Eurydice

Audition Sides:


Orpheus, Eurydice Eurydice, Father

p.8-10 "I don't know if I want to be an instrument" to last p.27 Start "Tell me a story of when you were little" to end of
"I'll race you!" scene

Father Eurydice, Child/Lord of the Underworld

p.10 Scene 2 Monologue p.30-32 "Knock Knock" to "Husbands are for children. You
need a lover. I'll be back."


Eurydice, The Nasty Interesting Man
Eurydice
p.15-16 "So. Eurydice. Tell me one thing. Name me one
person you find interesting." to "Close your eyes, then!" p.33 Scene 16 Monologue

The Stones
p.17-19 end with Loud Stone "across long distances"
before Eurydice starts speaking

Orpheus
p.25 Scene 7 Monologue

EURYDICE ORPHEUS
I don’t know if I want to be an instrument. Yes.
ORPHEUS EURYDICE
Why? That’s easy. I can’t help it.

EURYDICE ORPHEUS
Won’t I fall down when the song ends? You never know. I’d better tie a string around your finger to
remind you.
ORPHEUS
That’s true. But the clouds will be so moved by your music that EURYDICE
they will fill up with water until they become heavy and you’ll sit Is there string at the ocean?
on one and fall gently down to earth. How about that?
ORPHEUS
EURYDICE I always have string. In case I come upon a broken instrument.
Okay.
He takes out a string from his pocket.
They stop walking for a moment.
He takes her left hand.
They gaze at each other.
This hand.
ORPHEUS
It’s settled then. He wraps string deliberately around her fourth finger.

EURYDICE Is this too tight?

What is? EURYDICE
ORPHEUS No—it’s fine.
Your hair will be my orchestra and—I love you. ORPHEUS
Pause. There—now you’ll remember.

EURYDICE EURYDICE
I love you, too. That’s a very particular finger.

ORPHEUS ORPHEUS
How will you remember? Yes.

EURYDICE EURYDICE
That I love you? You’re aware of that?

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ORPHEUS ORPHEUS
Yes. May our lives be full of music!
EURYDICE Music.
How aware?
He picks her up and throws her into the sky.
ORPHEUS
Very aware. EURYDICE
Maybe you could also get me another ring—a gold one—to put
EURYDICE over the string one. You know?
Orpheus—are we?
ORPHEUS
ORPHEUS Whatever makes you happy. Do you still have my melody?
You tell me.
EURYDICE
EURYDICE It’s right here.
Yes.
She points to her temple.
I think so.
They look at each other. A silence.
ORPHEUS
You think so? What are you thinking about?

EURYDICE ORPHEUS
I wasn’t thinking. Music.

I mean—yes. Just: Yes. Her face falls.

ORPHEUS Just kidding. I was thinking about you. And music.

Yes? EURYDICE
EURYDICE Let’s go in the water. I’ll race you!
Yes. She puts on her swimming goggles.
ORPHEUS ORPHEUS
Yes! I’ll race you!
EURYDICE EURYDICE
Yes! I’ll race you!

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ORPHEUS Continue to give yourself to others because that’s the ultimate
I’ll race you! satisfaction in life—to love,
EURYDICE accept, honor and help others.
I’ll race you!
As for me, this is what it’s like being dead:
They race toward the water.
the atmosphere smells. And there are strange high-pitched
noises—like a tea kettle always boiling over. But it doesn’t seem to
bother anyone. And, for the most part, there is a pleasant
Scene 2 atmosphere and
The Father, dressed in a gray suit, reads from a letter. you can work and socialize, much like at home. I’m working in the
business world and it seems that, here, you can better see the far-
reaching consequences of your actions.
FATHER
Dear Eurydice, Also, I am one of the few dead people who still remembers how to
read and write. That’s a secret. If anyone finds out, they might dip
A letter for you on your wedding day. me in the River again.

