If you’ve ever been to the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, you might recall walking above archeologists uncovering ancient Greek ruins.
Beneath the glass separating visitors and the history they stand upon, scientists examine artifacts and chip away slowly at ruins — pulling forth the memories of the city’s past.
Entering the University of Maryland’s theatre, dance and performance studies school’s production of Metamorphoses evokes a similar feeling. As performers wandered the theater in the overture — stylized as an archeological site surrounding a pool of water — their hard hats and lab coats transform into golden robes.
Elevated construction sets become the halls of Olympus. The calm pool roars into a raging ocean. Piece by piece, the site comes to life with stories of love, hubris, family and humanity’s bond with the gods.
Metamorphoses premiered Friday night at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, featuring vignettes of classic ancient myths — including the famous legends of King Midas as well as Orpheus and Eurydice.
Originally a poem by Ovid, The Clarice’s performance is based on director Mary Zimmerman’s Tony-nominated adaptation.
“I was drawn to this play because it teaches us how to renew and how to rejuvenate and how to transform trauma in our own ways that are both big and splashy,” theater professor KenYatta Rogers, who directed the performance, said. “But also [the play] is interested in the smallest of breaths, of shared breaths between people.”
Breathing played a key role in the performance, as the actors closed intense scenes and intricate vignettes with a shared breath — acknowledging each other before slipping into their next role.
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No performer stayed in a single role however, instead undergoing multiple costume changes to embody the figures of Greek myths.
From vignette to vignette, a performer’s pointed anger toward the gods could be chilled to apathy, pity or passion once they became a deity. Similarly, their frustrations and pleas turned to the audience when the story called for narration.
Senior theater major Emma Callagy performed as Actor One in multiple roles — including Persephone, Alcyone and a woman by the water — and said the play was one of the most “artistically fulfilling experiences” she’s been a part of.
“I just think dealing with such heavy topics can be hard, but the way the cast went about it and the way our director helped us through that was a really powerful experience for us,” Callagy said. “The process was very intense, but honestly in a great way.”
Notably, the set’s centerpiece is a real pool of water. Its meaning to the story changes from a spring to an ocean connecting continents and even a bedroom.
In one striking segment, the stage is submerged in darkness as the pool morphs into a cavern. The god Eros’ wife Psyche searches for him in the dark — water gently lapping around her waist while the audience holds their breath.
Junior psychology and theater major Nina-Abbie Omatsola performed as Actor Three and said while working with the pool was difficult, it provided a unique addition to the story that audiences haven’t seen before.
Rogers described the adaptation’s grotto, centered around the pool of water, as a “natural wonder,” adding that humans bear the responsibility to preserve its beauty and stories.
This preservation is enhanced with modern technological advances. When the purpose of water shifts throughout the story, delicate circular stage lights seamlessly change color to convey joy, turmoil and the night sky. Audience members gasped, laughed and cheered along with every shift.
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At moments, the set came alive in white light during a rush of thunder or a spring day. In others, it suddenly plunged into darkness as the story entered the underworld. Little tracks of golden light followed King Midas in the first vignette and shrouded Persephone in another.
Depending on the god, royal purple lighting outlined Dionysus while rich gold was reserved for Apollo.
The stages’ round set up further provided a chance for the actors to speak directly with the audience, adding to a non-linear element of connection Omatsola enjoyed about the performance.
“What I really liked is the aspects of breaking the fourth wall and how KenYatta, our director, would always tell us to look and speak to the audience and invite them into the show so they can feel immersed in it,” Omatsola said.
Through humor, horror and grief, the stories of Metamorphoses demonstrate how love prevails. Rogers hopes that with similarly dynamic performances, audiences can engage fully with live theater.
“[Audiences] can speak back to the stage. They can co sign, they can have fun in a theater the same way they might at a concert,” Rogers said. “‘Come to the theater to attend a play, but also to play with us.’”
