The play by Sarah Ruhl retells the legend of the musician-prophet Orpheus and his journey through the underworld by focusing on his doomed wife, Eurydice.
The New York Times called it “weird and wonderful … an inexpressibly moving theatrical fable about love, loss and the pleasures and pains of memory.”
UIndy’s department of theater takes its adaptation even further by incorporating, through recordings and live performance, classic rock hits suited to the themes and setting.
“It’s a bit radical,” said director of theater Brad Wright, promising a spectacle of projections, lighting and sound effects, electric guitar and an elaborate set that includes a working elevator.
Elise Campagna plays the lead role of Eurydice, torn between her husband (Luke Garrigus) and her dead father (Kyle Mishler) and menaced by A Nasty Interesting Man/Lord of the Underworld (Josh Kruze).
Performances are at 8 p.m. April 17-19 and 23-25 at Ransburg Auditorium, 1400 E. Hanna Ave. Tickets, $10 for alumni, seniors, groups of eight or more and non-UIndy students with identification, $12 for general admission, can be reserved by calling 788-3251 or visiting www.uindy.edu/etc. A free preview is at 8 p.m. Saturday, and admission to the April 23 show is $6.