OSU Theatre opens season with Eurydice
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Oklahoma State University Theatre’s first main stage production of the season, Sarah Ruhl’s lyrical and haunting “Eurydice,” opens 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts.
With seating limited to 120 seats on the Vivia Locke Stage for 8 performances over two weekends, audiences are encouraged to purchase tickets early and arrive at least 15 minutes before curtain.
The performances run October 9-11 at 7:30 p.m and October 12 at 2:30 p.m, and then October 16-18 at 7:30 p.m, with an additional matinee Saturday, October 18 at 2:30 p.m. All performances are in the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts. Box Office information and links to on-line credit card purchases may be found on the departmental website: theatre.okstate.edu or by calling (405) 744-6094.
Written in 2003, “Eurydice” updates the ancient Greek and Roman myth of Orpheus who travels to the Underworld to summon back Eurydice, his dead wife. Except in this version, the focus is on Eurydice and her trip to the Underworld, where she meets her deceased father. Based in part on Ruhl’s experience of losing her own father, the play raises questions of love and allegiances, and what to do when given a choice.
The production is directed by Assistant Professor of Performance Jodi Jinks, who is the Mary Lou Lemon Endowed Professor of Theatre. “It’s a timeless tale; most of us have heard it at some time in our lives,” says Jinks. “But Sarah Ruhl has written a very accessible script, and created a magical world that is both scary and playful. Everybody will relate to it since we all experience the frustrations of love and of losing someone close to us.”
Collaborating with Jinks in the creation of the production is Assistant Professor of Design and Technical Production, Lee Brasuell. “There are a lot of practical concerns when approaching a text that calls for a running river and an Underworld that is completely different from the world above where Eurydice and Orpheus fall in love,” says Brasuell. “Much of what is special about this play is communicated through design—what audiences see and hear and feel. We’re aiming for an experience that is rich for the senses.”
The production team includes guest lighting designer Jennifer Zornow, brought to campus from California on a Fae Rawdon Norris Grant, and two student designers: senior Dara Affholter, costume design, and senior Ryan Gaither, sound design. Leading the cast are Anne Uhlman as Eurydice and Cody Finger as Orpheus.
“I’m very fortunate to work with such inspired designers and an amazing cast,” continues Jinks. “We’ve decided to place the entire audience on stage in the Vivia Locke Theatre so that everyone can fully experience the environment we have created for Sarah Ruhl’s beautiful play. The designers really have done a spectacular job.”