With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists and breathtaking visual effects, Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl presents a fresh look at a timeless story of love, loss and family. Directed by faculty member Lisa Channer, (co-founder of Theatre Novi Most), this modern retelling of the classic myth of Orpheus is reimagined through the eyes of his bride Eurydice. When she dies too young on her wedding day, Eurydice is required to travel to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. Presented in the Rarig Center's Nolte Xperimental Theatre on the West Bank Campus, Eurydice opens October 3, and plays through October 13, 2013. Seating is limited.
"The language of Eurydice has been incredible to work with for me and my talented team," director Channer commented. "Ruhl conjures a truly unique world of mourning, loving and remembering as she takes us on a journey to both the underworld and our own soft hearts. She manages to juxtapose the mundane with the epic in remarkable ways." Indeed, The New York Times praised Ruhl's play as "rhapsodically beautiful...weird and wonderful ...a moving theatrical fable about love, loss and the pleasures and pains of memory." In the decade since writing Eurydice, Ms. Ruhl was named a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for The Clean House, and received the 2006 MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as the "genius grant " for her playwriting.
In addition to co-founding Theatre Novi Most with Valdimir Rovinsky, Lisa Channer is an associate professor at the University's Department of Theatre Arts & Dance and holds an MFA in directing from Yale School of Drama, with additional training at the St. Petersburg Academy of Theatre Arts in Russia. Her directing and performance work has been seen in New York at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre, Chicago's Organic Lab Theatre, Amsterdam's IT's Festival, Belfast's Old Museum Arts Centre, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Russia's Bodyword Festival and many Minneapolis venues. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award for her work in Russia in spring of 2011 and is a current fellow with the Shannon Leadership Institute. She was co-founder of Sleeveless Theatre in Massachusetts from 1989-1997. Together with Mr. Rovinsky in 1998, she co-founded Theatre Novi Most, "to adapt or create new works for the stage through a rigorous process of exploration and improvisation that mixes Russian theatre techniques and traditions with physical theatre methods from the U.S. and Europe." See http://www.theatrenovimost.org/about.html
The Eurydice cast includes the following performers: Edward Euclide (Orpheus), Kiara Jackson (Eurydice), Rick Miller (Loud Stone), Evan O'Brien ( Little Stone), Nico Swenson (Nasty Interesting Man /Lord of the Underworld), Gaosong Vang (Big Stone) and Nathan Tylutki (Father).
The production's creative team creative team includes: Eric Norton (Assistant Director), Michael Mellas (Dramaturg), Katie Wicker (Costume Designer), Annie Henly (Set Designer), Kevin Springer (Sound Designer), Kathy Maxwell (Lighting Designer), Audrey Rice (Stage Manager), Sylvia Bay (Assistant Stage Manager), Andrew Buckholtz (Assistant Stage Manager). Musicians for the production are Aviva Gellman (Cello), Glenn Geppert (Guitar), and Bree Schmidt (Cello).
For tickets and information call: U of M Arts / Events Ticket Office at 612 624-2345 or visit theatre.umn.edu Customer parking is available the 21st Ave. Parking Ramp, located across from the Rarig Center, University of Minnesota West Bank Campus.
Quick Facts
What: Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
Who: University of Minnesota Theatre Arts and Dance
When: October 3-10, 2013
Where: Rarig Center's Nolte Xperimental Theatre, West Bank Arts Quarter.
330 21st Avenue South, Minneapolis
Tickets: $6 Students; $11 U of M faculty and staff; $16 General
U of M Ticket Office (612) 624-2345 or online at theatre.umn.edu
Tickets are also available at the door two hours prior to performance.
