Eurydice
Reviewed by Emily Hawkins
City Garage Theatre
Through September 15
Going to the ends of the earth for love? It might seem a bit drastic — yet consider that the ancient Greek myth about Orpheus traveling to the Underworld to retrieve his bride, Eurydice, has been fascinating audiences for centuries. There have been many renditions of Orpheus’s ordeal, his struggle to “not look back” as he leads his love from the depths of Hades’ realm; by contrast, in Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, audiences get a glimpse into Eurydice’s side of the story. This meticulously woven play explores not just the allure of finding love (in many forms), but the power of language and memories. Frédérique Michel’s production at City Garage Theatre, however, leaves much to be desired.
Ruhl’s epic, poetic narrative is brought to life on Charles Duncombe’s straightforward industrial set, with black metal platforms framing the projections on the upstage wall. This simple setting holds the potential to push the elusive script to endless bounds in the audience’s imagination, while focusing in on the characters’ relationships and Ruhl’s lyrical language. These possibilities, however, are not fully realized, as the actors often seem static and at a loss for intention.
Taking place on a beach pier, the scene where Orpheus (Johanny Paulino) proposes to Eurydice (Lindsay Plake) is a bit off beat. The pair can’t seem to keep on the same rhythm; Orpheus gazes off into the distance while Eurydice skips and giggles around him, trying to draw his attention. As the stoic, egocentric musician, Paulino appears apathetic at times, while Plake’s Eurydice is reaching for a genuine connection. We see the strain in their relationship, as Eurydice worries that Orpheus’s love for her is nowhere close to his passion for music. It’s clear from the onset that they want and expect different things, but continue on to the wedding all the same. Eurydice’s father, played by a tentative Bo Roberts, watches from the underworld. Wishing he could share his love of his daughter, he goes through the motions of walking her down the aisle.
Following an unfortunate encounter with a mysterious stranger, Eurydice’s descent into the underworld is straight out of an early 90’s MTV music video (think Technotronic’s “Pump Up the Jam”). A scattering collage of brightly colored images and words are projected to the beat of a techno, high energy rhythm as the three “stones” march back and forth in uniform patterns. Providing live sounds of clocks ticking and water dripping, along with cadenced warnings and instructions for Eurydice, Marissa Dubois, Emily Asher Kellis, and Brandon Reed deliver the necessary structure, humor, and intensity this show requires.
Despite the stones’ cautions, Eurydice’s father attempts to rekindle his relationship with his daughter, who can’t even remember her own name. Slowly but surely, they come to know each other again, but to what effect? When it comes time for Orpheus to lead Eurydice out of the underworld, we see her struggle with the decision to abandon her dad — but the climaxing moment, when Orpheus turns around, losing Eurydice forever — falls flat. As the actors pace back and forth on the upper platform, it’s difficult to foster any sympathy for the doomed couple when they mournfully part ways. Although charming and intimate, this production misses the urgency and sincerity the script commands.
City Garage Theatre at Bergamot Station, T1 Space, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; through Sep. 15. (310) 453-9939 or www.citygarage.org. Running time: 85 minutes with no intermission.
