The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of the most famous myths from Greek mythology. Orpheus, a poet and musician, falls in love with Eurydice. After she dies tragically (by snakebite in most versions), he travels to the Underworld to bring her back. His music softens the heart of Hades, who agrees to let her return—on one condition: Orpheus must lead her out without looking back. He does… but doubts, turns, and loses her forever.
In 2010, singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell reimagined the myth as a folk opera. The result was a concept album titled Hadestown, featuring artists like Justin Vernon and Ani DiFranco. In this version, this world is more like 1930s America. Hades became an authoritarian industrialist. Persephone ran a rowdy underground speakeasy. Eurydice was a working woman lured to the Underworld by promises of food and shelter. And Orpheus’s music was revolutionary. The music blended American folk, blues, jazz, and political commentary to make the myth feel startlingly relevant (not only back then but also in today’s political climate). Next, Director Rachel Chavkin joined Mitchell to adapt the album into a full theatrical production. The show made its off-Broadway debut in 2016 at New York Theatre Workshop. In 2019, Hadestown opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Hadestown was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and won 8, including Best Musical, Best Original Score for Mitchell, and Best Direction for Chavkin.
Unlike the original myth, which ends with a single failure, Hadestown is a story
of cycles. The characters are doomed to repeat their tale, but the show insists on hope. “It’s a sad song,” Hermes says, “but we sing it anyway.”
Hadestown, performed by Newman Players, was an incredible success. Directed by Ms. Maritza Mercado-Narcisse, they hadthree incredible shows, each night with more and more people coming to see them. With an extremely talented cast, many audience members said that both the singing and the set were up to par with shows on Broadway.
The Tech Theatre classes, under the leadership of Mr. Cramer, built an amazing set: two double-floored platforms, that are able to be spun around to show the Overworld and Hades’ workshop.
On stage, the cast also had an amazing experience working alongside each other.
Psalm McClellan ‘26: “Doing such a lengthy show definitely seemed less than feasible, but in the end I think it was better than any of us could’ve imagined.”
Anna Kate Lemann ‘28: Words cannot express how grateful I am for this experience. This was a show I will never forget! I am truly so happy to say I was a part of this production. I love each and every cast and crew member who spent the time and put in the work to make this show possible! Although it is hard for this to end, I am excited to see what next year will bring.”
John Sanpietro ‘25: “Words truly cannot express how grateful I am for having participated in this production. As a long-tenured theater kid, I’ve played many roles ranging from unnamed ensemble members to leads, but this is the first role I felt I truly understood. This cast really did something special with this show, and I will remember it forever. This cast was the most universally impassioned I have seen in my eight years doing theater at Newman.”
Georgia Biever ‘26: “There are no words to express how much this cast, crew, and overall this production has meant to me. Thank you so much to everyone involved, you are all truly amazing. I am so unbelievably grateful that I got to spend this time with you all, and I love you all so much. I wish we could sing it again.”
CAST
Eurydice Morgan Price
Orpheus John Sanpietro
Persephone Sara Lovell
Hades Nick White
Hermes Cooper Rubin
Fates
Georgia Biever, Evie Bigelow, Sierra Freedman, Eve Freyou,
Eliana Hermann, Onyx Kukuy, Psalm McClellan,
Drew Sonnier, Lexie Toshav
Workers
Josh Chaney, Jeanna Chen, Cori Cenac, Catie Elliott
Cate Gorman, Breigha Leal, Anna Kate Lemann
Kamryn Murdock, Sara Ochoa, Tess Petrone,
Brody Wilkins and Hannah Yoo
CREW
Stage Manager Cricket Graff
Assistant Stage Manager(s) Vivian Zhou and Maya Harris
Lighting Director Charlotte Norwood
Lighting Assistant Jackie Bellaire
Sound Manager Yhanie Bermudez
Props Manager Aria Jolly
Backstage Crew
Daniela Coby-Del Toro, Sabie DeBiase, Helen Gong,
Marcelle Hutchinson, Saniya Jarrow, Amari Jones, Mills Kehlenbach,
Tomi Kashimawo, Ashley Lin, Zoila Linares, DeLeah Mathis, Jada Merritt, Sophia Mills,
Sara Ochoa, William Pitts, Life Sacco, Edwin Salisbury,
Justin Wells, Valerie Zhou
Director Maritza Mercado-Narcisse
Tech Director Phil Cramer
Assistant Director Greg Spencer
Musical Director Melissa Marshall
Costumes Whitney Raynor
Thank you to Ms. Narcisse, Mr. Cramer, and everyone who made this show possible. And a special thank you to everyone who came out to support this talented group! We raise our cups to you!
