On Thursday, Jan. 22, Rock Ridge Theater Arts (RRTA) presented their production of “Hadestown Teen Edition.” The show is based on “Hadestown,” a 2019 Broadway show which originated from the Greek Tragedy “Orpheus and Eurydice.” The show featured senior Andrés Marrero, playing Orpheus, who ventures into Hadestown along with Hermes as his guide (senior Marian Lindsay) to find Orpheus’s love Eurydice (senior Ella Diawatan) and bring her home.

In Act 1, Hermes introduces herself as the narrator of the story while introducing others through the performance of “Road To Hell.” She introduces The Fates ( junior Raine Surla, freshman Taylor Esguerra, and senior Angel Labosette), Persephone (senior GraceMonét Carper), Hades (senior Palmer Jolly), Orpheus, and Eurydice.

Orpheus meets Eurydice, and he is stunned by her; he sings her a song that he was working on to bring back Spring, shown through the performance of “Epic 1.” The song brings back Persephone, the goddess of Spring. Orpheus and Eurydice fall in love through the performance of “All I’ve Ever Known.” Then, Hades brings Persephone back to Hadestown, and winter comes. Orpheus becomes obsessed with finishing his song, and while Eurydice is suffering, Hades gives her a choice to come work in his factory in Hadestown. 

Eurydice calls for Orpheus, who doesn’t hear her, so she goes to Hadestown. When Orpheus hears the news from Hermes, he ventures on foot to Hadestown to bring her home, shown through the performance of “Wait For Me.” The act ends with Hades revealing why his workers built the wall to protect themselves from poverty through the performance of “Why We Build The Wall.” 

In Act 2, Eurydice becomes a permanent worker in Hadestown, where the workers are broken and exhausted. The Fates explain to Eurydice that she will end up like them, forgetting who she is and what her life was. Then Orpheus finds her, and she remembers him and her life. Hades then comes in and tries to send him away, but Orpheus is very clear that he is not leaving without Eurydice.

Hades demands that Orpheus sing to make him feel young again. Orpheus sings “Epic 3,” which was so powerful that it brought Hades and Persephone back together in love. Hades isn’t sure if he should let them go, not without a test to prove their love shown through “His Kiss, The Riot.” Hermes explains to Orpheus and Eurydice that he will walk in front, and she will follow, but if he looks back, she will have to be sent back to Hadestown permanently.

As they start the journey back along the way, Orpheus starts to doubt that Eurydice would follow, that Hades would actually let her go. He turns around and sees her, and Eurydice goes back to Hadestown forever. Hermes explains that even though it is a tragedy, we tell it anyway because it can give you hope, Orpheus represents what could have happened. The show ends with the cycle of the story continuing once again.

The showcase of “Hadestown Teen Edition” is not only just a show for the Rock Ridge community; it’s also entered into the Blue Ridge Glamies, where high school students can have the opportunity to be critics and write up reviews for high school shows and be published in the Loudoun Times Mirror. “[The students] can be nominated for anything,” theatre teacher and director Ann Devine said. “I hope they get nominated for something like an amazing ensemble, really fun lighting, set design, all of the things. I think they could be nominated for all of the categories, because the show is so strong.”

Actors in the play continue to have high hopes like Marrero, who played Orpheus in “Hadestown Teen Edition.” “I am so excited for the critics to see this show,” Marrero said. “I think we’re really bringing them a masterpiece. And we’ve worked so hard on it, and I think they’re gonna just love seeing all the work we’ve put in on the stage.” Aside from acting, Marrero is also the marketing director. “I’d schedule a photo shoot or something with our director, and I’d make it known to our actors, and I take [pictures] at rehearsal, and then edit them on Photoshop, and then post them on Instagram,” Marrero said.

Ensemble member, Glamies critic, and sound designer Nolwazi Christmas supported the show on stage and behind the scenes. For this show, sound design was especially challenging because the script had no sound effects listed. Christmas and other cast members felt the pressure of wanting to succeed. “It’s just more pressure, because you want to [win] awards,” Christmas said. “Everyday, [it’s] a lot of competition. Like there’s other great sound designers, but then it’s more pressure.” 

There were no scenes in the show, and instead, only long, continuous songs, with the only break being intermission. “It’s a much more serious show,” Devine said. “It has some darker themes and darker elements, and it’s much more technically heavy on the technical theater side, and it’s much more vocally heavy. This is one of the hardest shows I’ve ever worked on, so I will take away the amazing experience that it’s been, and working with these really talented kids.” 

Even though RRTA students do feel the pressure of wanting to succeed and get as many nominations and awards as possible, they ultimately cherish all their hard work put into the show. “We are being exposed to many opportunities,” senior Marian Lindsay said. “We’re being handed these awards for hard work, but with that comes a lot of pressure because you feel like you need to be able to get an award, or be nominated – that puts pressure on the person that wants the Glammy. I think at the end of the day, even if you don’t get nominated, it’s fine. It’s good if you get nominated and you win the award, but I feel if you don’t get nominated you should be able to acknowledge that you worked hard and you put on a good show. You should know that for yourself.” 

Although “Hadestown Teen Edition” ends tragically, there still can be hope found in the darkest places. “I want [the audience] to know that the story of Hadestown is really just about building family and telling stories,” Lindsay said. “It’s a Greek tragedy, and even though it ends so terribly, we still begin to sing it again because we have hope, and in a time like the world we live in today, I think we just all need to empower each other and just be there for each other.” 

Although “Hadestown Teen Edition” has ended, Rock Ridge Theater Arts will continue their new era with their upcoming show “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which will take place at the end of April and the beginning of May. It differs from “Hadestown Teen Edition” because it is set in medieval France and focuses on religious hypocrisy and social marginalization. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” also has choral music, whereas “Hadestown Teen Edition” had a jazzy New Orleans feel.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” will be the last musical of the year.

Gallery • 11 Photos

Megan Marr

Persephone (senior GraceMonét Carper) performs “Livin’ It Up On Top.”