“Eurydice” reviewed by Julia W. Rath and Frank Meccia

Julia W. Rath

5 Stars! Very highly recommended!  *****   Sad, touching, yet funny, Sarah Ruhl’s adaptation of the Ancient Greek myth “Eurydice” has been reimagined in this tragicomedy, produced by The Artistic Home and directed by Kathy Scambiatterra. This is the best show I’ve seen since live theatre has reopened to Chicago audiences at 100% capacity! The story is that of the love of a father for his child and the love of a husband for a beautiful woman who has died all too young. The presentation is one part Greek tragedy, another part Shakespeare, and a third part Chicago, the Midwest, and contemporary life, all rolled into one. It’s a spectacular fusion of fantasy and reality that will capture your heart and will have you laughing one moment and crying the next.

“Eurydice” is in modern English, based on the myth that is part and parcel of Ancient Greek religious philosophy. The name Eurydice means “wide justice”, and the young woman bearing the name has everything in the world to live for, but she is nevertheless is struck down in the prime of her life. With her love for her husband Orpheus being so powerful (and his love for her equally so), she is given a second chance at living. In the original tale, Orpheus was allowed to take Eurydice away from the underworld and back to the earth’s surface. He was told, however, to walk in front of her and not look back until both of them had reached daylight or else she would be condemned to return to the underworld. In the Greek original, he turns around to see if the Lord of the Underworld has tricked him. But in Ruhl’s version, Eurydice calls out to him due to her possible fearfulness in transitioning from one realm to another. And you can guess the rest.

Karla Corona, as Eurydice, radiates a charm and grace that holds the story together. Steven Cooper, as Orpheus, plays a character tender in his love for his soon-to-be wife and who is demonstrative with his music and poetry. He is a joy to watch as we see the loving relationship between him and Eurydice blossom. And then there is Javier Carmona, who plays Eurydice’s deceased father, who makes the fatal mistake of reaching out to her from the underworld, since he is one of the few who remembers his previous life on earth. He acts on the strength of his love for his daughter, so he attempts to send her a note of greeting and reassurance. And as we theatregoers may have learned in school, the underworld in the Ancient Greek religion was not hell and hellfire but, rather, was thought to be a world of the unknown and the unknowing, where the dead are dunked into the River Styx in order to forget who and what they were during their previous lifetime.

What adds to both the comedy and the tragedy is the insertion of several bizarre personas. Most notable are the two outrageously dark characters being played by Todd Wojcik. One is the Lord of the Underworld and the other is called “Nasty Interesting Man” in the program. Both of them display an overtly sexual prowess, salacious vibe, and vileness that has the audience chuckling and angry at the same time; what a combination! The most novel characters, however, are those known collectively as “A Chorus of Stones”: Big Stone, Little Stone, and Loud Stone, performed by Will Casey, Ariana Lopez, and Alexander McRae. The trio is dressed in a wonderfully uncanny way with extraordinary makeup that fuses them together. The characters speed up the action within the underworld and make pronouncements by speaking in harmony. So if our funny bone hasn’t already been tickled by now, the introduction of The Stones will surely succeed in doing so.

Seeing the supremely innovative costumes, unusual props, clever makeup, and amazing lighting make this performance a worthy one in and of itself. Costume design could not have been done any better, thanks to Zachary Wagner’s creativity. Every single garment he has produced is uncommon and unique and meticulously suits the nature of each character, with some combination of the modern, the ancient, and the fantastical. The Stones are especially well garbed. Kevin Hagan’s minimal set design and his whimsical use of soft materials work extremely well and play on our imagination. Nicely done is the use of cloths to indicate the River Styx and the immersion of the characters into its waters. His use of lighting against various fabrics is impressive, and, above all, he makes a plain set look gorgeous! Prop design by Randy Rozler is perfect. I loved the white suitcase that Eurydice rolls around on stage as well as the scooter used by the Lord of the Underworld. Then too there is the 25-key keytar (a combination of guitar and piano) that Orpheus uses to write his music. Speaking of music, traditional Greek and modern instrumentals are incorporated into the clear and crisp sound, courtesy of sound designer Petter Wahlback.

