MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance students are proud to present “Eurydice,” a play that reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine.

“Eurydice” runs Thursday, Sept. 26, through Saturday, Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee performance on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 2 p.m. at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre at 615 Champion Way. 

Tickets are $10 for general admission, $7 for seniors and $5 for students K-12. They can be purchased online at https://app.arts-people.com/index.php or at the Tucker Theatre box office before each performance. MTSU students, faculty and staff can attend for free by presenting their current university ID at the box office. No late entry will be permitted after the box office closes.

Directed by assistant professor Alicia Fuss, “Eurydice” was written by Sarah Ruhl.

“‘Eurydice’ is a play full of questions,” Fuss explained. “There are infinite ways you could approach this text. Working on this production, students in both tech and acting roles get to dig into all these possibilities of meaning and make artistic decisions.

My job as the director is to facilitate that process and make sure we land on answers that work well with each other to support the story we are telling. Although we had to answer lots of questions as a part of our process, part of what excites me is knowing that our audiences will leave with lots of questions, too. It’s the kind of play I hope audience members will want to keep wondering about.”

Watch a preview of the production featuring the director and some of cast members below:

About “Eurydice”

In “Eurydice,” Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists and breathtaking visual effects, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

“The ancient Greek myth of ‘Orpheus and Eurydice’ has been explored again and again by artists, writers and musicians — typically focusing on Orpheus as the tragic hero,” said Fuss. “In this play, playwright Sarah Ruhl focuses on the character of Eurydice. She uses the framework of the original myth to explore love, loss and grief. In part, she wrote the play to help process the death of her father, who died while she was a college student. The play is very poetic, both in language and visuals.”

MTSU Cast

The cast and crew began working on the production in spring 2024.

“The first part of the process is working with the team of designers to set the visual and aural tone of the production, and then individual designers begin to design elements like costumes, sets, lights and sound. The show was also cast last spring, and we began rehearsals on Aug. 19, just before the fall semester started,” explained Fuss.

Moira Cagle, who plays Eurydice, says the experience has been like no other.

“I have been faced with challenging roles before, but Eurydice has pushed me to grow as an actor more than any other. It is easy to let the dark themes in the show overshadow the rest, but I made myself lean into the humor and love that are just as crucial to the plot. Doing this while staying in character constantly was not easy, but I love that about the show. I will keep the lessons Eurydice taught me long after I finally step out of her shoes.” 

The cast includes:

• Moira Cagle, a theatre major from Murfreesboro, plays Eurydice.
• Morgan Broome, an exercise science major from Hendersonville, plays Eurydice’s father.
• Eli Maberry, a transfer student from Hendersonville, plays Orpheus.
• Patrick Jones, a theatre major from New Market, plays Nasty Interesting Man.
• Jadyn Peters, a theatre major from Smyrna, plays Little Stone.
• Vanessa Jarman, a theatre major from Manchester, plays Big Stone.
• MJ Learned, a theatre major from Germantown, plays Loud Stone.

Additional details about the production, including a digital program and a full cast and crew listing, are available at https://audienceaccess.co/show/MTSU-10886.

For more details on MTSU Theatre and Dance productions, visit www.mtsu.edu/theatreanddance/currentseason.php.

For more information about MTSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance in the College of Liberal Arts, visit www.mtsu.edu/theatreanddance. For details on MTSU Arts events and supporting its student programs in the Patrons Society, visit https://mtsu.edu/mtsuarts.

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)