“Eurydice,” by Sarah Ruhl, opens as part of the “It’s Greek (and Roman) to ME!” Season beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, and running through Friday, Aug. 19, at Theater at Monmouth. Submitted photo
“Eurydice,” by Sarah Ruhl, opens as part of the “It’s Greek (and Roman) to ME!” Season beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, and running through Friday, Aug. 19, at Theater at Monmouth. “Eurydice” is a retelling of the classic myth about the fateful lovers, Orpheus and Eurydice. On her wedding day, Eurydice falls victim to a tragic accident that sends her hurtling into the Underworld, erasing her memory and reuniting her with her long-dead father. When Orpheus arrives to save his bride, Eurydice is torn between her desire to return to the real world and the tender relationship she rediscovers with her father in the afterlife.
Though the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is often classified as simply a tragedy, director Dawn McAndrews describes Ruhl’s “Eurydice” as “a silent symphony of love, loss, memory, and stillness.” But it’s not all sad. McAndrews says “It is also whimsical and surreal with a nod to Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ Emotion is heightened, fleeting, childlike, and profound.” McAndrews also explains that “in the classical versions of the story, Eurydice is a passive victim. In Ovid’s version of the story, she doesn’t speak at all and in Virgil’s poem she says only a few words after Orpheus has already looked back at her.” In the hands of Sarah Ruhl, Eurydice is given both “a voice and a choice.”
Eurydice features A.J. Baldwin as Big Stone, Thomas Ian Campbell as Orpheus, Trezure Coles as Lord of the Underworld, Rebecca Ho as Little Stone, Amber McNew as Loud Stone, Jamie Saunders as Eurydice, and Michael Dix Thomas as Father. Directed by Dawn McAndrews; Set Design Dan Bilodeau; Lighting Design by SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal; Costume Design by Michelle Handley; Sound Design by Rew Tippin; and Fight, Intimacy, and Movement Direction by Lorraine Slone. Stage Management by Ingrid Pierson; Assistant Stage Management by Sophie Harrington; and Props Supervision by Paige Stone.
Performance dates are 8/6, 8/11, 8/17, 8/19 at 7:30 p.m.; 8/14 at 7 p.m.; 8/3, 8/7, 8/13 at 1 p.m. A post-performance discussion will be held following the performance on Sunday, Aug. 14.
A TAM subscription offers savings and exclusive benefits like priority seating and ticket exchanges. Gold, Flex, General, or Senior Passes are available for purchase, so whether you want a ticket for each show or five tickets to one show, there’s an option for you. Single tickets for the Summer Repertory and Fall Play are $37 for adults, $32 for senior citizens, and $23 for students (18 and under). Family Show tickets are $18 for adults, $13 for children. Opening Nights are Educator Nights: Educators receive 20% off the general ticket price with a valid photo ID at the Box Office. For patrons under 30, $10 Rush Tickets are available for up to 20 audience members at each performance in the season excluding the Family Show and Special Events. Contact the Box Office by email boxoffice@theateratmonmouth.org or by calling 207-933-9999 after 11 a.m. on the day of the show. Requests made before the Box Office is open will not be processed.
Theater at Monmouth, founded in 1970, was named the Shakespearean Theater of Maine by the State Legislature in 1975. The theatre’s mission is to present innovative approaches to Shakespeare and other classic plays through professional productions that enrich the lives of people throughout Maine. Since its founding, TAM has produced expertly crafted, engaging productions in its three-month Summer Repertory Season entertaining audiences from 36 states and through Education Tours annually reaching more than 15,000 students statewide.
For calendar and reservations, please contact the TAM Box Office at 207-933-9999 or visit www.theateratmonmouth.org.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
