Theatrical candy that dazzles with its technical perfection and exquisite visuality, but the tragic weight of Eurydice and Orpheus is lost in this hollow but otherwise brilliant adaptation by Sarah Ruhl. The playwright is all the rage for a reason; in fresh, startling language, she re-imagines the Orpheus myth from the perspective of Eurydice, who must choose between living with her mortal, imperfect love on earth and her idealized father in the underworld. Unfortunately, the stakes of her choice get lost somehow, and what at first appears to be an archetypal tragedy turns out to be an emotionally void story, with a superfluous forced marriage to boot. As pure fantasy, “Eurydice” is a beautiful ride, with some amazingly impressive theatrical effects (a raining elevator) and innovative ways of imagining bridges to the underworld. But for a play that professes “there is no choosing of any importance other than the choice of a beloved,” and “weddings are for fathers and daughters,” the show doesn’t do justice to themes of either kind of love. (Monica Westin)
At Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln, (773)871-3000. Through November 9.
Theatrical candy that dazzles with its technical perfection and exquisite visuality, but the tragic weight of Eurydice and Orpheus is lost in this hollow but otherwise brilliant adaptation by Sarah Ruhl. The playwright is all the rage for a reason; in fresh, startling language, she re-imagines the Orpheus myth from the perspective of Eurydice, who must choose between living with her mortal, imperfect love on earth and her idealized father in the underworld. Unfortunately, the stakes of her choice get lost somehow, and what at first appears to be an archetypal tragedy turns out to be an emotionally void story, with a superfluous forced marriage to boot. As pure fantasy, “Eurydice” is a beautiful ride, with some amazingly impressive theatrical effects (a raining elevator) and innovative ways of imagining bridges to the underworld. But for a play that professes “there is no choosing of any importance other than the choice of a beloved,” and “weddings are for fathers and daughters,” the show doesn’t do justice to themes of either kind of love. (Monica Westin)
