The Saint Louis University theater department has been working since the beginning of the semester on their first show, Eurydice.  The show opened on Thursday, Oct. 11 and ran through Sunday Oct. 14. The plot followed the story of a young woman dying on her wedding night and descending into the underworld.  There, she reconnects with her dead father as her husband tries desperately to bring her back. The well-known Greek tragedy deals with themes of death, love and timing. Through a powerfully-conveyed performance by the actors, the audience was given a small escape from the hustle and bustle on campus leading up to midterms.

One of the main highlights of the show was the excellent use of color blocking to convey the moods of the scene.  The strategic placement of yellow, red and grey boasted thoughtful intention of how to best convey an ancient Greek tragedy in a way that was modern enough to keep audiences today intrigued.  It appeared that yellow was used for happy scenes where the main character Eurydice, played by Halli Pattison, was deep in love with Orpheus, played by Jakob Hulten. Pattison and Hulten conveyed the characters’ playful relationship charismatically and with ease.

Given the nature of the play taking place in both the “real world” and the Underworld, there was a lot of ground to cover for the set.  The crew did an incredible job conceptualizing a set that was two stories tall, representing both the underworld and the “real world.” Projectors were used to display images on canvases, conveying to the audience the mood and setting of that particular scene.  Together, all elements provided a well-thought-out display for the audience to enjoy just as much as the acting itself.

It’s a toss-up who stole the show. Lord of the Underworld, played by Valen Piotrowski was a shocking form of comic-relief to lighten the mood.  The audience erupted into laughter when he entered the stage as a tricycle, boasting how he was a “big boy.” The other shining stars were the three stones.  Big Stone, played by Reed McLean, Little Stone, played by Hayley Gutrich and Loud Stone, played by Laurel Button were the other main form of comic relief. They served as the narrators for the underworld, dishing out snarky remarks to Eurydice (Pattison).  Loud Stone (Button) was especially funny, her voice filling the room with ease.

It’s a shame that more of the seats were not filled during these performances.  The actors and crew are all extremely talented and so much work goes into putting a show on. The small theater department often gets overlooked, tucked away in Xavier Hall.  Despite the size of the department, SLU boasts extremely talented actors, dedicated and passionate crew members and experienced faculty who are excited to share their passions with students, encouraging majors and non-majors alike to get involved in the shows.