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tuesday 07.24.07
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| .greek therapy |
Now and then, we need to reminded ourselves that we are only immortal for a limited time and to cherish the love we have while living in the present.
The romance of Orpheus and Eurydice in Greek mythology is a tale of beauty, bravery, mercy, and lost love. The new play Eurydice, written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Les Waters, is in its last week at the Second Stage Theater and offers a contemporary twist on this timeless story.
In myth, Orpheus and the nymph Eurydice fall in love, but are torn apart when she is bitten by a serpent and whisked away to the Underworld. Orpheus, son of Calliope and Apollo, travels to Hades to plead for her return to the living, using his talent for beautiful music to convince the god to show mercy. Hades relents on one condition: that when Eurydice follows Orpheus back to the surface, he will not look back. The reunited couple ascends to the surface, but just before they both reach the light Orpheus cannot resist the urge to turn and see his beloved. She can only say "a last farewell" before being dragged back to the Underworld.
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The show at Second Stage opens with a dazzling rush of water signifying Eurydice's first descent into the Underworld. The characters are in a mix of modern and Victorian dress, and the overall visual result is striking. The play follows her journey there, to reunite with her father and hold onto the memories of her beloved Orpheus. This tale of love lost, found, and sadly lost again, is a night you will want to look back on. Tickets are $65.
Second Stage Theatre, 307 West 43rd Street (just west of 8th Ave.), New York, NY 10036.
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