Over the past few months, Etowah’s theater fanatics have been working around the clock to produce ‘Eurydice’, a one-act written by poet and playwright Sara Ruhl. Devoting days, weeks and months to the production, persevering through set mishaps and braving the occasional chaos, a true masterpiece was born in Etowah’s auditorium this year, leaving those affiliated with it a chance at the main stage: the state competition.
The one-act depicts the original tale ‘Orpheus and Eurydice’ from a female perspective, showing the true despair surrounding Eurydice on her wedding day as she succumbs to death at too young an age. Each character is composed of deep and complex elements, making them difficult to accurately recreate under the bright stage lights. Many cast members noted that tuning into each intricate emotion has proved its difficulty, especially considering how the ending, contrasting others, was one tainted with melancholy tones. Even so, each actor took their role to heart, truly feeling the on-stage pain in their soul to deepen the one-act’s desolate mood and put on a somber yet awe-inspiring show.
“In order to get into character, I asked myself questions about the character and answered them as [my character] Orpheus would, as well as connecting parts of his life to mine, seeing how I could relate to the events that occur to him in the story. [Orpheus] was a hard character to get into, but once I got it down, it became very rewarding,” Brendan Fagan, senior, said.
As actors rehearsed, the one-act’s crew members spent their time running around to make sure the production’s every aspect went as smooth as possible, touching up sets, working lights and more; however, mishaps just a tad larger than hoped for threw the act for a loop, causing some panic and disarray amongst members. On their way to region, part of the set broke, delaying them as their director and drama teacher Charlotte Forrest was forced to take a quick detour to the hardware store for repairs. Even so, their hard work and spirits were not diminished, proving just how strongly their theatrical talent and handyman skills affected the show’s marvelous outcome.
“We had a few set problems, such as the front of the elevator coming off and the spotlight breaking, but we figured out how to fix it,” Lucy Pagano, sophomore, said.
After their continuous efforts to perfect ‘Eurydice’, cast and crew members are pleased to hear about their acceptance to state, where they will get a chance to compete against the best of the best. Taking home this achievement has significantly boosted moods all around the auditorium, putting an even brighter spotlight on Etowah’s stunning drama department. For those involved, the time has come to commit. Sprucing up every little detail, the go-time rush has set in, igniting excitement in cast and crew alike.
“Everyone at region was so good, and winning was actually wild. [Cast and crew members] are so excited and so proud to be going to state,” Skylee Poirrier, junior, said.
As the clock ticks closer and closer to state, anticipation has touched each and every individual associated with ‘Eurydice’. While the theater darkens, and the bright stage lights cast a warming glow over the actors, Etowah wishes the cast and crew good luck back at home.
