NORTH ADAMS, Mass—Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' (MCLA) Theatre Program announced its upcoming production of "Eurydice," by acclaimed playwright Sarah Ruhl, under the direction of MCLA Theatre Professor Laura Standley.

 

Performances will take place in the College's Venable Theatre April 16-18 at 7:30 p.m. and April 19 at 2 p.m. Performances are free and open to the public.

 

According to a press release:

 

Inspired by the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Ruhl's imaginative play retells the story from Eurydice's point of view. After dying suddenly on her wedding day, Eurydice finds herself in the strange and dreamlike Underworld, where language is undone, memories are erased, and she is unexpectedly reunited with her long-dead father.

 

What begins as a playful love story becomes a poignant meditation on grief, identity, and the fragile threads that connect us to the people we love.

 

"Sarah Ruhl's play asks us to think about the ways we hold onto the people who shape us," said director Laura Standley. "At its heart, ‘Eurydice' is about the relationship between a daughter and her father, the complexities of unresolved loss, and the power of art to connect the living and the dead."

 

Student performers and designers collaborate to create a shifting landscape between worlds, where familiar rules of time, space, and language unravel, stated a press release.

 

The production features performances by MCLA theater students and is supported by a team of student designers, stage managers, and technicians working alongside faculty and guest artists. Guest artist Tom Truss appears as Eurydice's father. Acclaimed designer Charles "Chip" Schoonmaker serves as costume designer for the production, working alongside MCLA alumna Elizabeth Rodio '21, who returns as costume shop manager. Pete Wise serves as sound designer and composer, creating original music for the production.

 

The MCLA Theatre Program produces a range of theatrical works each season, providing students with hands-on experience in performance, design, and production while engaging audiences with bold contemporary theater.