There is no choice of any importance in life but the choosing of a I write you letters. I don’t know how to get them to you.
beloved. I haven’t met Orpheus, but he seems like a serious young
man. I understand he’s a musician. Love,

If I were to give a speech at your wedding I would start with one Your Father
or two funny jokes, and then I might offer some words of advice. I
would say:
He drops the letter as though into a mail slot.
Cultivate the arts of dancing and small talk.
It falls on the ground.
Everything in moderation.
Wedding music.
Court the companionship and respect of dogs.
In the underworld, the Father walks in a straight line as though he is
Grilling a fish or toasting bread without burning requires walking his daughter down the aisle. He is affectionate, then solemn,
singleness of purpose, vigilance and steadfast watching. then glad, then solemn, then amused, then solemn.
Keep quiet about politics, but vote for the right man. He looks at his imaginary daughter; he looks straight ahead; he
Take care to change the light bulbs. acknowledges the guests at the wedding; he gets choked-up; he looks

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She tilts her head to the side and stares at him. actually.
Would you like some champagne? MAN
I can’t hear you!
EURYDICE
Maybe some water. EURYDICE
So the letter was delivered—here—today?
MAN
Water it is! Make yourself comfortable. MAN
That’s right.
He switches on Brazilian mood music. He exits.
EURYDICE
Eurydice looks around. Through the post?
EURYDICE MAN
I can’t stay long! It was—mysterious.
She looks out the window. She is very high up. The sound of champagne popping.
I can see my wedding from here! He enters with one glass of champagne.
The people are so small—they’re dancing! Voilà.
There’s Orpheus! He drinks the champagne.
He’s not dancing. So. Eurydice. Tell me one thing. Name me one person you find
MAN interesting.
(Shouting from offstage) So, who’s this guy you’re marrying? EURYDICE
EURYDICE Why?
(Shouting) His name is Orpheus. MAN
As he attempts to open champagne offstage: Just making conversation.

MAN He sways a little to the music.

Orpheus. Not a very interesting name. I’ve heard it before. EURYDICE
EURYDICE Right. Um—all the interesting people I know are dead or speak
Maybe you’ve heard of him. He’s kind of famous. He plays the most French.
beautiful music in the world,

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MAN He takes her hand.
Well, I don’t speak French, Eurydice.
MAN
He takes one step toward her. She takes one step back. Relax.
EURYDICE She takes her hand away.
I’m sorry. I have to go. There’s no letter, is there?
EURYDICE
MAN Good-bye.
Of course there’s a letter. It’s right here. (He pats his breast pocket)
Eurydice. I’m not interesting, but I’m strong. You could teach me to She turns to exit.
be interesting. I would listen. Orpheus is too busy listening to his He blocks the doorway.
own thoughts. There’s music in his head. Try to pluck the music
out and it bites you. I’ll bet you had an interesting thought today, MAN
for instance. Wait. Eurydice. Don’t go. I love you.
She tilts her head to the side, quizzical. EURYDICE
Oh no.
I bet you’re always having them, the way you tilt your head to the
side and stare . . . MAN
You need to get yourself a real man. A man with broad shoulders
She jerks her head back up. like me. Orpheus has long fingers that would tremble to pet a bull
Musty dripping sounds. or pluck a bee from a hive—

EURYDICE EURYDICE
I feel dizzy all of a sudden. I want my husband. I think I’d better go How do you know about my husband’s fingers?
now. MAN
MAN A man who can put his big arm around your little shoulders as he
You’re free to go, whenever you like. leads you through the crowd, a man who answers the door at
parties . . . A man with big hands, with big stupid hands like
EURYDICE potatoes, a man who can carry a cow in labor.
I know.
The Man backs Eurydice against the wall.
I think I’ll go now, in fact.
My lips were meant to kiss your eyelids, that’s obvious!
I’ll just take my letter first, if you don’t mind.
EURYDICE
She holds out her hand for the letter. Close your eyes, then!

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He closes his eyes, expecting a kiss. Blackout.
She takes the letter from his breast pocket.

She slips by him and opens the door to the stairwell. A clatter. Strange sounds—xylophones, brass bands, sounds of
falling, sounds of vertigo. Sounds of breathing.
He opens his eyes.

She looks at the letter.
SECOND MOVEMENT
It’s his handwriting!
The underworld.
MAN
Of course it is! There is no set change.

