STERLING — Over 20 years ago when then Sterling College student Sasha Hildebrand saw Mary Zimmerman’s play “Metamorphoses” on Broadway on the school’s semi-annual New York trip, she knew she was experiencing “something magical.” Now, as artistic director at her alma mater, she is creating that magic for her students and audiences as she stages “Metamorphoses” at 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, March 3 and 4 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 5 in Culbertson Auditorium on the Sterling College campus.
Based on the myths recorded by Roman poet Ovid, “Metamorphoses” uses an ensemble of 12 actors to retell ancient stories. Primal storytelling and modern sensibility collide in this re-envisioning of Greek and Roman myths for the senses. In the play gods and mortals alike endure love, loss, and transformation – all while immersed in a pool of water on stage.
In her 20+ years of performing, directing, designing, and seeing numerous theater productions, Hildebrand still considers Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses” one of her top favorite theater experiences. “When all the movement and set elements come together, including how costumes and lighting interact with the water, the audience should experience something magical,” she said.
Although the stories in “Metamorphoses” are all based on ancient myths, the show is timeless; it’s not set in any particular time period. The play was created and originally directed by Mary Zimmerman at Looking Glass Theatre Company in Chicago. It was an enormous hit and then moved to Broadway where it was a sold-out hit and multiple Tony Award winner and has been performed around the world. Due to the on-stage pool, it is not often staged at smaller theaters.
A shallow pool serves as the primary scenic element and is the hallmark Zimmerman’s adaptation of the classical myths. A chandelier also sparkles high above the action. The performers are both poignant and playful as they swim, fall, float, wade, plunge, thrash and even “drown” in the large, rectangular pool.
The play mesmerizes with tales of Midas, Orpheus, Aphrodite, Apollo, Poseidon, and others in a whimsical and heartbreaking meditation on the joys and perils of being human. The play takes audiences to experience the excitement of a sea battle led by Poseidon, the dangerous allure of Midas’ golden touch, and the undying passion of Orpheus. Through the play, audiences are able to be immersed in the transformative power of love.
The play uses Greek and Roman mythology to explore the theme of reflection and transformation with characters who are both human and mythical deities. There are modern as well as classical characters, and the tone of the play moves freely from the serious to the comedic.
“The myths in this play are about those two staggering and confounding pillars of human experience: love and grief. Without love, there can be no grief. Indeed, some say that grief is the price of love,” said Hildebrand.
Water itself plays many different roles in the show, from a cathartic companion to a dangerous, destructive force. Hildebrand feels working with water elicits raw performances from the actors and reminds us how powerless we are to the elements.
Hildebrand said, “Water can be everything that these stories need it to be. It can be still and peaceful. It can be charging and enraged. It can be fun and splashy. It can be all of these things. Some of the stories are sweet and romantic, and some of these stories are haunting and horrifying, and some of these stories are irreverent and silly.”
Another strong visual element of the show is a chandelier which hangs over the pools. Designed by local artisan Erin Stansbury, the structure is being built to be 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, and about 6 feet tall. “My hope is that it will catch some movement with the air but not so much as to be distracting from the actors. The plan is to add some LED lighting inside the frame so that the pieces glow and reflect as the chandelier hangs high above the center of the pool,” she said.
Tickets for this unusual production featuring the pool, the chandelier, and the re-telling of familiar myths – are $10 for adults and $5 for students and are available at www.sterling.edu/artsor at the door before each performance. “Metamorphoses” runs 90 minutes without an intermission and is rated PG.
