07/13/2026
Now that NE-ON has closed, I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts with all of you.
This piece is deeply personal to me. As a child, I battled leukemia, and years later I walked alongside my mother through her breast cancer journey. I’ve experienced cancer from both sides as a patient and as a caretaker and those experiences shaped every part of this work. What began as a different story gradually transformed into Ella’s cancer journey. To me, that evolution is powerful evidence of how God can use art to heal, reveal, and redeem.
I intentionally kept my director’s notes brief in the program because I wanted the ending to land as a surprise. For the same reason, I didn’t reveal the full story to the dancers until it was time to set Eurydice months later. I wanted every audience member and every performer to walk beside Ella without knowing exactly where the path would lead. The subtle hints of her running, the music that reflected her shifting mental and physical states, and the constant ticking of the clocks- all of it was designed to make you feel the weight of time slipping away.
NE-ON became the glowing symbol of life force and healing. The poisonous fog (Amalga Trio) represented cancer itself. Synth embodied a powerful supporting spirit. Dopa and Soma stood as the doctors, while the Hazards served as nurses /warning signs along the way, the victory bell representing remission and the end of her treatment. Every element worked together to tell this story.
I dedicate NE-ON to everyone who has endured cancer, to every person who has sat beside a loved one fighting the disease, those who have lost one to cancer, and to all who have been touched by it in any way. This show was made for you.
“Promise me ,that you’ll live like it’s your last”
Warmly,
Rachel EuDaly