‘Eurydice’ new spin on myth

The ArtsCenter’s presentation of “Eurydice” is an unexpected and whimsical answer to the usual woes of Greek tragedies.

Written by acclaimed playwright Sarah Ruhl, the play retells the Greek myth of Orpheus from a modern Eurydice’s point of view.

“Sarah Ruhl uses an incredible childlike language,” said Emily Ranii, artistic director of ArtsCenter Stage. “It makes the show uniquely whimsical.”

“Eurydice,” which opened last week, will unfold again today through Sunday, May 23, at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro.

Ruhl’s comedic version follows the lover’s myth closely, with two notable exceptions.

In Greek mythology, Eurydice dies from a venomous snakebite, while in Ruhl’s play she falls down a flight of 600 stairs, landing her in the underworld.

In the play, she is kept company in the underworld by some interesting characters, including her father, who is not featured in the original.

“Ruhl wrote the play in response to her father passing away,” said Jeri Lynn Schulke, who plays Eurydice. “So she included the character of the father in the myth.”

Schulke leads the cast with her tempestuous portrayal of Eurydice, a naive and vivacious girl, who seems out of touch with reality until the bittersweet end of the play. Her final minutes on stage were the most heartfelt and convincing of the play.

Cast in a dual role, John Allore delivered two strangely fascinating portrayals.

First, he plays the Nasty Interesting Man (the name says it all), sporting a suit and tie made of synthetic, shiny green AstroTurf.

Then, he returns as the Lord of the Underworld; in military tailored coveralls and a hard hat, Allore’s quirky mannerisms and boisterous speech were riveting.

Upon first entering the theater, audience members see a humble stage, with two patches of grass on the stage floor, a twine and mesh canopy hoisted above and paper strewn about it.

As the play progresses however, the stage is transformed into a type of purgatory: not quite the land of the living, not the underworld, but something  in between — a land of lost letters and memories.

“The stage directing and design were really creative,” said audience member Thomas Kirk. “Like a window into another world.”

In the underworld, things in the world of the living are forgotten but can be relearned. In the play, Eurydice’s father acts as a tutor, teaching his daughter how to speak, read and write.

But with these harmless memories come painful others, like those of her husband, who is still in the land of the living, searching for her. “Eurydice” explores this world of the in-between.

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