Overview
Synopsis
On the day of her wedding, Eurydice falls victim to a tragic accident that sends her hurtling into a wonderland of an Underworld: ripped from her beloved Orpheus, the greatest musician in the world, Eurydice is reunited with her dead father in the Land of the Dead. Orpheus journeys to retrieve his bride, but Eurydice has begun to discover that the cost of living again can sometimes exceed the cost of staying dead. Full of dark humor, lyrical beauty, and wit, Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice transforms a traditional myth into a visceral, contemporary meditation on love worth grieving for.
Show Information
- Book
- Sarah Ruhl
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2003
- Genres
- Drama, Dark Comedy
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- the land of the living, then the underworld, which should “resemble the world of alice in wonderland more than it resembles hades.” set sometime between the present and slightly before the present.
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Samuel French
- Ideal For
- Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Small Cast
Context
Eurydice's life in production began with a workshop at Brown University's New Play Festival in 2001; another workshop at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis ran later that year. In 2003, the play premiered at Madison Repertory Theatre, and in 2004, a production at Berkeley Rep followed, directed by long-time Ruhl collaborator Les Waters.
A summary of dramatic events does little to capture Eurydice’s essence, which unfolds through stylized language and images. Ruhl’s
to read the context for Eurydice and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Note: Despite the division of Eurydice into Movements, the playwright advises that the piece should be performed with no intermission.
First Movement
Two young lovers, Orpheus and Eurydice, frolic on the beach. They discuss music and literature; they are ridiculous with each other in the way that very enamored couples are. Through the whole scene, however, there is a sense that both Orpheus and Eurydice are somewhat trapped in their own thoughts. Since he is a great composer,
to read the plot for Eurydice and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
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Videos
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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