What defines our reality? Our memories? The people we love or the people who loved us?
How far are we willing to go to chase down our memories or to forget them?
I had the honor of directing Eurydice for the first time in an outdoor theatre three years ago at a summer performing arts camp in Wyalusing, PA. My life as an artist and a director was so very different then: I was as yet unmarried, in the middle of a major life transition, and trying to work through (past?) some difficult things human beings unfortunately experience from time to time. In the three years since then, I’ve redefined my reality in many ways, been witness to major social movements and cultural shifts from Black Lives Matter to #MeToo, gotten married to the love of my life, and settled into an amazing new community of students and colleagues. In that time I’ve been able to reflect on Eurydice as a mythical icon, a human being, and a woman. What is it that forces Eurydice to redefine her reality? What memories help her to define that reality and, when memory is stripped from her, how does she redefine that reality? How does love play a role in that reality? And, at the end of the play, why is it that she makes the choice that she does? These are some of the themes I tried to encourage my actors to explore in the play.
I’m so very proud of this student company and the work they’ve put into this production. We started work on the piece in November and, in that time, I’ve been privileged to watch them evolve as actors, technicians, artists, and human beings.
Thank you so much for joining us this evening, and being a part of our evolution.
Sincerely,
Jason Luciana, Director.