Eurydice: A re-imagining comes to Kelowna

Eurydice: A re-imagining comes to Kelowna

Photo credit and copyrights to Shane Collins & Gonzo Okanagan

Sarah Ruhl brings the Greek classic, ‘Eurydice’ to the Mary Irwin Theatre in Kelowna’s Rotary Centre for the Arts November 9-11 and 16-19. It is a unique collaboration of both Creative Okanagan and The Virago Collective. They will be tasked with the elaborate needs of the plays production. From the love of a father to the tricks of the under lord, this is a love story of epic proportions. The entire cast is local, including its production and musical score.

EURYDICE is a Greek myth about Orpheus and his wife, Eurydice. The play’s director, Angela Lavender, says, “It’s a story of love, loss and reconnection. Themes that all audience members have experienced.” 

Cast in dress rehearsal

The story goes: Eurydice dies on her wedding night. She travels to the underworld and is reunited with her father. Together, they retrieve memories of her lost love. Meanwhile, Orpheus, who is a famous composer, convinces the Lord of the Underworld to give him one shot at bringing his wife back to the living world. 

Sounds pretty cool. 

Attempting this production has been three years in the making. It has become its own odyssey and this upcoming weekend, the stage will finally be set for the story to unfold for theater enthusiasts to enjoy. 

The music production is done by none other than local composer, WINDMILLS. In a press release, he is quoted as saying that, “This is my first time working on a theater production as a composer, and the process has been extremely liberating and rewarding, yet daunting. I’ve created a score grounded in piano but manipulated to serve the needs and purposes of the script and events within the play.” 

Windmills

Tickets are starting at $29 and each show starts at 7:30pm. After the opening performance, November 9th, there will be a cocktail reception with the creative team. And on November 29th, there will be a sit and talk with attendees and selected cast members. It will be a rare opportunity to talk to those so passionately invested in the journey of this production.

Eurydice and her story are worth following into the underworld and as the winter grinds its teeth along the distant mountaintops, I could not think of a better time to take in a night of theater. I hope to see you there. 

Find your tickets here.

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Shane Collins
The Okanagan’s been my home since I was born. Life has taken me across the planet several times and through that transient lifestyle I developed a journalistic style to my photography and to my writing. My influences would be that of James Nachtwey, Annie Lebovitz, Ashley Maile, Hunter S Thompson, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Tom Robbins, Wes Anderson and Charles Bukowski. The world outside this incredible valley, its cultures and its mystery is what’s kept me working and trying to save my money, so I can keep getting back into the world. That’s the way it used to be. Covid has opened my eyes to the land I call my home and there are so many tales to tell right here in BC. From tales of the impoverished to the neglected to those who overcome adversity, to the spirit to overcome fear, the power of storytelling has never been more relevant. I’ve always been a storyteller. There’s a tale worth telling in every neighborhood. I just happen to write about what happens to me along the way and I’ve kept them close to my heart, hoping one day I’ll have an outlet so I can tell those stories the best way I know how; by writing them down. From adventures of long ago, both here or maybe far away, future interviews with musicians, artists of all kinds, the coverage of events, the people I meet along the way, whatever I get up to I intend to have you as my guest as I go back in time and dig up the bones of those old adventures or chase down new ones. Through the alchemy of storytelling, you can come along with me if you like. Before Covid-19 I was really coming into my own photographing live shows; punk rock bands, hip hop showcases, tattoo portraits, rock climbing adventures, Femme Fatale burlesque performances you name it, the phone was finally beginning to ring. Then Covid showed up like a hurricane and I guess it wiped us all out in one way or another. I have a real bone to pick with Covid-19 and if I can share some stories for our readers to enjoy, I’ll do that and when we can return to live music and to foreign travel and we can safely get to working on mending what’s been damaged I tell you I want to be ringside like Joe Rogan commentating on Covid getting its ass whooped. I want to see it tap out and watch us overcome this hardship, raise our collective hands triumphantly and move on into whatever new normal is waiting for us. I’ll be there and through my eyes, just like the boss man, Hunter himself, I’ll do it in Gonzo fashion and bring you kicking and screaming along with me. So hold on tight and dig in. It might not always be pretty but I won’t call it all ugly, neither. That’s for you to decide. My name is Shane Collins and I hope you’ll read along with me and our team here at Gonzookanagan.com

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