Clark Montessori High School's EURYDICE

Review by Aashita Srivastava, William Mason High School Critic Team

In a world where memories drip like water and love echoes louder than logic, Eurydice, performed by Clark Montessori High School, invited the audience into an underworld where the familiar felt foreign, the impossible brushed up against the ordinary, and the fragile space between life and death shimmered with poetry.

Set between the realm of the living and the depths of the Underworld, Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice reframes the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice through the eyes of its heroine, following her journey as she reunites with her father, rediscovers her past, and confronts the pull of love she can no longer recall. With language that feels both whimsical and haunting, this play explores themes of grief, rebirth, memory, and what it truly means to choose someone.

Clark Montessori delivered a sonically rich and emotionally resonant rendition of this show. With simple yet strong set designs, sharply defined character work, and an atmosphere that shifted effortlessly between humor and gut-wrenching moments, Clark Montessori's production overcame the challenges of this script, including balancing abstract with clarity and providing a simple but meaningful performance, all while being entirely student-produced. From casting and directing to sound and lights, all of the work done for this show was done in-house by Clark students.

Aiden Guinigundo, who played Eurydice's Father, gave an outstanding performance of this character. Guinigundo was able to portray the character with impeccable depth and softness through his gently spoken monologues and tender actions, emphasizing the love and adoration a father has for his daughter. Guinigundo made the audience feel his emotions, whether it was the patience when he was teaching Eurydice how to read again, the love when he creates a room (a forbidden luxury in the Underworld) for her out of string to provide comfort, or the hopelessness after losing his daughter twice.

Another noteworthy performance was given by the Chorus of the Stones, a unique chorus representing the forces of the Underworld, offering guidance, commentary, and even tempting characters to their deaths. Each Stone had their own set of characteristics, even being named Big Stone (Alana Crutchfield), Little Stone (Braiden Marshall), and Loud Stone (Allyn Frantz). Each actor in this ensemble brought a haunting sense of comedic relief to the show, which was achieved through their distinct ways of delivering their lines. These three made notable choices, most of which were non-verbal, that not only depicted their individual characters' personalities but also worked extremely well with one another's characters, making the audience laugh and reflect at the same time.

Along with the cast, another praiseworthy element of this completely student-run show was the lighting. Led by Lucid Smith, the lighting provided a seamless visual thread that guided the audience between worlds with remarkable precision. Each cue was executed with such smoothness that transitions felt almost instinctive. Warm yellow washes of light represented the world above, capturing the longing and optimism of Orpheus, while soft red lighting marked the shift into the underworld, depicting a sense of dread. These choices not only clarified the setting but also deepened the storytelling, ensuring every scene was visually cohesive.

Clark Montessori's student-led production of Eurydice carried the audience through a carefully curated path of tenderness, loss, and wonder. It brought out moments of quiet beauty intertwined with moments of heartache, but above all, it invited each viewer to reflect on the power of memory and love and ask: Can love survive the distances and paths we can't cross?

Review by Grace Siener, Mercy McAuley High School Critic Team

Bustling with student innovation and passion, Clark Montessori High School performed a breathtaking rendition of the play Eurydice, composed of intense emotional scenes, hilarious comedic timing, and phenomenal cooperation.

First premiering in 2003, this production by Sarah Ruhl is interpreted from the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The famous Greek myth focuses on the love and tragedy that befalls this couple as Orpheus searches for his music and Eurydice runs into danger that separates the lovebirds. This contemporary take considers Eurydice's perspective as she is caught between life and death and her father.

Performing a script loaded with figurative elements is not a simple challenge; however, Clark Montessori High School students stood up to the task and constructed a heart-wrenchingly beautiful show.

Eurydice is a character plagued with fierce emotion and strife. She is riddled with impassioned love in one moment, then quickly with terror and uncertainty in the next. Nevertheless, despite those taxing transformations, Sage Patton, who portrayed Eurydice, seemed to do it with convincing ease. Alongside Patton was Aiden Guinigundo, who took on the role of Eurydice's Father, a loyal and loving dad who never failed to support his daughter. With realistic reactions and splendid storytelling, Guinigundo put on a stunning performance that truly expressed the sacrifice and lengths that a parent would go to for their child.

There can't be a production of Eurydice without her lovesick man, Orpheus, played by Madz Gerker. Through impressively maintained energy, Gerker cleverly portrayed both of Orpheus' unobservant behaviors and passionate quirks. Next to Orpheus was the man that despised him most, the Interesting Man/Child (Henry Gerker). Henry Gerker did a fantastic job hiding this role's disgusting identity under all his hilariously timed deliveries and sly expressions. This was a tremendous decision, as it would be in this character's nature to create both uneasy groans and outbursts of cackles from the audience with his charismatic stage presence, which Gerker most definitely acquired.

This performance could not have been brought to life without the impressive transitions and organization of the light crew led by Lucid Smith. Smith constructed clean and subtle additions that built on the climactic impacts of each scene. A duo absolutely worth highlighting was directors Charlotte Blase and Lucid Smith. These two collaborated with every crew and cast member individually to assemble a complex show from the ground up, and as full-time students, it was obvious that their hard work most certainly paid off.