He reaches for her. Strange watery noises.

EURYDICE Drip, drip, drip.
Good-bye.
The movement to the underworld is marked
She runs for the stairs.
by the entrance of stones.
She wavers, off-balance, at the top of the stairwell.

MAN
Don’t do that, you’ll trip! There are six hundred stairs! Scene 1

EURYDICE
Orpheus! THE STONES
From the water pump: We are a chorus of stones.

ORPHEUS LITTLE STONE

Eurydice! I’m a little stone.

BIG STONE
I’m a big stone.
She runs, trips and pitches down the stairs, holding her letter. She
follows the letter down, down down . . . LOUD STONE
I’m a loud stone.

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THE STONES An elevator door opens.
We are all three stones.
Inside the elevator, it is raining.
LITTLE STONE
We live with the dead people in the land of the dead. Eurydice gets rained on inside the elevator.

BIG STONE She carries a suitcase and an umbrella.

Eurydice was a great musician. Orpheus was his wife. She is dressed in the kind of 1930s suit
LOUD STONE that women wore when they eloped.
(Correcting Big Stone) Orpheus was a great musician. Eurydice was
his wife. She died. She looks bewildered.
LITTLE STONE The sound of an elevator ding.
Then he played the saddest music. Even we—
Eurydice steps out of the elevator.
THE STONES
the stones— The elevator door closes.

LITTLE STONE She walks toward the audience and opens her mouth,
cried when we heard it.
trying to speak.
The sound of three drops of water hitting a pond.
There is a great humming noise.
Oh, look, she is coming into the land of the dead now.
She closes her mouth.
BIG STONE
The humming noise stops.
Oh!
She opens her mouth for the second time,
LOUD STONE
Oh! attempting to tell her story to the audience.
LITTLE STONE There is a great humming noise.
Oh!
She closes her mouth—the humming noise stops.
We might say: “Poor Eurydice”—
She has a tantrum of despair.
LOUD STONE
but stones don’t feel bad for dead people. The Stones, to the audience:

The sound of an elevator ding.

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THE STONES EURYDICE
Eurydice wants to speak to you. There was a roar, and a coldness—
But she can’t speak your language anymore. I think my husband was with me.
She talks in the language of dead people now. What was my husband’s name?
LITTLE STONE Eurydice turns to the Stones.
It’s a very quiet language.
My husband’s name? Do you know it?
LOUD STONE
Like if the pores in your face opened up and talked. The Stones shrug their shoulders.

BIG STONE How strange. I don’t remember.

Like potatoes sleeping in the dirt. It was horrible to see his face
Little Stone and Loud Stone look at Big Stone as though that were a when I died. His eyes were
dumb thing to say.
two black birds
LITTLE STONE
Pretend that you understand her or she’ll be embarrassed. and they flew to me.
BIG STONE I said: no—stay where you are—
Yes—pretend for a moment that you understand the language of
stones. he needs you in order to see!

LOUD STONE When I got through the cold

Listen to her the way you would listen
they made me swim in a river
to your own daughter
and I forgot his name.
if she died too young
I forgot all the names.
and tried to speak to you
I know his name starts with my mouth
across long distances.
shaped like a ball of twine—
Eurydice shakes out her umbrella.
Oar—oar.
She approaches the audience.
I forget.
This time, she can speak.
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FATHER A pause.
It’s like sitting in the shade.
EURYDICE
EURYDICE That word!
Oh.
It’s like—I can’t breathe.
FATHER
It’s like sitting in the shade with no clothes on. Orpheus! My husband.

