The mellifluous sound of dripping water, a cold breeze, and… Ding! The elevator door to the underworld opens, along with UBC Theatre’s second play of the season. Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice is transformed from novel-form, and takes the stage of Fredrick Wood Theatre from January 21 – February 6. MFA candidate Keltie Forsyth vivaciously directs the abundant talent of the worlds of both the living the dead. The cast is comprised of protagonist Kelsey Ranshaw (Eurydice), Daniel Curalli (Orpheus), Francis Winter (Nasty, interesting man/child-lord of the underworld), and Michael Fera (Eurydice’s father), with the aid of an exceptional crew that not only does the play justice, but provides entertainment worthy of another dimension.
A script so philosophical and filled with endless possibilities, Eurydice often never fully quenches the theatrical thirst of the audience, perhaps because of the infinite imaginative aspects it offers. However, UBC’s Eurydice made this challenge their forte through their innovative divide between the underworld and the real world, the portrayal of the river Lethe, and Eurydice’s death scene. The acting is enticing, as Eurydice shares with us her emotional turmoil, her father makes us long for love and companionship as he does so dearly, and Orpheus brings forth his character as a loyal yet misunderstood artist. Along with them is the ever-present chrous, and the child/lord of the underworld who becomes a villain we hate to love. Perhaps what was most striking was the precision of the play. At dramatic points, the chorus crescendoed their voices and instruments to end right at the completion of the scene with almost impossibly impeccable timing.
At the same level of the play’s precision performance was the eccentric costume design. Created by Alix Miller, the costume choices both trigger emotions and travel through time, especially when placed in collaboration with the adroit set design by Heipo Leung which defies space, leaving the stage setting open to imagination. Complementing the set design is the distinctive sound design by Jessica Lai that holds in store for you an element of surprise.
UBC Theatre’s production leaves the audience surprised despite knowledge of the future chain of events. When Eurydice causes Orpheus to turn around on their walk out of the underworld, against his orders, audible gasps sounded throughout the theatre – even though we knew it was coming. At the end, the audience wonders what Orpheus will do as the only character left conscious, leaving us longing for more. Eurydice leaves the audience ultimately motivated to do or say whatever it is we feel in our own realities, to act, so as to avoid the tragic fate that befalls Eurydice.