A re-imagining of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth is coming to Palos Hills.
Moraine Valley Community College Academic Theater stages “Eurydice” from April 29 to May 8 at the Fine & Performing Arts Center’s John and Angeline Oremus Theater.
Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. April 29-30 and May 6-7; 3 p.m. May 1 and 8.
“It’s really interesting when a playwright adapts and attacks old mythology or even an old story and tells it through a new lens. I thought it was interesting that it’s told through the lens of the daughter,” said Adrianne Cury, director of “Eurydice.”
“Also, having lost my father (Robert Cury) when I was a young woman, I have a particular connection to it. Years later, it still drums up tears. There’s a connection to that idea of having lost your father when you were young. It alters you and your perception a bit.
“I find that relationship between father and daughter quite moving.”
Originally from Chicago, Sarah Ruhl dedicated her 2003 play “Eurydice” to her father, who was diagnosed with cancer when she was 18 years old and died when she was 20 years old.
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Among the ways that Ruhl re-imagined Orpheus and Eurydice’s love story was by adding the latter’s father.
“It’s about her adapting to the underworld and Orpheus’ inability to adapt to life without her, his final search to find her in the underworld and the hoops through which he has to jump to get to her,” said Cury of Oak Park.
“In the underworld her father teaches her things she should not know and neither of them should know because they are dead. I lost my mother, who died in November, and a dear friend died a year or so before the pandemic.
“There have been lots of deaths in the actor community the past number of years. I still well up with tears but some of those old aphorisms that were clichés carry weight for me. Life is for living and looking back too frequently can be a tad too dangerous. Looking back is certainly part of the Orpheus myth.”
Ruhl describes “Eurydice” as “a playground for designers.”
“It’s a designer’s dream. She gives you tons of leeway to do what you will. She does not suggest that the underworld has to be much different than the real world. We’re doing specific things in our production,” said Cury.
“It’s exciting and will give people slightly different points of view.
“A couple of years ago when I was going to direct it, I looked up a bunch of designs. Everybody went different. I suspect ours is going to be rather different. Ruhl had a suggestion that the underworld is more like Alice down the rabbit hole than it is like hell and I followed that.”
Originally scheduled for 2020, “Eurydice” was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had to be recast.
“The cast is lovely. They’re learning. They seem up to the challenge. I’m giving them a lot of vocal work because a few of them are quite young and new,” said Cury, a longtime Acting Studio Chicago instructor.
The dramatic comedy features Lena Werner of Worth as Eurydice, Dean Papadopoulos of Orland Park as Her Father, Jason Suwaidan of Tinley Park as Orpheus, and Joe Gomez of Palos Heights as A Nasty Interesting Man/The Lord of the Underworld.
Portraying A Chorus of Stones are Aron Gomez of Orland Park as Big Stone, Natalie Cross of Summit as Little Stone and Eli West of Tinley Park as Loud Stone.
“Though there is a sadness to ‘Eurydice,’ there are a lot of laughs,” Cury said.
“I hope this production will have a satisfying catharsis for folks because it’s done that for me.”
‘Eurydice’
When: April 29-May 8
Where: Moraine Valley Community College’s Fine & Performing Arts Center’s John and Angeline Oremus Theater, 9000 W. College Parkway, Building F, Palos Hills
Tickets: $12
Information: 708-974-5500; morainevalley.edu/fpac/academic-theater
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.