Central Connecticut State University Department of Theatre’s production Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice is a modern adaptation of a classic Greek myth performed with subtle, yet wonderful grace.

The play is adapted from the myth of Orpheus and follows the titular character of his wife Eurydice with her descent into the underworld after tragically dying. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is undeniably powerful and has lasted for years because of this. It is rather interesting to see a different spin on the play with modern elements.

Performed in Maloney Hall’s Black Box Theatre, the play opens with Orpheus and Eurydice chatting happily at the beach. Orpheus proposes to Eurydice and she joyfully accepts. During their wedding, Eurydice is approached by a man who tells her that he has a letter from her deceased father. When she follows the man to his apartment, Eurydice is put off by him and falls to her death when she attempts to flee.

Upon arriving in the underworld, a memory less Eurydice reunites with her father and gradually restores her memory and knowledge. Orpheus manages to find his way to the underworld and begs the lord of the underworld to let him take back Eurydice. The lord agrees, but in classic myth fashion, Orpheus must not look back or else he will lose Eurydice forever.

Eurydice is encouraged by her father to return with Orpheus and after she sets out, he goes into the river Lethe and lets himself succumb to losing his memories all over. Eurydice follows Orpheus but at the last minute calls out his name and causing him to turn around, destroying this last chance they had. Eurydice returns and is terribly upset to find her father without memory. She writes a letter to send to Orpheus before she also purges herself of her memory. Orpheus then arrives, having actually died, and finds the letter, but he cannot read it due to also having lost his memory.

This was a very interesting play to see and such an effective way at telling the story of Orpheus and Eurydice with a twist. The cast and crew did an amazing job at bringing what otherwise would have been a small and possibly underwhelming production to life before the audience.

Emily Gonzales as Eurydice is the shining star of the entire show. As the main character, Gonzales has a lot resting on her shoulders but she pulls her weight and more. When Eurydice is trying to regain her memory, Gonzales plays her with this sweet, funny energy that turns tragic when Eurydice tries to leave with Orpheus and ends up dooming herself. The confrontation that Orpheus and Eurydice have after Orpheus turns around hits hard in the feels thanks to the fantastic acting by the actors.

Matt Durland plays Eurydice’s father and his performance might be the best in the show. The fatherly care and patience that he demonstrates through his character is heartwarming as he tried to reconnect with his daughter and spend time with her. His decision to immerse himself in the river to forget again has a slow build up but it gets you in the feels.

Orpheus is played by Mike Zimmerman and even though his role is more minor, Zimmerman plays it with charm. The scenes between Eurydice and her father are intercut with Orpheus trying to communicate however he can with Eurydice and find a way to get her back, so we constantly get to see Zimmerman giving it his all. Like mentioned previously, the scene when Orpheus turns is such a strong part of the show because Zimmerman plays off so well with Gonzales. The devastation that Orpheus feels is so real and the ending is heartbreaking in just how quiet Zimmerman does it. It honestly had more impact in Eurydice than Hadestown.

Brooke Hendon, Tony Moreno, and Tati Delgado played the Stones, a sort of chorus who would frequently tell the characters the rules of the underworld and discourage them from their actions. The trio are an entertaining lot that provide a lot of comedy in this otherwise serious play. They come across as slightly antagonistic, due to opposing Eurydice regaining her memories because she is dead, but they provide Eurydice with a cold comfort after she finds her father again. I enjoyed how the actors all played off each other and would say their lines in unison. It made the reality of the status quo of the underworld all the more impactful.

Rocky Ross as the Interesting Man was both the man who lures Eurydice away and the lord of the underworld. There’s a smarmy, hilarious quality to Ross’ character especially when, while in the underworld, he approaches Eurydice dressed like a child. It was quite funny and enjoyable. Funny jerk characters are some of my favorites and Ross did an excellent job at making this character so much fun to see on stage.

The set design was also quite interesting. Aside from a simple wooden stage, there was a massive elevator set piece that the actors used to enter the underworld from. A projector would be used to set different scenes as they occurred. It truly was an impressive set piece and I respect the effort that must have gone in to making it.

CCSU’s production of Eurydice was a great show to see unfold with such a talented cast and crew. It was truly special to see this play that I have heard of before and wanted to watch be performed here on campus.

The Black Box Theatre will be performing The 39 Steps March 6-9, 2024.