One-Night Only Reading of EURYDICE Benefits Local Playwrights at Road Less Traveled Tonight, 8/18

Road Less Traveled Productions' (RLTP's) Emanuel Fried New Play Workshop (NPW) today announced a special benefit reading of Eurydice, a contemporary take on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus & Eurydice by acclaimed playwright Sarah Ruhl (In The Next Room, or The Vibrator Play). The reading will be presented at 8:00 PM tonight, August 18th at the Road Less Traveled Theater (RLTT) in the Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre, in Downtown Buffalo. The reading will benefit the NPW, an integral component of RLTP's mission to develop and produce plays by Western New York (WNY) writers. RLTP will also be producing Ruhl's Clean House in the Spring of 2013.

In EURYDICE, Ruhl reimagines a classic masculine legend through the eyes of its heroine. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice is swept away to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and must attempt to remember her beloved betrothed, Orpheus, and thereby guide him to her rescue. Cassie Gorniewicz plays the title character and will be joined by by Jacob Albarella as Orpheus and David Lundy as Eurydice's adoring father. David Oliver, acclaimed for his portrayal of Satan in RLTP's 2011 production of The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, revisits the underworld in his role as Hades, who Ruhl describes as "a nasty yet interesting man." Rounding out the cast will be Bonnie Jean Taylor, Carlton Franklin, and Rebecca Ward; Victoria Perez, who will be starring in RLTP's production of Clean House, directs this special event.

RLTP Literary Director Jon Elston praised EURYDICE as "Sarah Ruhl's finest work to date... which is a major compliment for the author of such modern gems as In The Next Room and Melancholy Play." "It's magical, bittersweet, irreverent, bizarre, funny, soaringly romantic, and heartbreakingly profound," said Elston. "And a real treat for any lover of theatre, or really any lover, period."

Tickets for the performance are $10 per person. Proceeds help to underwrite the NPW program and NPW participant tuitions. "On average, ten local writers participate in the NPW each season," said Elston, adding that each NPW participant receives a staged reading of his or her play, and staged readings are open to the public and free-of-charge. (A schedule or NPW readings is available on RLTP's website.)

"RLTP intends to keep the New Play Workshop program affordable for writers, and to maintain a quality output of staged readings available to the public free-of-charge," Elston maintained. "A ticket to Eurydice not only nets you the enjoyment of attending a terrific reading of an incredible play, it also helps support Western New York's growing community of playwrights!"

EURYDICE runs one night only at the RLTT: Saturday, August 18th. The performance begins at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $10 per person and are available at the RLTT Box Office a half an hour before the reading. To guarantee seating, tickets can be reserved at least 24 hours in advance by calling the Box Office line at (716) 629-3069.