Familiar mythical characters bring timeless human issues to life in "Metamorphoses," a Tony Award-nominated play staged by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Department of Theatre and Dance in March.
The production will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 2-3, and Thursday through Saturday, March 8-10, in the Jenkins Theatre in the Noel Fine Arts Center. A 2 p.m. matinee will be held Sunday, March 4, with a 1 p.m. pre-show discussion with the director in NFAC room 221. This talk is free and open to the public.
The production is intended for mature audiences only as it includes nudity, smoking of tobacco-free cigarettes and adult situations.
Written by playwright Mary Zimmerman, "Metamorphoses" is based on mythological tales by the Roman poet Ovid featuring familiar Greco-Roman myths and characters such as Zeus, Hermes, Aphrodite and Orpheus. The stories of transformation touch on romantic relationships, gods and humans, sexual desire, life after death and parent-child issues. It was nominated for three Tony Awards in 2002, including Best Play.
Despite being mythological figures, each character goes through a transformation that is deeply human, said the director, Assistant Professor Alan Patrick Kenny. "We are making these ancient stories relevant to the contemporary college-age experiences of our actors and audiences, rendering them as highly emotional and apropos to the age of social media."
The action takes place in the ruins of an ancient Greek amphitheater, where a large pool of water is the center of each character's transformation. Twelve actors assume multiple roles, acting, singing, dancing and interacting with water throughout.
The characters exist within varied time periods, from the classical Greek era to the Roaring 20s to today. This provides a wide range of styles for the musical soundtrack, compiled and created by Kenny, and the show's diverse costumes, created by Erin Harteau, a theatre design and technology major.
"This show really pushed me as an artist and a person," Harteau said. "My options were limitless. I'm thankful that our program gives undergraduate students the opportunity to design shows, as it has prepared me to work professionally after I graduate."
Tickets, $24 for adults and seniors or $14 for age 17, are available at the UW-Stevens Point Information and Tickets Office, located in the Dreyfus University Center concourse, by calling 715-346-4100 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu. Discounts are available for UW-Stevens Point students, faculty and staff. Tickets are also available for the First Nighters package Friday, March 2, which includes dinner before the performance.
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