpheus and Eurydice into the present day. This production, Eurydice, investigates the mysteries of death, memory, and the possible return to life. Ruhl uses the artistic enhancement of emotion through music and poetry to explore these themes.
Hamartia and Don’t Look Back. Musician and poet Leonard Cohen famously writes, “there’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” This offers both the perspective that nothing is perfect and more importantly, humanity is not perfect. For the Greeks, characters were often even given a hamartia or tragic flaw. If Orpheus trusted the Lord of the Underworld, he would not have looked back to be sure that Eurydice was following him. But, how can one remain resolved in that trust – to make a deal with Hades might be foolish in the first place. On the other hand, this story might be about one’s own confidence. Orpheus was unsure how to proceed and did not have faith in the ultimate outcome, this is where he falters. This is what the Greeks would call his hamartia, or a tragic flaw.
Water, Life, and Death. In the context of this story, one’s memory is blurred or even washed away when they go through the water in the underworld. This play, specifically uses water – both referenced and literal – to demonstrate the washing away of one’s memory as they enter the underworld. In some ways this is a discordant and poetic use of water; what typically supports growth and life, in the story is the method of wiping it away as well.
The Chorus or The Stones. Greek theatre created and developed the use of The Chorus, a group of actors speaking in unison and representing the voice of the people or the author. Ruhl takes this concept and transforms it further. The stones, our chorus, help to create the environment of the world, offering perspective to the main characters, and facilitating the storytelling throughout the play.
I look forward to seeing you at the show. Tickets are available at www.gosaints.org/performances