On her wedding day, Eurydice falls to her death and awakens in the strange, surreal underworld, where she is reunited with the father she lost long ago. As memories of her life begin to fade, she is torn between two loves—the devoted husband fighting to bring her back, and the father who offers comfort in death. In Sarah Ruhl’s haunting reimagining of the Orpheus myth, love, loss, and memory intertwine in a devastating choice that will echo for eternity.

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Eurydice

Western Illinois University

Theatre Cedar Rapids is thrilled to present "In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play," a captivating full-length dramatic comedy by Sarah Ruhl, set to grace the stage from May 16 through June 2, 2024. This insightful and humorously sharp play takes audiences back to a seemingly perfect Victorian home, where Dr. Givings, a gentleman and scientist, has invented an extraordinary new device for treating "hysteria" in women—and occasionally men: the vibrator. As Dr. Givings' young and energetic wife tends to their newborn daughter, she becomes increasingly curious about her husband's work in the next room. The arrival of a new "hysterical" patient and her husband introduces a complex dynamic into the doctor's household, prompting Dr. and Mrs. Givings to explore the nature of their own marriage and the true essence of love.

Performances are scheduled to take place at Theatre Cedar Rapids, with showtimes at 7:30 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and matinee performances at 2:30 pm on Sundays, ensuring multiple opportunities to catch this "smart, delicate and very, very funny" (New York Post) production. Lauded as "insightful, fresh and funny" by The New York Times, the play promises a rich blend of thought-provoking content and heartfelt emotion.

Tickets are priced at $25 and can be acquired directly from Theatre Cedar Rapids. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit the Theatre Cedar Rapids website at https://www.theatrecr.org, or contact the box office at 319-366-8591. Theatre Cedar Rapids is located at 102 3rd Street SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401, with box office hours from Monday to Friday, 12 pm to 5 pm.

Don't miss this exceptional blend of comedy, drama, and historical intrigue that examines the complexities of love and marriage through the lens of a revolutionary invention.

In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play

Theatre Cedar Rapids

From award-winning playwright Sarah Ruhl comes this dramatic comedy infused with laughter and magical realism.  Lane has hired Brazilian housekeeper Matilde to clean her house, but Matilde is more interested in coming up with the perfect joke than in house-cleaning.  As Lane’s clean-freak sister Virginia clandestinely takes over Matilde’s cleaning duties, Lane’s husband reveals that he has found his soulmate in Ana, a cancer patient he has treated. As Lane’s life seems to fall apart, humor, pain, and mortality bring the women together in this whimsical and wildly funny play about class, comedy, and the true nature of love.

Sarah Ruhl

Events

Upcoming events

2 - 5 Apr, 2026

Eurydice · Western Illinois University Department of Theatre and Dance

Past events

2 - 5 Apr, 2026

Eurydice · Western Illinois University Department of Theatre and Dance

May 16 - Jun 2, 2024

In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play · Theatre Cedar Rapids

About

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