The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 99, No. 34, Ed. 1 Friday, February 11, 2011 Page: 5 of 8

                                
February 11,2011
Arts
Page 5
Examining Eurydice
“What happens to us
after we die? What parts
of us can we take with?
What parts of us are
perishable?”
Emily Rankin, Director
Laura Wetsel (right), senior theatre major from Fort Worth, and Bill Rankin, associate professor of English, portray Eurydice and her father in a plain-clothes rehearsal.
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Photos by SANDRA AMSTUTZ // Arts Editor
Josh Tumblin, senior theatre major from Nashville, Tenn.; Melanie Godsey, junior theatre major from
San Antonio; and Ashley Kelly, junior theatre major from Denton, portray the three stones.
Latest theater production provides
provocative entertainment
Nick Palmiere, junior theatre major from Amarillo, portrays
Orpheus playing music in the underworld.
Sandra Amstutz
Arts Editor
Eurydice’s captivating dia-
logue and eerie ambiance
will provide an evening of
entertainment and inevi-
table discussion.
Based on the Greek
myth of Orpheus and Eu-
rydice, the performance
explores themes of mem-
ory, love and death. This
version tells the story from
Eurydice’s ' point of view
as she dies and her lover,
Orpheus, travels to Hell to
rescue her. Eurydice finds
her father in the under-
world and must decide
between the two men she
cares about most. The De-
partment of Theatre’s pro-
duction of Eurydice deliv-
ers a unique story that will
leave audiences intrigued.
Emily Rankin, senior
theatre major from Abilene
and director of the play,
earned her role in the show
early last semester. Audi-
tions took place at the end
of the semester, and re-
hearsals began on the first
day of school in January.
Originally planned to
open on Feb. 10, the show’s
opening night was delayed
after inclement weather re-
sulted in missing almost a
full week’s worth of rehears-
als and set work.
"The set is really de-
manding. The play uses a lot
of height and depth imag-
ery,” Rankin said. "We have
the image of the overworld
versus the underworld, and
then we have things that
are balled for, like the eleva-
tor. It has been a challenge,
but it has also been exciting
to get to work with such a
unique set.”
Coves, mountains and
river banks made out of alu-
minum mesh screen create
eerie curves that catch and
release light. A majestic,
working elevator amongst
rain and pools of water hints
the promise of mysticism.
The small, yet skilled
cast seems completely set-
tled into characters. Laura
Wetsel, senior theatre ma-
jor from Fort Worth, ^nd
Nick Palmiere, junior the-
atre major from Amarillo,
who play Eurydice and
Orpheus, respectively,
enchant the audience as
characters who have loved
and lost each other.
Sebastian Karlsson, senior
theatre major from Stangs-
mala, Sweden, portrays the
Lord of the Underworld, an
unsettling villain who feeds
off the desperation of others.
Josh Tumblin, senior the-
atre major from Nashville,
Tenn.; Ashley Kelly, junior
theatre major from Denton;
and Melanie Godsey, junior
theatre major from San An-
tonio, play the three stones.
All three effortlessly flow be-
tween being unearthly, hu-
morous and poignant.
Finally, Bill Rankin, asso-
ciate professor of English,
depicts Eurydice’s father.
His performance tugs at the
heart as he wistfully remi-
nisces about his past life.
"I have loved watch-
ing this cast discover these
characters and these char-
acters’ connections to each
other,” Rankin said. “So
much of this play is about
absence and longing for
somebody who is not there.
To get to see them discover
those moments of connec-
tion with each other has
been really exciting.”
Amidst all the adept
performances, the script
steals the show. Written by
Sarah Ruhl, Eurydice pro-
vides the cast and director
with relatable ideas.
“This play asks a lot of
interesting questions that
I’ve asked for a long time,”
Rankin said. “What hap-
pens to us after we die?
What parts of us can we
take with? What parts of
us are perishable? Do our
thoughts stay with us? Do
our memories stay? What
part of us makes us, us?”
Wetsel, as a college se-
nior with graduation loom-
ing, said she and her char-
acter struggle with similar
personal issues.
"Eurydice is trying to hold
onto her youth, but then
she is also trying to decide
whether to grow up,” Wet-
sel said. “It’s the same point
I'm at in my life. I’m about to
graduate and be on my own.
Like her, I have to start mak-
ing hard decisions.”
The showopens onThurs-
day at 7:30 p.m. and also will
run on Friday and Saturday
at the same time. Tickets can
be purchased at the Williams
Peforming Arts Center Box
Office for $12 each.
contact Amstutz at
sla07a@acu.edu
Abilene Events
FRIDAY
Seven Brides For Seven
Brothers
7:30 p.m.
Historic Paramount Theatre
FRIDAY
Words in Windows, Hungry,
Mother and Why Waste
Good Fire
8 p.m.
Monks Coffee Shop
SATURDAY
An Evening For The Expo
7 p.m.
Taylor County Expo Center
SATURDAY .
Valentine’s At The Grace
10    a.m.
The Grace Museum
SATURDAY
Chautauqua Learning Series
11    am.
Buffalo Gap Historic Village
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choose a background image
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to people as a friendly mes-
sage or a declaration of love
just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Instant Poetry HD costs $1.99
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New Releases
IN THEATERS
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Paramount Ffctires)
Feb. 11
Just Go With tt
(Columbia Rctures)
Feb. 11
Gnomeo and Juliet
(Touchstone Rctures)
Feb. 11
The Eagle
(Focus Features)
Feb. 11
Cedar Rapids
(FoxSearchlght)
Feb. 11
DVD
1 Spit On Your Grave
(anchor Bay Fims)
Feb. 8
Wild Target
(Freestyle Fteleasing)
Feb. 8
The Romantics
(Independent)
Feb. 8
Unstoppable
(Fox)
Feb. 15
Kites
(Big Ptatures)
Feb. 15
Waiting for Superman
Paramount Vantage)
Feb. 15
A Man Within
(Oscfloscope Laboratories) Feb. 15
You WiS Meet a Tati Dark Stranger
(Sony Ffctures Classics) ’
Feb. 15
MUSIC
Chamberlin
Bitter Blood
Feb. 14
P.J. Harvey
Let England Shake-
Feb. 14
Gruff Rhys
Hotel Shampoo
Feb. 14
Beans
EndltAJ
Feb. 15
Bright Eyes
The F’eople's Key
Feb. 15
Brown Recluse
Evening Tapestry
Feb. 15
Cowboy Junkies
Demons
Feb. 15
The Dears
Degeneration Street
Feb. 15
Deicide
To He) With God
Feb. 15
Sonic Youth
Simon Werner a Dlsparu
Feb. 15
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