A Main Stage Production at ITF 2025
Main Stage performances at the International Thespian Festival (ITF) are a celebration of the hard work and creativity of talented Thespians and theatre programs from around the country. Thespian Troupe 5449 from Meadowdale High School will join that storied history with their performance of Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl.
On what should be her perfect wedding day, Eurydice’s life is cut short, and she descends into the underworld, where she struggles to reconcile the comforts of home with the pull of life left behind. Eurydice is a unique reimagining of the classic myth that gives audiences a contemporary experience and an exploration of love, loss, and the fragile bonds that tie us together in life and death.
EdTA chatted with troupe director Jacqueline Meyners to get a peek behind the curtain.
In most versions of the Orpheus myth, Orpheus is the central figure. How did you guide students to embrace this new perspective and make it distinctly Eurydice’s story?
To be blunt, I’m a raging feminist, so this is about what my students expect from me (and, of course, what I hope to teach them during their time in this program).
On a serious note, we spent a lot of time analyzing this exact question in our table work, digging deep into the script. We looked at previous interviews with the playwright, Sarah Ruhl, as well as other examples of the myth in history and poetry, to uncover what new insights this story offers from Eurydice’s perspective.
The main driving action of this story is Eurydice’s development of her choices. In the proposal scene, we get to see a glimpse of her doubts. As she processes her life with her father in the Underworld, we learn more about the complexities of her relationships, both with Orpheus and beyond. In this version, Orpheus turns around because Eurydice calls his name. Whether or not she fully understood the consequences of this action, some gut instinct caused Eurydice to take this monumental action.
We don’t often get to see a woman in charge of her own life story (especially in the literary canon), and even though the play is a tragedy, it’s empowering to see Eurydice carve her own destiny.
This will be the first time your school performs on the ITF Main Stage. What does it mean for your program and the arts in your school?
Performing on the ITF Main Stage is an unfathomably huge honor. We have a relatively small program. Our theatre is a black box, but not in the traditional sense (picture a concrete floor and retired church seating). We do not have a ton of funding. As a program, we’re always incredibly proud of the work we do, and know that our performances are always high quality, but it’s a challenge for that to be recognized outside the immediate circle of our friends and family.
Truthfully, I applied to the Main Stage as kind of a long shot, and mostly to get adjudication feedback. We figured… why not?
To actually be selected for the Main Stage is the wildest dream come true. It’s our opportunity to show the school, our neighborhood, and the larger theatre community that you can do it. My students are incredibly talented, but more importantly, they work hard, and it feels so amazing to have that hard work recognized on an international stage.
Was your vision of the show influenced by your decision to have it adjudicated for the ITF Main Stage?
It was always in the back of my mind, but it didn’t necessarily guide the process. We really didn’t think we’d be chosen!
The adjudication rubric was a helpful check-in as a director, to ask myself, okay, are we accomplishing this? Is that moment clear? What purpose does this technical element serve?
After the show, we made sure to store all our sets and costumes as a “just in case.” Even though it was back in November, something about closing night didn’t quite feel final. It really felt like there was more of this show to come, and it wasn’t time to say goodbye yet. Now we know why!
Can you share one behind-the-scenes secret or fun fact about your rehearsal process, set design, or costumes that people wouldn’t otherwise know?
The set design is based on the Puget Sound. Water is a major motif throughout the play, so we wanted to incorporate it into the designs and pulled inspiration from our local area. The sound is just down the road from our school! Puget Sound is stunningly beautiful, the anemones and other natural elements are unique and fantastical, and it’s just a little bit creepier than the rest of the ocean.
We also worked to incorporate the idea of memory in our designs. There isn’t a set time period, but rather, we worked to invoke the feeling of nostalgia. The Father is wearing clothing relevant to the time my grandfather was young. Orpheus resembles a 2010’s hipster, like the time I was in college. The Stones represent notable dead historical figures. Props span a variety of time periods so that this story can take place in anyone’s past.
Looking back from auditions to now, how have your students grown not just as performers, but as individuals and young adults?
We spent a lot of time working on building a strong ensemble in our rehearsal process, starting every rehearsal with a movement exercise (or several) designed to build both connections to the characters, and with each other. It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch this community grow. Even though many of the students were friends already, it felt like the bonds grew even stronger throughout this process, and it truly feels like a little family.
This show was challenging, and the patience and perseverance of every single student involved was beautiful. When I announced our ITF Main Stage acceptance, the students celebrated, but also understood how much work lay in the path ahead of us. In our program, students design and run all of the tech elements, so they have been instrumental in preparing to take this production on the road. It’s been wonderful to watch all of them, but especially the seniors, step into these leadership roles with graciousness and grit.
Beyond the usual fundraising and organizational tips, what’s one piece of creative or artistic advice you’d give to groups hoping to reach the ITF Main Stage next year?
Take a risk! This show is different: it’s certainly not your typical high school theatre (or even regular theatre) piece. But because the team was so passionate in their storytelling, the story resonates. When you find something you’re passionate about, it makes the artistic process so much more fulfilling. While the audience is of course an important piece of theatre, equally important is what the artists take away from the journey.
What do you hope the audience takes away from your show, and why is this important to you?
I hope the audience takes away the idea that theatre can be so much more. Eurydice is my favorite play of all time because it’s so creative. Theatre should be stunningly beautiful; it should be daring; it should push boundaries. This play came to me at a time in my life when I was learning what being an artist really meant, and I want our audiences to be inspired to create something beautiful as well.