Intense emotions, hilarious comedy, and phenomenal cooperation are just some of what made Clark Montessori High School's rendition of Eurydice a performance "to die for."

Review by Ella Adams, Mercy McAuley High School Team

In a tragic tale of love and loss, ancient myths were put under a new light on the stage of Clark Montessori High School. This production of Eurydice was a captivating showcase of grief-soaked memory and the ache of forgetting.

Written by Sarah Ruhl, Eurydice retells the classic love story of Orpheus and Eurydice with a contemporary setting and poetic tone. The play focuses on Eurydice's journey, as she dies on her wedding day and reconnects with her late father in the Underworld. As her father helps her to remember her past that she forgot after death, Eurydice begins to question if it is best to relive what came before or to move on.

Eurydice is a story that contains complicated and emotional subject matter, but Clark Montessori High School's cast handled each moment of it flawlessly with heartfelt performances. Behind the scenes, the crew's work relied on intentional simplicity, putting great emphasis on storytelling.

Though taking on a role as complex as Eurydice is exceedingly difficult, Sage Patton beautifully captured each facet of her character. Patton's portrayal of the character authentically depicted Eurydice's conflicts and development, creating a poignant performance. Simultaneously, Eurydice's Father was played by Aiden Guinigundo. Sage and Aiden's relationship onstage was truly the heart of the story, as the two performers brought it to life in a way that felt sincere.

As Orpheus, Madz Gerker showed the character's devotion to Eurydice and determination to find her. From the story's lighthearted beginning to its tragic end, Gerker's profound acting choices were beyond heart-wrenching. Alanna Crutchfield, Braiden Marshall, and Allyn Frantz provided a stark contrast from the story's tender relationships as the Underworld's three-part ensemble, The Stones. These three consistently upheld the perfect stone-cold attitude, between their spectacular performances as individuals and moments of bone-chilling synchronization alike.

Under the guidance of their student directors, Charlotte Blase and Lucid Smith, the cast and crew of Eurydice were able to create a fascinating production. Blase and Smith's clever concept for the show involved minimalism in its technical aspects to draw the focus onto the characters and emotional depth of the story. The soundscape for the show, which was impressively designed by Blumiere Connor, appropriately amplified the voice of each performer, ensuring that they could consistently be heard clearly. On top of this, Connor worked to balance the actors with the background music played by the incredible pianist, Elliot Underhill.

Through its final moments, Eurydice at Clark Montessori High School left a haunting impression of how love, memory, and loss intertwine.

Excerpts From Other Top Reviews

"Eurydice's musician husband, played by Madz Gerker, also demonstrated the demanding emotions from Ruhl's script and their satisfyingly beautiful execution by the actor. Gerker's heartbreak was palpable as his character searched for his lost spouse, gone too soon due to a tragic accident."

-Sofia Augustine, Saint Ursula Academy Critic Team

"The sound crew, led by Blumiere Connor, and the lights crew, led by Lucid Smith, played a crucial role in bringing Clark Montessori High School's production of Eurydice to life. The sound crew ensured that every line, cue, and musical moment was clear and balanced, helping the audience fully engage with the actors' performances. The lights crew created a visually appealing atmosphere to highlight emotion, setting, and transitions. Their timing and coordination highlighted the tension and beauty of key scenes, from the Underworld's eerie feel to moments of tender intimacy. Overall, their behind-the-scenes work elevated the entire production."

-Naomi Madaris, Walnut Hills High School Critic Team

"The comedic relief of the show was played by none other than Henry Gerker, who played a Nasty Interesting Man/A Child. Gerker's tone and acting choices provided the comedic timing this serious show needed to keep people on their toes. Even though he has a serious and down-to-earth charm for Eurydice, we can't help but think of his role as a child."

-Joanna Baker, Colerain High School Critic Team

"Taking on the charge of this completely student-produced production, Charlotte Blase and Lucid Smith directed both cast and crew throughout the show, taking on the responsibility of blocking and leading the designers through the whole process. As co-directors, their vision was able to capture the essence of the show across the production. Pulling double duty in an impressive showing of their abilities, Lucid Smith additionally took on the role of Lighting Designer, creating subtle transitions with intentional focusing that framed the world of Eurydice."

-Abbie Kershner, Walnut Hills High School Critic Team

"Lead actor, Aiden Guinigundo, portrayed an excellent version of Eurydice's Father. The monologues they performed were gut-wrenching to watch and extremely powerful. Their end monologue before Eurydice's Father dipped himself into the river of Lethe truly stood out. The choices they made during that monologue perfectly conveyed the tone and impact of that whole scene."

-Carissa Swango, West Clermont High School Critic Team

"Behind the scenes, the stage management work of Forest Quackenbush ensured the show moved like a well-oiled machine. Lighting and sound cues were called with precise timing, keeping the performance seamless. Additionally, the lighting work of Lucid Smith brilliantly differentiated settings while maintaining a cohesive tone."

-Adelaide Linser, Walnut Hills High School Critic Team

"Clark Montessori High School's production of Eurydice really made audiences never want to look back."

-Stella Harvey, West Clermont High School Critic Team