Eurydice

Julianna Goldsmith (Photo by Nikhil Johns)

Reviewed by Molly McLean
Cease and Desist Theatre Collective
Through Sept. 19

Photo by Nikhil Johns

Reinterpreting a myth gives artists the opportunity to put their stamp on the story. In Eurydice, playwright Sarah Ruhl adds another character to the Orpheus story, that of Eurydice’s dead father. Eurydice gets the opportunity to meet him again in the underworld, adding a tinge of sweetness and melancholy to her time there.

This production feels like less like a tragic myth and more like a sweet, sad poem that tugs at your heart.

And like a poem, it focuses less on the story and more on images. For example, it is unclear in this mounting of the play exactly why Orpheus (Alex Chung) turns around, or why Eurydice (Julianna Goldsmith) cries out his name. It’s also hard to grasp these figures as people: The actors speak in tense voices and in a general poetic manner that signifies sadness. There are many pauses that add to a melancholy air, but this does not help with the tension, plot, or character development.

But the images are beautiful: the set design by Megan Le and Aubree Bowen (also the director) is enthralling and utilizes the black-box space well. A junkyard’s worth of old furniture lines the walls, evoking memories that are collapsing. The set pieces, like an elevator and a penthouse, fold in on each other and create the feeling of a haunted psyche.

And haunted she is: Eurydice is  prey to the interests of Hades (Curtiss Johns) – a campy lecher who transforms into a tyrannical toddler in the second part of the play. And it’s in his second form that he’s most terrifying. But the terror he instills is submerged in a sea of plaintive monologues, and the show ends.

Cease and Desist Theatre Collective, Stuart Rogers Studios, 5112 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hollywood.  Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru Sept. 19. Runtime: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. https://runsignup.com/TicketEvent/Eurydice