Eurydice: What's in a Name?

Eurydice is a play by modern playwright Sarah Ruhl, a take on Virgil's tragic Greek tale of "Orpheus and Eurydice" and Orpheus's journey to the Underworld after Eurydice's untimely death. Yet it's told from Eurydice's perspective and shows just what happens beyond her journey. This is going to be a beautiful show filled with humorous twists and melancholy turns, peppered with a hint of an Alice in Wonderland-esque feel. Director Richard Scott's brilliant casting coupled with understated insight will make for a truly original and heartfelt regional premiere of this play. As for me? I play the part of a stone, one of the "guardians" to the Underworld and after just a few weeks of rehearsals can assure you this show will be one heckofa ride. I feel confident to say the cast, in a word, is very excited about it.

Throughout the rehearsal process, I'll be writing a few blog posts to give you some "sneak peeks" on the show, even some backstage thoughts into what it takes to present a show like this on stage. Conventionally, this play is very much a love story. But this is an unconventional script and there are many levels which we hope audiences will take home with them and ponder.

So to begin, what's in a name? Let's start with how to pronounce the title, Eurydice. It's pronounced like yur-ID-a-see. It's not YURI-dice. It's not yur-WHY-deece. Concentrate the emphasis on the ID in the middle syllable: id, like your unconscious mind, which is where it seems this play could take you.

More to come...