PRESS RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

FloArts presents a modern retelling of the classic Greek myth “Eurydice”

Pictured is FloArts student Emma Begley (Eurydice) who is lost in Lethe - a river in the underworld that erases the memories of the dead.

Pictured are FloArts students Emma Begley as Eurydice and Javier Pinto as Orpheus. Orpheus goes searching for his bride in the underworld after she dies on their wedding day.

Florida School of the Arts is taking this season’s opening performance on the road! Join us at the Thrasher-Horne Center on the SJR State Orange Park Campus for “Eurydice.” Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine. With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists, and breathtaking visual effects, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

“Eurydice” runs September 27-29, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with 2:30 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday in the Thrasher-Horne Center’s studio theater. Seating is limited. Admission is $10. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the box office one hour before showtime.

Eurydice explores themes of love, loss, memory, and the afterlife through a modern retelling of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. While the play contains elements of fantasy and magical realism, it also addresses sensitive topics such as death, grief, and existential questions about the nature of existence. While not explicit, the play includes mature themes and discussions that may not be suitable for younger audiences.

According to Ryan Mahannah, FloArts acting professor and play director, the play is storytelling at its best. “While the characters in the story are the same, they are reimaged so they can speak as the story follows Eurydice into the underworld after she dies on her wedding day,” Mahannah said. Mahannah describes the tale as a playground for designers and FloArts is eager to embrace that. Audience members can expect theater-spectacle props, actors on stilts, live sounds and music effects, and rain on the stage!

The cast includes Emma Begley as Eurydice, Javier Pinto as Orpheus, Brandall Kearse as the father, Isabella Casillas as Lord of the Underworld/Child, Autumn Airey as Big Stone, Scarlett Testa as Little Stone, Mara Gonzalez as Loud Stone.

Florida School of the Arts is located on the St. Johns River State College Palatka Campus and serves the entire state of Florida. FloArts is part of the academic and administrative structure of SJR State and awards associate degrees in acting, dance performance, musical theater, stage management, theater technology, graphic design/new media and studio art. For more information, call (386) 312-4300 or visit FloArts.