Berkshire Theatre Group in Stockbridge
Written by Mary Zimmerman
Based on the poem by Ovid
Directed by Isadora Wolfe
“All our days are halcyon days.”
Stories, legends, myths make up the dozen-plus stories that are populated by the cast of Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses,” now on stage at Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge. A cast of 10 players perform in a pool of water that substitutes for the world of ancient Greece. It is a tribute show; it is remarkable.
Luckily for the audience, these actors—led by Gregg Edelman and the superb David Adkins—are capable of creating multiple characters who are distinct from the ones before as the show progresses. The tales are mostly familiar. There are no surprises in them. King Midas wishes for the touch of gold and gets it; Orpheus loves Eurydice and loses her in his foolish attempt to see her too soon; Phaeton desires to drive the sun across the sky. The surprises come with the theatrical concept utilizing a three-foot-deep swimming pool as the very centerpiece of the wonderful set designed by Jason Simms. The show opens with the pool being occupied by much of the company while Scott Killian’s beautiful score is being played.
Much of the show concerns the ardency of lovers who cannot resist one another. The royalty of the legends are overwhelmed with passions they cannot control, and the gods are equally overwhelmed by the human lust and love of their worshippers. Myrrha (played erotically by Fedra Ramirez-Olivares), for example, falls in love with her father Cinyras (played by Adkins) and conceives Adonis, a happy ending to a very difficult and erotic sequence which is played completely in the pool.
Vertumnus, the Roman god of gardens (played by John William Watkins), tirelessly pursued the elusive Pomona (Evelyn Chen), goddess of the orchard, renowned for her beauty yet devoted solely to her apples.
Psyche, the goddess of the soul, played here by the lovely Evelyn Chen, is a mortal who loves Amor but is pursued by his mother Aphrodite (an impassioned June Carryl) for proof of her worthiness and is ultimately transformed—or metamorphosed—into an actual goddess. This story takes place early in the show and becomes the landmark tale for the show’s theme and title.
Throughout the evening’s 90-minute single act, these tales compound the image of a world developing into the modern times we know. It seems impossible that we could not live in our own times without these tales, these ancient myths, improving our situations today. This play’s peculiar relevance is made even clearer by the use of water, still and deep, to remake our youthful memories of a world made more perfect by love, unavoidable errors, terror, and resolution. “Metamorphoses” (plural) give us those ancient proofs that bad can become good, that trust can result in love, that ancient hatred can transform into political correctness in the best sense of the words. This is a play for our times.
Actress Kelli Simpkins moves from ancient days to modern times in her many roles, and she is often a revelation specialist bringing us closer to the realities of the myths. As Orpheus in his underworld journey, Paul Deo Jr. shows us the difficulties of love and faith in the ones we love. John Williams Watkins takes us through the dark side of the world of gods to the bright side of mankind’s need for affection. Tim Liu gives us the arrogance of offspring who aspire to be their father and the brief grief they achieve in their attempts. Gregg Edelman, in addition to his kings and his gods, narrates tales with superb storytelling technique. The final moments of the play are his as King Midas, finishing the story started early in the show about man’s relationship with the gods and with their own children.
The show is as technically brilliant as the script. Amanda Roberge blends contemporary clothing with ancient designs as the myths’ odd relevance to today come into play. Matthew E. Adelson lights the play with a sense of mystery that is fitting for the stories and is equally revealing of our own sense of what they might mean to us now. Scott Killian’s sound design is both subtle and sensible for the actors in this play.
Director Isadora Wolfe has brought Zimmerman’s play to super-life with her small touches and broad strokes. She is a painter, an artist of sensitivities, who allows the most complex and difficult aspects of mythology to play to a modern audience as though they were the daily truths we all live with today. This is a true triumph of theatrical technique, and her stage managers, Jenn Gallo and Morgen E. Doyle, keep the show real and running and, certainly, wet. I pray the cast can stay healthy and strong and play this show for a long, long while without colds, flu, or anything dire.
Do you need to brush up on Greek mythology? No. The stories are very clear, and many of them will come back to you as they play out in and around the pool. Some may surprise you: The heat and passion is often overwhelming. Some will amuse you. All of it will enliven your day.
“Metamorphoses” plays at the Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge through October 26. For information and tickets, call (413) 997-4444 or visit their website.
