‘Eurydice’ closes fall semester with modern twist on Greek myth

Eastern Connecticut State University's Department of Communication, Film, and Theatre delighted audiences from Dec. 5-8 with "Eurydice," an adaptation from the "Metamorphoses" collection of Greek myths. Directed by Tim Golebiewski and written by award-winning playwright Sarah Ruhl, the production re-imagined the classic story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

"Sarah Ruhl has centered her retelling of this ancient tale on our heroine Eurydice and placed her in a free-associative world that is more Alice in Wonderland than classical mythology," wrote Golebiewski in his director's note. "Her take on the myth asks: how do you move forward while carrying what you need from the past? What happens when you look back?" Golebiewski also serves as Eastern's lighting technology specialist.

The cast featured Riley Ciaburri '25 as Eurydice and Tyler Warren '26 as her husband Orpheus. The groom's love is torn apart following Eurydice's tragic death, leading to a reunion with her late father (Kane Waggoner '25) in the underworld. Her father inspires Eurydice to correspond with her husband from the afterlife, despite constant interference from the petulant ruler of the underworld (Adam Logan '26).

A trio of stones (Kylie Nigretti '27, Zolah Daley '26 and Celeste Petrowsky '25) added a touch of humor and melancholy to Eurydice's afterlife experience, heckling her endeavors to communicate with her husband in a vain attempt to remind her father, and her, of the underworld's no-fun policy.

"This show was so interesting from the start of the process. It took the stones - Daley as the Little Stone and Nigretti as the Big Stone - a bit to really sync up like we did in the show, but we had great chemistry," said Petrowsky, who played the Loud Stone. "Performing with the stones felt like we were one but separate at the same time."

The play's modern feel was accentuated by intricate vintage costumes designed by Anya Sokolovskaya. Theater major Ashlynn Sminkey '24 explained how the process was both rewarding and challenging, especially with the stones' shiny costumes.

"This show was a lot of fun to work on with the vintage flair and interesting characters such as the stones, which ended up being a huge challenge because they were handmade, dyed and painted by a small team," said Sminkey. "Everyone in our shop dedicated long hours to bringing characters to life and we hope our family and peers enjoyed it."

According to assistant director Zoe Calhoun, junior communication major, the play's exploration of themes surrounding love, loss and memory was something that the whole cast was able to connect with.

"Working on Eurydice was an incredible experience. I was able to learn so much from Golebiewski and all the cast and crew were phenomenal to work with," said Calhoun. "Love, loss and memory - these are all things we will experience at some point in our lives and I feel like everyone was able to connect to the show in different ways personal to them."