Water is a main theme of the play and appears literally
onstage in the raining elevator. In Greek Mythology,
the entrance to the underworld was surrounded by a
series of five rivers. Each river had a name and specific
purpose: Styx (the river of Hate) Akheron (the river of
pain), Pyriphlegethon (the river of fire) Kokytos (the
river of wailing), and Lethe (the river of forgetfulness).
In the play, both Lord of the Underworld and the
Stones refer to the dead characters as having been
“dipped” in a river which makes the dead characters
forget their lives. In the play the river is unnamed, but
Eurydice’s father advises her to hold her breath the
next time she is dipped so she doesn’t forget.