The story brought to mind how my best friend was tragically killed in a car accident when she was 27 years old. She had married several years earlier; she and her husband had just bought a house and wanted to have a baby together. The show took me back to her senseless death at such a young age, which had repercussions on both the living and (from the story’s perspective) on the dead. “Eurydice” will have you asking existential questions about what it means to have a vibrant life cut short in the flower of youth. It will also have you wonder whether love can penetrate death. In addition, this production, based on Sarah Ruhl’s superb script, will have you musing on how the injection of humor can make a heartbreaking play so watchable. You will truly enjoy experiencing the roller-coaster ride of your emotions. You must see this show now!

“Eurydice” is playing through November 21, 2021 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Avenue, in Chicago, in the Wicker Park neighborhood.

Ticket prices:

General admission: $35
Students: $16
For groups of 10 or more, use promo code GROUP for a discounted rate.

Performance schedule:

Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays – 7:30 p.m.
Sundays – 3:00 p.m.

Tickets are sold through The Den Theatre.
Click on: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35386/production/1079300 to place your order or phone the box office at (773) 697-3830. If you have questions, please email the box office at boxoffice@thedentheatre.com.

For more information about “Eurydice”, please go to: https://www.theartistichome.org/currentshow.

For more information about The Artistic Home Company and to see their other offerings, visit: https://www.theartistichome.org/.

To make a donation to support The Artistic Home, click on this link: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/store/212/alldonations.

Note that all artists, performers, staff, and patrons attending events at The Den Theatre must provide proof of a full course of COVID-19 vaccination. Patrons must have a completed COVID-19 vaccination card, with their final dose administered at least fourteen days prior to the event from a licensed doctor, pharmacy, or clinic. All individuals aged 2 and over, regardless of their vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask when not actively eating or drinking. Be prepared to show your ID in addition to your vaccination card.

Please see https://thedentheatre.com for additional COVID information and information about accessibility.

Review by Frank Meccia

recommended *** The Artistic Home is a Theatre Company and school for the performing arts. There mission statement is “that they explore and celebrate the truth within us. Through extraordinary acting and to ignite and audience’s imagination, by working in an intimate space. “

Using the intimate space of the DEN THEATRE, they were able to reimagine a play that has been around since 1941, based on an opera from 1600, and based on a book by Virgil called the Aeneid written in 40 B.C. I remember when I went to school these were books and history that we learned when studying Greek and Roman Mythology. Some people might remember the Iliad and the Odyssey, or the story of Troy.

The basic story of Eurydice was a character in Greek mythology, and the Nymph wife to Orpheus. Orpheus was a prophet who traveled and always played music using the Lyre and had the gift to attract the birds and animals together, most people remember him from the story of Jason and the Argonauts, he tried to bring back his wife who died on their wedding night back from the dead, using his music.

This production is seen through the eyes of Eurydice who is played by Karla Corona, she is so energic and her mannerisms which are so easy to watch, you can’t help but laugh and smile at her use of sarcasm. Her lover Orpheus played by Steven Cooper is so believable, his movements through time and space you can feel the love he has for her, and it brings back the old biblical story of Lot’s Wife. Her father who she meets white in the underworld {Hell} is played by Javier Carmona, (you might remember him from the TV show Chicago P.D.) all three make a wonderful cast, The 4th character who goes by many names is Todd Wojcik he plays the Nasty Interesting man/ Lord of the Underworld. I wonder when Virgil wrote this, he had in mind a Underworld lord with a heavy sex appetite

. The 3 remaining characters called the Chorus of Sones are Will Casey, Alexander McRae and Ariana Lopez. It seems their job is to try and explain what is happening in the underworld and keep people from breaking the rules.

I have to admit, this is a hard play to do, 1 hr. and 30 minutes with no intermission, and in a slightly small space as the Den Theatre and with a broken knee, the play moved along at a nice pace, and was completely worth going out in the rain and walking 2 blocks on crutches. With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists, and breathtaking visual effects, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

EURYDICE is playing till Nov 21.

Ticket prices are students $13.00 Adults $35.00.

Performances are:

Thursday  7:30 p.m.

Fridays  7:30 p.m.

Saturdays 7:30 p.m.

Sundays  3 p.m.

Box office- call 773-697-3830 or visit www.theartistichome.org

The Den theatre is located at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago. Street parking. The Den Theatre is following Covid-19 protocol’s, vaccinations and masks worn at all times.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Eurydice”