A preview of The King's Players' fall production
Financial District, NEW YORK— This weekend The King’s Players will transform the College's City Room into the mythological underworld when the group kicks off its performances of Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice. The myth follows a man named Orpheus, who travels through the underworld to rescue his wife, Eurydice. However, in Ruhl’s version, the story is told from the perspective of Eurydice as she travels through the underworld and as her husband continues to search for her.
Managing Director of The King’s Players, Dorea Slagle, says her team chose Ruhl’s retelling of the classic Greek myth because “they fell in love with the writing.” The play's focus on the underworld and death aptly aligns with this year's Interregnum theme of "mortality," but Slagle says that it is “not a story of death--it is a story of life.”
The King’s Players is led by an executive team that includes Slagle (‘17), Colton Knoepfle (‘15) as Technical Director, Leah Rabe (‘15) as Artistic Director and Paula Chew (‘16) as Stage Manager. Two years ago, the club changed its name from TKC Theatre to The King’s Players in an attempt to “revamp the look and the goal” of their organization. This year, the team’s is focusing on The King’s Players’ identity.
The growing organization’s identity is being strengthened by the involvement of award-winning director, Bryan Hunt. Hunt, who has worked on Broadway, is directing this year’s production of Eurydice in his second stint with The King’s Players as Director. Last spring, he directed The King's Players' original production of Grant DeArmitt's ('14) Watson: The Musical.
Slagle believes that the extensive amount of metaphor that occurs in the play will pose a challenge to the audience. “Things at face value will seem odd,” she said. But if viewed through the proper lens, she hopes that the audience will see the beauty of Eurydice.
Playgoers can expect to experience a more artistic interpretation of the mythological Hades. Ruhl, in her notes throughout the play, says that the underworld of her play should channel the dark-yet-whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland more than the traditional somber, hideous depiction of Hades.
Slagle also added that Eurydice is a play of many meanings, and if something “seems weird,” the audience should look for another meaning behind it. Her final charge to potential viewers is that they “come with an open mind.”
The play runs from Nov. 20-23, and the price of a ticket is $10. Opening night tickets will be $8. The show begins at 7:30 pm, with a matinee showing at 2:30 pm on Saturday, Nov. 22. While it is possible to buy tickets at the door, reservations are preferred and can be made by contacting Dorea Slagle at doreaslagle@tkc.edu.