Should You Be Wary of Greeks Bearing Plays?
Review of "Eurydice," LCC CenterStage, Feb. 24, 2010 by Laurel Murphy and Ed Phillips

The ancient Greeks have invaded Longview under the guise of “Eurydice,” a modern reworking of Orpheus and Eurydice by MacArthur “genius” award winner Sarah Ruhl. The story has previously been reworked, revised and retold in operas, verse, and most notably movies ( Marcel Camu’s Black Orpheus in a Brazilian setting). Previous permutations on the myth are presented from Opheus’s point of view. The novelty in Ruhl’s permutation is to present the story from Eurydice’s perspective and focus on her dilemma of choice between her lover and her father. It’s clear that Freud was up on his Greek mythology.

The basics of the story are simple. Orpheus and Eurydice are lovers. She dies in an “accident” on their wedding day and is banished to “The Underworld”, the ancient Greek version of the afterlife. She arrives at her new world via an elevator with an internal weather system producing rain (A very clever device, ingeniously staged). She emerges partially protected by an umbrella. The trip to Hades, has cleansed her of the past except for the ability to learn and a vague memory of the first letter of her husband’s name. She has even lost the ability to speak..
Obviously the memory of Opheus is gone.

Upon arriving, she meets her father, who is also dead but grateful for her arrival. He has been trying to communicate with her from The Underworld without success. He undertakes the project of restoring her memory.

In the meantime (there is always a meantime), Orpheus has been searching for his lost lover. He is distraught and finally makes a deal with the Lord of The Underworld You will have to see the play to get the details of the deal.

Remember, this is a tragedy and not an episode of Two and a Half Men.

As previously mentioned the play’s tension revolves around Eurydice’s need to choose a return to real life and her husband or remain forever with her father. No happy ending is in the cards.

Every good Greek play employs a chorus. In this play the choral assembly is three stones ( Big Stone, Loud Stone, and Little Stone). They provide commentary on the character of The Underworld, and they do so in a seriocomic manner.

This modern adaptation of an ancient Greek play may, for many, provide an entertaining introduction to the dramatic form that is the basis for western theater. With some imagination we can hold the Greeks responsible for everything but pizza.

My wife and I had previously seen the play performed by Portland’s Center Stage. The LCC presentation compares quite favorably to the Portland performance. The cast is uniformly strong with exceptional performances by Shizuka Moon as Eurydice and Derek Mesford as Father. The Stones (Lana Nyman, Tim Mitchell, and Corie McDaniel ) are excellent rocks and Corey Farmer is a near perfect blend of comic evil. Given the play’s focus on Eurydice, Seth McNally does what’s possible with the role of Orpheus.

The staging and set are first rate. The elevator and water pump deserve separate billing. We’ve come to expect well directed, well performed plays from LCC’s Mainstage Theater and this effort is no exception.

It should be noted that the 90 minute play is performed without intermission, so men over 50 should plan.

The play will be performing on weekends though the 13th of March at Center Stage in The Rose Center for the Arts. Admission is $ 8 for adults $7 for seniors and free for students of LCC. Learning can be fun.

Ed Phillips is a retired teacher, economic consultant and public employee. He taught economics at the University of Colorado, and was an adjunct professor at Linfield College and Clark College. He lives with his wife, Laurel Murphy, in Kalama. During their years in Alaska, the adventurous couple became avid subscribers to the Alaska Repertory Theatre. Ed describes himself as a musical theatre aficionado.

Laurel Murphy has served since 1999 on the Longview Stageworks Board of Directors. She graduated from the University of Washington before obtaining a law degree from Golden Gate University and also earned a teaching degree from Tulane University.

Symphony concert provides “you had to be there” experience

Review by Robert Sudar of the Saturday Audience Rehearsal for the Sun, Jan 24, 2010 concert

The Southwest Washington Symphony presented its Winter Concert on January 24th at the Rose Center on the Lower Columbia College campus.
There were actually two performances, with the one on Saturday evening, the 23rd, being billed as a “dress rehearsal” and offered at a discounted price. The intimate setting at the Wollenberg Auditorium at the Rose was a wonderful forum for a musical evening that left the audience enthralled and on their feet when the performance concluded.

Conductor Ryan Heller has been leading the symphony for seven seasons, and he continues to challenge the members with music that tests their skills and provides one musical thrill after another for the audience.

The Winter Concert opened with the Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 32b, from Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio. I’ve noticed that Conductor Heller often starts the concerts with a selection that fits my musical tastes and sets up the evening perfectly, and this piece was no exception. It’s opening provided great blending of the violins and woodwinds, with a trumpet solo delivered from the back of the auditorium that was unexpected but a fine counterpoint to the offering from the rest of the orchestra on stage. The sounds of bassoon and flute stood out in the later movements, and there was a great conclusion by the strings. I thought it was a wonderful piece, and left me thinking what a shame it was that Beethoven only had a single opera in his repertoire.

The second piece before intermission was Symphony No. 4 in C minor by Schubert, titled “Tragic.” Conductor Heller told us to expect a bold opening movement, followed by a lyrical offering that would evoke a pastoral setting. Strings dominated the beginning with a big impact, but also a familiar feel with highs and lows that evoked a somber feel. The second movement featured the oboe with melodic strings, followed by country themes in the third and more bold strings in the concluding fourth. The symphony performed wonderfully and did the music justice, though it didn’t pique my tastes as much as the opening. Perhaps I’m just not a Schubert fan.

The finale for the evening featured Maria Sampen, associate violin professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, playing Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 35.

Conductor Heller prefaced the piece by explaining that the violinist whom Tchaikovsky had in mind when he wrote the music refused to play it because of the demands it imposed on the musician, nor was it appreciated by the patroness who commissioned it - hardly an auspicious start for those of us in the audience. But from the opening notes, and especially as Ms. Sampen’s bow flew through the challenging music, I was enthralled by what I was hearing. It was remarkable what a variety of sounds the music demanded from the violin, and how capably the violinist met those demands. The first movement was greeted by applause at its conclusion, a completely deserved showing of appreciation by the audience even if somewhat unusual in a classical performance.

The second movement was just as impressive. The symphony was providing wonderful support throughout the piece. There was a great flute solo, and a wonderful woodwind round of oboe, bassoon, flute and clarinet, each in turn, that was repeated several times. There was also a delightful plucked string segment by the violas and a final horn offering. But the night truly belonged to Ms. Sampen and her violin. I can’t adequately convey in words the amazing sound of the music that she and the symphony provided. All I can say is that it was a rare “you had to be there” moment for me in my musical experiences. It left the audience on their feet, delivering an ovation that all of the performers richly deserved.

I’ve been attending performances of the Southwest Washington Symphony for almost 30 years, ever since my wife and I moved to Longview. I’ve enjoyed their music as they’ve matured over those years, especially the last 10 or so when they’ve really come into their own. This concert was certainly a breathtaking example of what they bring to our local community. To those of you who shared it with me, I hope you found it to be just as exhilarating, and memorable a performance, as I did.

The Symphony’s next concert is set for Friday, April 19. Mark your calendars and treat yourself to an evening to remember.

Robert Sudar lives in the Fallcreek area west of Longview. A maintenance supervisor/engineer for Longview Fibre, he also operates a tree farm with his wife, Lisa, and is active in the commercial fishing industry. He enjoys cooking, gardening, birdwatching and reading.