In Wuzhen, all the world's a stage

Polish theater company Teatr Biuro Podrozy staged Eurydyka at the Water Theater. The iconic outdoor theater has a stage on the surface of a lake, with a broken bridge and traditional Chinese architecture as a backdrop.

The play is based on the ancient Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus. Soon after their marriage, Eurydice dies of a snakebite, and Orpheus journeys to the Underworld to bring her back.

Hades, god of the Underworld, permits Orpheus to take Eurydice away, on the condition that he does not turn to look at her on the way back to the world of the living. Toward the end of the return journey, Orpheus can't resist and turns around, seeing Eurydice, who then disappears like smoke on the wind.

Adapted and staged in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, director Pawel Szkotak says that the story has contemporary implications.

"I thought that when we use this myth about a love that is stronger than death, maybe we can find hope, both for us and the spectators," he says, adding that love is an eternal human theme.

When performing abroad, the troupe often chooses outdoor productions, as they tend not to feature elaborate dialogue, and so are easier for audiences from different countries or cultures to understand.

Before Szkotak arrived in Wuzhen, he was sent photos of the Water Theater and decided to make use of the venue's beautiful and symbolic setting.

He modified the beginning of the play, so that when Eurydice first appears, she arrives on a wooden rowboat, an interpretation of the scene where Eurydice crosses the River Styx to the Underworld.

"We have done many open-air performances, and we have to be open to the possibilities we find. So, we often change our performance a little to make use of the environment or the weather," Szkotak says.

"I can say that when we perform outdoors, we are always playing on a double set — one is the theater, and the other is the environment."