Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of Ovid’s magnum opus, Metamorphoses, is a contemporary retelling of classic Greek and Roman mythologies focused on transformations of the body and the mind. The show is a hybrid of genres: drama and tragedy, blended with bits of comedy and conveyed by a mixture of movement, aesthetics, and poetic language. Using the stories of Midas turning his daughter into a statue of gold, Vertumnus attempting to woo Pomona through numerous disguises instead of revealing his true self, and an old couple, Baucis and Philemon, turning into intertwined trees to remain forever together, Zimmerman’s play highlights the various facets of love and the ways its many moods of passion, greed, and lust can forever change a soul’s identity. Actors from the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies in ‘Metamorphoses.’ Photo by Taneen Momeni. University of Maryland’s School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies just closed its production of Metamorphoses and did a wonderful job capturing the nuanced tales of human folly, gods with superiority complexes, and other weaknesses of the flesh using a balanced blend of lighting, costumes, dance, and intonation to artfully express the otherworldliness of the mythical gods and their escapades on earth. The black box theater had tiered seating on each side with the performance area taking up the entire length of the middle of the room. Scenic designer August Henney erected scaffold-like structures on either end, for the gods to be able to look down on the action below, and the main stage consisted of a large platform, built to resemble a stone patio with large boulders and a natural pool in the center. Water is in itself representative of cleansing and rebirth, and its liquidity of form echoes the ever-changing nature of humans. An 11-person cast covers a wide range of characters, with each actor taking on multiple roles. The structure of the piece is a series of vignettes with alternating narrators guiding the audience from tale to tale. Hayden Polsky played the almighty creator Zeus the night I attended, then becomes the narrator in another scene, and then King Cinyras, a father tricked into lying with his daughter. With alterations to the costumes and adjustments to stature and mannerisms, the actors successfully have their own transfigurations as they embody leaders, lovers, and lowly servants. Marrs Burggraf is King Ceyx, who dies at sea but is reunited with his wife after they are transformed into birds and fly off together. Then Burggraf appears as the sun god, Apollo, in all his might, laden with the guilt of being a neglectful father. Terrance Ngwafor is the shy lover Vertumnus, god of the seasons, but in the next scene is seen as the whining Phaeton, demanding his turn to drive the sun across the sky from his father, Apollo. Every actor portrays their parts with seeming grace and a naturalness that was delightful to watch, molding into each new role with the ease of slipping on a silk shirt. Amelia Talbot as Hunger and Elyon Topolosky as Erysichthon in the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies production of ‘Metamorphoses.’ Photo by Taneen Momeni. Beautiful movement, choreographed by bree breeden, complements the direction of KenYatta Rogers and is interlaced throughout the production in a very subtle and seamless fashion. When Orpheus (Burggraf) leaves the underworld, having been granted by Hades (William Nash) to take his beloved Eurydice (Nina Omatsola) with him, it is on the condition that he never turn around to check that she is following behind him. Orpheus, unable to resist the temptation, turns to glance behind him. As he does, the lights change, and Eurydice collapses and spins away from him, whispering “goodbye,” causing Orpheus to turn back to the path, and Eurydice again follows behind. They walk slowly around the stone basin, repeating this pattern of turning away and continuing on at a somber cadence that heartbreakingly displays their eternal but doomed connection. Bailey Hammett’s costume design plays its own part in the storytelling and helps to accentuate breeden’s steps. When the ungodly and selfish Erysichthon (Polsky) is cursed for felling a sacred tree of Ceres (Emma Callagy), goddess of agriculture, Ceres sends Hunger (Amelia Talbot) to plague him. Talbot is covered in a dark bodysuit, face covered, arms and torso wrapped with vines. Slinking across the rocks, Hunger crawls and attaches like a parasite to Erysichthon’s back, driving him to consume away his fortune and ultimately consume himself. The effect is eerie and dark, with a touch of comic absurdity, which suits the work perfectly. Another exquisite execution of the creative team’s vision is the scene between Eros (Nash), god of love, and Phyche (Lucy Bond). The couple wade in the shallow pool, Psyche in what looks like a linen gown, and the blind Eros, with wings fastened to his back, resembling as close to a god as a person can. The image of the pair, reaching out for one another across the water, was gorgeously picturesque. UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ rendition of Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses served the source material well and conveyed its thoughtful and sometimes playful insights on the faults of humans and gods alike. The rather artsy production is an almost indulgent work that spoils the senses with poetry, elegant choreography, and splashes of color and light (designed by Scott Monnin). Watching the story unfold was a wonderful experience, executed with clear professionalism and skilled passion. Congratulations to the talented cast and crew for creating a true piece of art, and honoring one of the great works of literature, with a modern touch. Running Time: Approximately one hour and 40 minutes, with no intermission Metamorphoses played November 15 to 22, 2024, presented by the University of Maryland School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies performing in the Kogod Theatre at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, located at 8270 Alumni Dr, College Park, MD. Tickets ($25, general public; $10, students and youth) could be purchased through email ([email protected]), by calling the box office at 301.405.2787, or online. See the virtual program here. COVID Safety: While strongly encouraged, masks are no longer required. See the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center Health & Safety policy here. CAST Actor 1: Emma Callagy; Actor 2: Kayla Harvey-Ali; Actor 3: Nina Omatsola; Actor 4: Amelia (Lee) Talbot; Actor 5: Lucy Bond; Actor 6: Hayden Polsky and Elyon Topolsky; Exhibit Director: Hayden Polsky and Elyon Topolsky; Actor 7: Kiefer Cure; Actor 8: Mars Burggraf; Actor 9: William Nash; Actor 10: Terence Ngwafo Understudies: Actor 1: Lauren Curtiss; Actor 2-Juliana Vendetti; Actor 3: Elizabeth Enworom; Actor 4: Amelia Du Bois; Actor 5: Sophia Bagheri; Actor 7: Jordan Li; Actor 8: Sophia Patzowski; Actor 9: Keegan Perry; Actor 10: Thomas Raf CREATIVE TEAM Director: KenYatta Rogers; Dramaturg: Patrick Saunders; Choreographer: bree breeden; Intimacy Director: Sierra Young; Stage Manager: Adam Hawley; Scenic Designer: August Henney; Costume Designer: Bailey Hammett; Lighting Designer: Scott Monnin; Projection Designer: Tim Kelly; Sound Designer: Leo Grierson Assistant Director: AJ Jenkins; Assistant Director: Faith McCullough; Assistant Choreographer: Katie Quinn; Assistant Dramaturg: Hudson White; Assistant Stage Manager, Props: Amberley Kuo; Assistant Stage Manager, Costumes: Erin Sanders; Assistant Costume Designer: Ilana Mongilio; Assistant Lighting Designer: Mariah Faulkner PRODUCTION Assistant Director of Production and Operations: Jennifer Schwartz Production and Operations Coordinator: Devin Kohn; Production and Events Coordinator: Kate Wander Technical Director: Michael Driggers; Technical Coordinators: Mike Delaney, David Phelps; Scene Shop Coordinator: Reuven Goren; Lead Carpenter: Earl Browne Carpenters: Hannah Belman, Ella Gammel, Danielle Juaregui, Maura Martin, Terence Ngwafor, Lurr Ragen, Harsh Senjaliya, and Sophia Tiedt; Carpenter Graduate Students: Amir Mahdavi and David Wilson; Student Carpenters: Hannah Collins Scenic Charge Coordinator: Ann Chismar; Scenic Charge Painter: Fred Via; Scenic Artist: Nicole Panebianco; Student Scenic Artists: Mars Burggraf, Kayla Harvey-Ali, Layla Nordrum, and Hudson White Prop Shop Manager: Timothy Jones; Prop Shop Artisan: Tyra Bell; Prop Shop Student Artisans: Nikhil Bonageri, Adam Hawley, Chris Lee, Charlotte “C” Macko, and Devni Shah; TDPS479 Students: Gabriella Loshin and Briana Bryant Stage Crew Leads: Steven Bronocco, Alexix Hayes, Cole Owens Technology Shop Manager: Jeffrey Reckeweg Lighting Coordinator: Carrie Barton; Lighting Supervisor: Cameron Smith; Assistant Lighting Supervisor: Liza Raney; Lead Electricians: Buruk Daniel, Emily Pan, Hanna Zakharenko, Jasmine Voon, Malory Hartman, Max Abramovitz, and Sean Preston; Student Electricians: Alana Isaac, Amelia Talbot, Ananya Perinkulam, Balakrishna Nair Nalivalapil, Drew Okoye, Elyon Topolosky, Erin Sanders, Hannah Kelly, Harshil Patel, J. Royal Miller, Jaswant Vemulapalli, Jaylyn Manu, Jeffrey Beamer, Johnny Kraft, Kiefer Cure, Kyle Gunter, Melissa Szwed, Sonia Thanicatt, Tejas Uttarwar, Vivian Castrillo, William Zhao, and Yannick Godts Projections Coordinator: Zachary Rupp Assistant Manager of Audio: James O’Connell; Audio Supervisor: Phoenix Sweeney; Audio Technicians: Evan Thanicatt, Jake Goldstein, and Mark Lyons Student; Audio Crew: Jack Campbell and Kiefer Cure Costume Shop Manager: Jen Daszczyszak; Assistant Costume Shop Manager and Crafts: Lisa Burgess; Costume Tailor and Draper: Tessa Lew; Costume Drapers: MJ Hromek and Steven Simon; First Hand: Dennis Kitmore; Costume Graduate Assistant: Bailey Bower and Addison Littlefield; Costume Technicians: Brooke Baney, Rachel Heney, Ilana Mongilio, and Layla Nordrum; Costume Student Crew: Nina Omatsola, Morgan Smiley, Emma Meisel, Silmarian Grinath, Keegan Perry, and Kaisha Snowden Wardrobe Crew Head: Seana Benz; Light Board Operator: Matthew Dietrich; Projection Board Operator: Kathleen Connolly; Sound Board Operator: Terrence Bartlebaug; Dressers: Rebeccah Chambers, Alex Reyes, and Emily Davis; Deck Crew: Jabari Crenshaw and Tito Silva; Wardrobe Support: Nicole Hiemenz