The New York premiere of Orpheus X, with original music and text by 2007 Pulitzer Finalist Rinde Eckert, video by Denise Marika and directed by RoBert Woodruff, draws from several literary and poetic sources, including the Sixth Century Greek poet Ibyous and the Roman poets Virgil and Ovid. Messrs. Eckert and Woodruff take this ancient myth and reinvent it for our time with acting and singing by three artists - Mr. Eckert - Orpheus, Suzan Hanson - Eurydice, John Kelly - John/Persephone; and a live band, Timothy Feeney - percussion, Virginia Leishman - piano, Blake Newman - bass and Wendy Richman - viola.
Orpheus X begins previews Wednesday, December 2, at 8:00pm and opens Wednesday, December 3, at 9:00pm for a run through December 20 at The Duke on 42nd StreetSM, a New 42nd Street® project, 229 West 42nd Street.
As described by Variety, "In Mr. Eckert's version Orpheus is a rock star, an idol who amazes all not with a legendary lyre but with an electric guitar. Unlike the hero of the source material, he's mourning not the death of his wife but that of a total stranger -- a poet named Eurydice -- who dies in his arms after being struck by a cab in which Orpheus was riding. This fluke of fate shatters his splendid life. Suddenly burdened by this strange loss, he becomes obsessed with Eurydice's memory. Unable to comprehend or cope, he shuts himself off from a life that once gave him glory, riches and a semblance of meaning."
Orpheus X was originally produced in 2006 by American Repertory Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, RoBert Woodruff, Artistic Director; Robert J. Orchard, Executive Director. This will be a Theatre for a New Audience production.
Orpheus X will have video by Denise Marika, scenic design by David Zinn and Denise Marika, costumes by David Zinn, lighting by Christopher Akerlind and sound by David Remedios.
Rinde Eckert, the 2009 recipient of The Alpert Award in the Arts for his contributions to theatre and finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for Orpheus X, is a writer, composer, performer and director. His Opera / New Music Theatre productions have toured throughout America, and to major festivals in Europe and Asia.Mr. Eckert's career began as a writer/performer in the 1980's, writing librettos for Paul Dresher (Pioneer, Power Failure, Slow Fire, and Ravenshead). Working subsequently with choreographers Margaret Jenkins and Sarah Shelton Mann, he began composing dance scores, including the evening-length Woman, Window, Square for The Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. Mr. Eckert began composing and performing his own music/theater pieces with The Gardening of Thomas D, his 1992 homage to Dante which was performed on tour in the United States and France. His stage works as solo performer include An Idiot Divine, Romeo Sierra Tango and Quit This House. He wrote Shoot the Moving Things and Four Songs Lost in a Wall for radio. Mr. Eckert's recent writing credits include Horizon, nominated for a 2007-08 Drama Desk Award for Best Play and Best Director and a nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award as a "Unique Theatrical Experience"; Orpheus X nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; Highway Ulysses and Four Songs Lost in a Wall, which won The American Academy of Arts and Letters 2005 Marc Blitzstein Award; the OBIE Award-winning Best Performance and Drama Desk nominated for "Unique Theatrical Experience" for And God Created Great Whales; and the two, one-act plays An Idiot Divine.
Mr. Eckert's work for the theatre has been produced by American Repertory Theatre, The Foundry Theatre, Culture Project, Center Stage in Baltimore, Dobama Theatre Company and Berkeley Repertory Theater. Tony Taccone, RoBert Woodruff, David Schweizer, Richard ET White and Ellen McLaughlin have directed his plays. Mr. Eckert has directed his own and others' plays and operas for The Asia Society, Juggernaut Theater, Opera Piccola and the Paul Dresher Ensemble. His current writing and directing projects include The Schick Machine with virtuoso percussionist Steven Schick in a solo-theater work composed/produced by Paul Dresher; Slide with composer/guitarist Steven Mackey (the work debuted, performed by eighth blackbird, at the 2009 Ojai Festival and will tour nationally in 2010); and Imaginary City with So Percussion which will debut in the Fall of 2009 at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music.