EURYDICE
Oh!—yes. Scene 7
FATHER
(Reading) I’m going to find you. I play the saddest music—
ORPHEUS
EURYDICE Dear Eurydice,
Music?
Last night I dreamed that we climbed Mount Olympus and we
He whistles a note. started to make love and all the strands of your hair were little
FATHER faucets and water was streaming out of your head and I said, why
It’s like that. is water coming out of your hair? And you said, gravity is very
compelling. And then we jumped off Mount Olympus and flew
She smiles. through the clouds and you held your knee to your chest because
you skinned it on a sharp cloud and then we fell into a salty lake.
EURYDICE Then I woke up and the window frightened me and I thought:
Go on. Eurydice is dead. Then I thought—who is Eurydice? Then the
FATHER whole room started to float and I thought: what are people? Then
You know I hate writing letters. I’ll give this letter to a worm. I my bed clothes smiled at me with a crooked green mouth and I
hope he finds you. thought: who am I? It scares me,

Love, Eurydice. Please come back.

Orpheus Love,

EURYDICE Orpheus
Orpheus?
FATHER Scene 8
Orpheus.
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FATHER FATHER
It means dead in a very abrupt way. Not the way I died, which was My father and I used to duck hunt. He would call up old Frank the
slowly. But all at once, in cowboy boots. night before and ask, “Where are the ducks moving tonight?”
Frank was a guide and a farmer. Old Frank, he could really call the
EURYDICE ducks. It was hard for me to kill the poor little ducks, but you get
Tell me a story of when you were little. caught up in the fervor of it. You’d get as many as ten ducks. If you
FATHER went over the limit—there were only so many ducks per person—
Well, there was the time your uncle shot at me with a BB gun and I Father would throw the ducks to the side of the creek we were
was mad at him so I swallowed a nail. paddling on and make sure there was no game warden. If the
warden was gone, he’d run back and get the extra ducks and throw
Then there was the time I went to a dude ranch and I was riding a them in the back of the car. My father was never a great
horse and I lassoed a car. The lady driving the car got out and conversationalist, but he loved to rhapsodize about hunting. He
spanked me. And your grandmother spanked me, too. would always say, if I ever have to die, it’s in a duck pond. And he
did.
EURYDICE
Remember the Christmas when she gave me a doll and I said, “If I EURYDICE
see one more doll I’m going to throw up”? There was something I always wanted to ask you. It was—how to
do something—or—a story—or someone’s name—I forget.
FATHER
I think Grammy was a little surprised when you said that. FATHER
Don’t worry. You’ll remember. There’s plenty of time.
EURYDICE
Tell me a story about your mother.

FATHER Scene 10
The most vivid recollection I have of Mother was seeing her at
parties and in the house playing piano. When she was younger she
was extremely animated. She could really play the piano. She could Orpheus writes a letter.
play everything by ear. They called her Flaming Sally.

EURYDICE
I never saw Grammy play the piano. ORPHEUS
Dear Eurydice,
FATHER
She was never the same after my father died. My father was a very I wonder if you miss reading books in the underworld.
gentle man.
Orpheus holds the Collected Works of Shakespeare with a long string
EURYDICE attached.
Tell me a story about your father.
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THE STONES She touches the string.
WHAT IS THAT NOISE?
A child, the Lord of the Underworld, enters on his red tricycle.
LITTLE STONE
Stop singing! Music from a heavy metal band accompanies his entrance.

LOUD STONE His clothes and his hat are too small for him.
STOP SINGING! He stops pedaling at the entrance to the string room.
BIG STONE
Neither of you can carry a tune.
CHILD
LITTLE STONE Knock, knock.
It’s awful.
EURYDICE
THE STONES Who’s there?
DEAD PEOPLE CAN’T SING!
CHILD
EURYDICE I am Lord of the Underworld.
I’m not a very good singer.
EURYDICE
FATHER Very funny.
Neither am I.
CHILD
THE STONES I am.
(To the Father) Stop singing and go to work!
EURYDICE
Prove it.
Scene 14 CHILD
I can do chin-ups inside your bones. Close your eyes.

The Father leaves for work. She closes her eyes.

He takes his briefcase. EURYDICE

Ow.
He waves to Eurydice.
CHILD
She waves back. See?
She is alone in the string room.
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EURYDICE CHILD
What do you want? What’s all this string?
CHILD EURYDICE
You’re pretty. It’s my room.

EURYDICE CHILD
I’m dead. Rooms are not allowed!

CHILD (To the Stones) Tell her.

