Mercyhurst Theatre Presents Eurydice

In its inaugural production, the Mercyhurst Theatre Program brings a classic Greek myth to life in the upcoming performance of Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl. Directed by Brett D. Johnson, Ph.D., Eurydice is presented in conjunction with the Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture.

Performances will be Friday and Saturday, April 12-13, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 14, at 2 p.m. in the Taylor Little Theatre.

The play reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine, Orpheus’ wife Eurydice. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love.

The play had its world premiere at Madison Repertory Theatre in Madison, Wis., and its New York premiere off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre in 2007.

The New York Times heralded the play as “Rhapsodically beautiful. A weird and wonderful new play – an inexpressibly moving theatrical fable about love, loss and the pleasures and pains of memory.”

Ruhl interprets the underworld in a style similar to “Alice in Wonderland,” incorporating talking stones (a modern interpretation of the classic Greek chorus) and a red-tricycle-riding Lord of the Underworld. Even in the midst of its whimsy, the play explores themes of love, relationships, communication and the connection between the living and the dead.

With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists and breathtaking visual effects, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story. Don’t miss this luminous and thrilling student performance of Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl at Mercyhurst.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, students and President’s Cardholders and $5 for youth (12 and under) and Mercyhurst students with ID. For more information, call 814-824-3000.