Colin Lemke Journal #2

1. What was the name of the piece you saw? (one sentence)

The piece I saw was "Eurydice" by Sarah Ruhl.

2. Describe the final moment of the piece? What happened? (four sentences)

The final moment of the piece basically pulls a Romeo and Juliet. On their way out of the underworld, Orpheus accidentally looks backwards at Eurydice, causing her to be pulled back and trapped there. When Eurydice returns, she learns that her father has killed himself (at least, the spiritual version, having dipped himself in "the river") and she subsequently kills herself. The very last scene sees Orpheus arriving at the underworld and seeing his dead wife, implying that he also killed himself so he could be with Eurydice once more.

3. If you had to ascribe a moral to this piece, what would it be? Why do you think that? (four sentences)

I think a good moral that this piece represents is to keep faith in difficult situations. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is that Orpheus can only leave the underworld with his wife as long as he does not look back at her and trusts that she is following him. This piece in particular is different from the mythological tale- in this version, Eurydice calls to him in a moment of reluctance, causing him to turn around. However, it could still be said that Eurydice should have held faith in her decision to leave the underworld, even though she would be leaving her father.

4. What was an element you enjoyed about the piece? Why did you enjoy it? (six sentences)

An element I really enjoyed about the piece was its use of water in many different contexts. At the beginning of the story, Orpheus and Eurydice are in a happy period of their relationship as they become engaged while out swimming by the sea. However, water also acts as a symbol of temptation when the strange man persuades Eurydice to leave her party while she is getting a drink of water. Water also appears in the elevator to the underworld, as all who enter the "land of the dead" are drenched with rain. Finally, both Eurydice and her father dip themselves into a river and give up their souls and memories; additionally, water droplets are scattered throughout the piece. I think it was very interesting how Ruhl used water in so many different scenes with such different symbolic meanings to each appearance.

5. What was an element that confused you? Why did it confuse you? What could have been done differently to make it clearer to you? (six sentences)

One element that confused me was the purpose of the three stones as characters. I know they were acting as "henchmen" to the Lord of the underworld, but they didn't do much besides cut into conversations and tell people that they need to speak the language of the dead. Were they meant to be, like, doormen for the "hotel," or creatures that introduced you to the underworld? I feel like if there had been more scenes involving the stones and what they do in their routines, besides having a rave whenever the Lord enters a scene, it could be clearer. There isn't much insight into who the characters are, what they do, or why they all speak at once and seem to have constant condescending attitudes towards everyone. In my opinion, more scenes that give them more character like the one near the end where they interact with the grieving Eurydice could have been beneficial to clearing up their purpose in the play.

Select one of the performers and answer the following questions: Eurydice's father, specifically when Eurydice arrives at the land of the dead.

1. What did the character WANT? (one sentence)

Eurydice's father wanted Eurydice to remember him.

2. What tactics or actions did they use to get what they wanted. (three verbs)

First, he tried to convince her that he was her father. Then, he tried to teach her what the word "father" meant. Then, he persuaded her into connecting with him by pretending he was a tree she loved in her childhood.

3. Did you enjoy their performance? Why or why not? (three sentences)

I felt that this moment in the play was actually very powerful. His desperation for her to remember him really came through when in a fast-paced scene he described his own personal recollection of life through letters appearing in the rain. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel emotional myself when he finally realized he could not get through to her, so I think that actor's performance was excellent during that scene.

4. What moment in the piece did you feel the most connected to the performance? Describe it. (six sentences)

I felt most connected to the performance during the scene in which Orpheus and Eurydice are leaving the underworld. She says his name, and Orpheus looks back at her, breaking the single rule he was given. When he realizes this, it seems that he is being pulled away from the underworld. Eurydice then paces the stage as Orpheus struggles to cope with the fact that he is about to lose her forever. They both attempt to relive the memories of their relationship as they are inevitably about to lose those memories, and Eurydice mixes her own words with the words of the stones as she is slowly tempted to return to the land of the dead. This moment was extremely powerful, seeing the two lovers agonizingly torn apart while one attempts to recall the better days they spent together and the other loses her sanity and sense of being alive.