You’re pretty.
THE STONES
EURYDICE Rooms are not allowed!
You’re little.
CHILD
CHILD Who made your room?
I grow downward. Like a turnip.
EURYDICE
EURYDICE My father.
What do you want?
CHILD
CHILD Fathers are not allowed! Where is he?
I wanted to see if you were comfortable.
EURYDICE
EURYDICE He’s at work.
Comfortable?
CHILD
CHILD We’ll have to dip you in the river again and make sure you’re good
You’re not itchy? and dunked.
EURYDICE EURYDICE
No. Please, don’t.
CHILD CHILD
That’s good. Sometimes our residents get itchy. Then I scratch Oooh—say that again. It’s nice.
them.
EURYDICE
EURYDICE Please don’t.
I’m not itchy.
CHILD
Say it in my ear.
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EURYDICE
(Toward his ear) Please, don’t.
A big storm. The sound of rain on a roof.
CHILD
I like that. Orpheus in a rain slicker.

(A seduction) I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down! Shouting above the storm:

He blows on her face.

I mean that in the nicest possible way. ORPHEUS

If a drop of water enters the soil at a particular angle, with a
EURYDICE particular pitch, what’s to say a man can’t ride one note into the
I have a husband. earth like a fireman’s pole?

CHILD He puts a bucket on the ground to catch rain falling.

Husbands are for children. You need a lover. I’ll be back.
He looks at the rain falling into the bucket.
To the Stones:
He tunes his guitar, trying to make the pitch of each note
See that she’s . . . comfortable.
correspond with the pitch of each water drop.
THE STONES
We will! Orpheus wonders if one particular pitch

CHILD might lead him to the underworld.

Good-bye. Orpheus wonders if the pitch
EURYDICE he is searching for might
Good-bye.
correspond to the pitch of a drop of rain, as it enters the soil.
THE STONES
Good-bye. A pitch.
CHILD Eurydice—did you hear that?
I’m growing. Can you tell? I’m growing!
Another pitch.
He laughs his hysterical laugh and speeds away on his red tricycle.
Eurydice? That’s the note. That one, right there.


Scene 15
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Scene 16 Before I go down there, I won’t practice my music. Some say
practice. But practice is a word invented by cowards. The animals
don’t have a word for practice. A gazelle does not run for practice.
Eurydice and her father in the string room. He runs because he is scared or he is hungry. A bird doesn’t sing
for practice. She sings because she’s happy or sad. So I say: store it
up. The music sounds better in my head than it does in the world.
When songs are pressing against my throat, then, only then, I will
EURYDICE go down and sing for the devils and they will cry through their
Orpheus never liked words. He had his music. He would get a parched throats.
funny look on his face and I would say what are you thinking about
and he would always be thinking about music. If we were in a Eurydice, don’t kiss a dead man. Their lips look red and tempting
restaurant, sometimes I would get embarrassed because Orpheus but put your tongue in their mouths and it tastes like oatmeal. I
looked sullen and wouldn’t talk to me and I thought people felt know how much you hate oatmeal.
sorry for me. I should have realized that women envied me. Their
husbands talked too much. I’m going the way of death.

But I wanted to talk to him about my notions. I was working on a Here is my plan: tonight, when I go to bed, I will turn off the light
new philosophical system. It involved hats. and put a straw in my mouth. When I fall asleep, I will crawl
through the straw and my breath will push me like a great wind
This is what it is to love an artist: The moon is always rising above into the darkness and I will sing your name and I will arrive. I have
your house. The houses of your neighbors look dull and lacking in consulted the almanacs, the footstools, and the architects, and
moonlight. But he is always going away from you. Inside his head everyone agrees. Wait for me.
there is always something more beautiful.
Love,
Orpheus said the mind is a slide ruler. It can fit around anything.
Words can mean anything. Show me your body, he said. It only Orpheus
means one thing.
She looks at her father, embarrassed for revealing too much. Scene 18
Or maybe two or three things. But only one thing at a time.
EURYDICE
Scene 17 I got a letter. From Orpheus.

FATHER
You sound serious. Nothing wrong I hope.
ORPHEUS
Eurydice!
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