Through a bold combination of lighting, sound effects, stellar acting and originality, the Ithaca College theater department has, yet again, produced a gripping adaptation of an influential piece of theater by excluding the mundane and welcoming the provocative.

“Eurydice,” written by Sarah Ruhl, expounds upon the Roman myth of lovers Orpheus and Eurydice, a tale illustrated through a short scene in Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses,” which the college produced last fall.

On her wedding day, Eurydice (senior Melanie Beck) is whisked away by a Nasty Interesting Man (senior Parker Pouge) who seduces her to attend a party for “interesting people like herself.” When she dies trying to retrieve a letter from the Nasty Interesting Man  — written to her from the Underworld by her late father (senior Corey Whelihan) — her husband, Orpheus (junior Tim Quartier), vows to rescue her from the depths of Hades.

Director Wendy Dann, assistant professor of theater arts, fully immerses the audience into technical and performance components of the production. Every lighting cue designed by Steve TenEyck, assistant professor and associate chair of theater arts, augments the dramatic intensity of each scene, down to the splendor of flickering Chinese lantern-esque orbs hanging from the ceiling of the Clark Theatre. Josh Oxford’s compilation of flapper era music and industrial sound complements the actors’ emotions on stage. And the acting on its own parallels so many dimensions of authentic emotion that the audience could listen to the show with their eyes shut and still experience a profound night at the theater.

Not in the entire main stage season so far has there been such a powerhouse of acting ability in a cast, albeit a small one. Beck reinvents the role of Eurydice, infusing it with a childish innocence, but brilliantly maintains the profound commentary expressed through the conflicted, inquisitive woman. Her sunny disposition undergoes a painstakingly dynamic transformation and her journey through the Underworld sheds each layer of her playful nature, adding the powerful emotion of hatred.

Just as she cheers up the audience with jokes and goofy nuances, she tears at the very foundation of tragedy, making “Eurydice” a truly heartrending story. Along with Whelihan’s warm portrayal of Eurydice’s father, the Underworld becomes less menacing as the two characters unlock their past.

Pogue and Quartier each have their moments of brilliance. Pogue excels in his double-cast role as the Lord of the Underworld, bringing witty, shrewd comedy to the part of the dwarfish (and then excessively tall) Lord and the Nasty Interesting Man earlier in the play. Somehow, Pogue manages to bring a funny charm to both roles without treading into the land of upstaging and superfluity whereas Quartier’s inviting performance as Orpheus comes off naturally.

Finally, seniors Jaylene Clark and Aaron Fried and junior Morgan Lavenstein who play the three Stones, guardians of the Underworld, flawlessly undulate and tread in rigid, immutable fashions. They are terrifying and entertaining as they warn Eurydice of the dangers and rules of the Underworld from behind the audience seating sections in the theater. Their booming voices reverberate against the walls, filling the space with a majestic chorus of malevolence.

As a production that is just as much spectacle as it is minimalism, “Eurydice” transports the audience through many realms of artistic expression. When Orpheus finds Eurydice in Hades, he is told to never look back to make sure Eurydice is there. The same goes for the audience. Their journey through the play may be long and the emotions may be relentless, but once the first lights go up, there is no turning back. And with the spectacular quality of a production like “Eurydice,” there is no need to turn back.

“Eurydice” is showing at 2 p.m. in the Clark Theatre.