The Red House Arts Center to Present Sarah Ruhl's PASSION PLAY

The Red House Arts Center in Syracuse, NY presents Sarah Ruhl's ambitious, yet light hearted work, Passion Play. Hailed by the New Yorker's John Lahr as "extraordinary", "bold", and "inventive," Passion Play takes us on a humorous, yet unsettling journey filled with lust, whimsy, and a lot of fish. Performances will take place at the Red House Arts Center main stage from April 7-17, 2016.

Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play takes us behind the scenes of three communities attempting to stage the death and resurrection of Christ: one in 1575 Northern England, just before Queen Elizabeth outlaws the ritual; one in 1934 Oberammergua, Bavaria, as Hitler is rising to power; and one in Spearfish, South Dakota, from the time of Vietnam through Reagan's presidency. In each period, the stage performers of the community theater grapple in different ways with the transformative nature of art, the politicization and commercialization of religion, and the repercussions of rule by Queen Elizabeth, Hitler, and Reagan (all of whom are played by one actor throughout the play).

Passion Play, directed by Stephen Svoboda, features Daryl Acevedo, John Bixler, Amanda Bruton, Kate Fahey, Joe Fanelli, Sadie Fridley, Will Graziano, James Jelkin, Caitlyn Oenbrink, Benjamin Sheedy and Colin Wilson. Passion Play has set design by Andrea Ball, lighting design by Marie Yokoyama, costume design by Katharine Tarkulich, and sound design by Anthony Vadala.

Red House Arts Center will also present Eurydice, another play by Sarah Ruhl, with performances taking place in the Lab Space from April 7-17th. In Eurydice, Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of the heroine. On the day of her wedding, Eurydice falls victim to a tragic accident that sends her hurtling into a wonderland of an Underworld: ripped from her beloved Orpheus, the greatest musician in the world, Eurydice is reunited with her dead father. Orpheus journeys to retrieve his bride, but Eurydice has begun to discover that the cost of living again can sometimes exceed the cost of staying dead. With contemporary characters and ingenious plot twist, Eurydice redefines what it means to be a "timeless love story."

Eurydice, directed by Chad Tallon, features Aggie Woodbury, Galen Sato, Jim Byrne, Lauren Puente, Binaifer Dabu, Sean Carpenter, and Brandon Ellis.

The Red House Arts Center is located at 201 S. West St. in Syracuse, NY. Parking is available adjacent to and across from the theater, as well as nearby in Armory Square. For tickets, please call the Box Office at (315) 362-2785 or visit www.theredhouse.org.

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