Sarah Ruhl's EURYDICE is Coming to The Firehouse

Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice hits the stage at the Firehouse.

The tale is old as time - boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy tries to rescue girl - rinse and repeat. With the 2019 Broadway debut of Anais Mitchell's, Hadestown, the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has never been more popular. The twist? For the first time, you get to experience the story from the heroine's point of view. Through modern storytelling, Eurydice effortlessly brings you to hell and back (literally) with humor, tempo, and excitement - although you already know how the story will end.

The play takes place over three movements, weaving in connections to the original myth while introducing new characters and bringing you along the journey of Eurydice's decision to remain in the Underworld (arriving in a raining elevator, no less) or return to the land of the living with her husband, Orpheus. Throughout the play, she is continually chastised by The Stones - a representative Greek Chorus - and tormented by an Interesting Man as both the impetus for her death and as the Lord of the Underworld all while missing the love of her husband.

"I appreciate when a classic story is given new life." Say John Moynihan, Firehouse Executive Director. "With the success of Hadestown, this is probably one of the more recognizable of the Greek myths these days." he continues, "So telling the other side of the story - the unknown side - is something that drew me to the play."

Directed by David Kaye, and starring Lauren Casey in the title role and Jimmy Stewart as her Orpheus, the Firehouse's production pulls out all the stops to create a big experience in the intimate Arakelian Theater. Rounding out of the cast is Ipswich resident Dan Kelly as Eurydice's father, Glenn Provost as the Interesting Man, and Malden resident Rydia Q. Vielehr, Jess Moody, and Olivia Barbara Raso as The Stones. Eurydice opens on Friday, May 17 and runs through May 26.

"While the play doesn't have the music of Hadestown, while we were researching the show, we found a local connection that I found interesting." Moynihan says, "Boston's own Matthew Aucoin worked with Sarah Ruhl (the playwright) to adapt her play into an opera that Boston Lyric Opera presented at The Huntington this past March." Eurydice opens on Friday, May 17 and runs through May 26.

Also returning this weekend is the Firehouse's "Pay What You Can Saturday Nights" program presented by Matter Communications. Under this program, the barrier to experiencing world-class theater is lowered, allowing individuals to determine their own ticket price based on their means and appreciation for the performing arts.

"This program honors the mission of the Firehouse by providing unrestricted access to high-quality performing arts experiences." says John Moynihan, Executive Director of the Firehouse Center for the Arts. "We are incredibly grateful to Scott Signore and his entire team at Matter Communications for helping us remove financial barriers and making the arts accessible to all."

The idea for this initiative came from Moynihan's past experience with producing free arts events during his previous tenure at Prescott Park Arts Festival along with the successful "Summer Outdoor Series" the Firehouse produced in the summers following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 and 2023, the Firehouse Center for the Arts produced four outdoor shows that were made available to the public with only a suggested donation. With the focus returning to producing work indoors on the Institution for Savings Mainstage at the Arakelian Theater, the belief that the arts should be accessible remained prevalent which led to the creation of this program. When Matter Communications was approached to sponsor the program, they jumped at the opportunity.

"Contributing to the culture of our very special community has always been a priority of our agency," said Scott Signore, Principal & CEO of Matter. "The Firehouse Theater's 'Pay What You Can' program is an inspiring initiative that will allow an even greater number of attendees to appreciate and enjoy this season's exciting, dynamic and super creative performances and productions. We're proud to sponsor this program and the many others that make the greater Newburyport area such a special place," he added.

There is no special code or access required to benefit from this program. Audience members will purchase tickets in the usual way from the Firehouse website (www.firehouse.org). When choosing their tickets for Saturday night, audience members will be able to choose their ticket price - as low as $5 - and decide an amount that is meaningful to them.

Moynihan sums it up saying, "If we're able to provide one person with an opportunity they wouldn't otherwise have, I would consider this initiative a success."

Performance Details: 

What: Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl

When: May 17-26, 2024
Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm

Sundays at 2pm

Where: Firehouse Center for the Arts, Newburyport, MA 01950

Ticket Prices: $5-$33

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