Rice University Eurydice play: A Review
Eurydice is a play which captures and reenacts the Greek myth of Eurydice and her lover Orpheus, and his quest to travel to the underworld and retrieve his dead wife back to the living. However, Eurydice, as written by Sarah Ruhl, is written from the perspective of Eurydice and her experience of love, death, loss and the underworld. The play, as acted by the Rice University offers a lot of insight on the contextual message in which the play intends to convey. Directed and produced by the Rice University theater manager, Mark Krouskop, the play gives a vivid reimagination of the Greek myth, following strictly the script of Rhul. The play is very entertaining, though some actors are mechanical and too lethargic, sometimes, making the play seem dull and lose its pace and rhythm. This paper will then review the near-perfect performance of the Nice University on the Eurydice play.
One of the noticeable aspects of the play is music and the lighting. The music played is in tandem with the emotions which the play moments intend to depict and create to the audience. The music and soundtracks, played in instances of suspense and change of set, creates a connection with the play’s message. The lighting of the set is also remarkable, creating both suspense and surprise on the expectations of the play. the costumes do not engage well with the audience, as they are dull and create a gloomy experience of the connection between the actors and the audience. The actors are not all overwhelming in their depiction, despite that credit should be given toYena Hun, who plays Eurydice, for a radiant display of chemistry between her lover and father.
The producer did not deviate from the actual play and attempts to make it as close to the original as possible. In a funny and humorous way, the best credit to actors goes to Eurydice and her father, though the disruptions by the Stones of the underworld are necessary but cut the flow. One of the most significant elements of the play which evokes the imaginations from the audience is the raining elevator to the underworld and the simple set of Hades. The producer did an excellent choice on the costumes of the stones in hades and the colorful one of the master of the underworld. Mostly, many shows would create a gross and overdone creation of hades, to evoke fear and sense of damnation to the audience.
However, there are several aspects of the play which have failed to live their expectations, one of them is on the character of the master of the underworld. He struggles with the concept of recreating a feared, cold-hearted lord, juxtaposed from being a love interest to a jilted one. His struggle with the ability to transform from menacing and charming to live up his role as the master of the underworld. Also, in the real play by Rhul, Eurydice died of a snake bite but in the play, she crashed to death from high building. The producer has chosen the minimal use of the set and the props, relying on one piece of the set which changes only by lighting. A viewer from the audience who is not well versed in the play would have many difficulties in grasping the interchanging of the set. However, the props used such as the room of strings and water pump attempts to make a connection of the play and the reality.
I would definitely recommend the play to others because it is very refreshing, it develops in a fluid way despite some of the actors are dull and inert such as the master of the underworld. However, despite a few failures, the play was well executed and has some bright and colorful performances, especially the part of Eurydice, and her father. For those who would like to understand about love, sacrifice, and choices, Eurydice is the play for them.
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