Whenever I tell people that I'm taking part in a play called Metamorphoses, I always get the response, "Ohhh yes! Metamorphoses by Kafka. I read that book in high school." And I have to awkwardly inform them that it's actually the lesser known Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman. Honestly, I'm not completely sure why this play isn't super popular by now. It has some really cool concepts that I haven't ever seen before, and I've watching and acting in plays since I was 4.
First, the play takes place inside a pool. I kid you not, the stage IS a pool! With real water and everything. The actors are drenched and they have to swim to get across the stage. Of course, we don't have an actual pool in our middle/high school rendition of it. But the large mass of silky, blue fabrics dumped in the middle of the stage are almost just as cool.
Secondly, Metamorphoses has some of the best dance lift potential a play could possibly have. There are places where all kinds of different partner work could make the movement really cool. There are moments for dead weight lifts, assisted jumps, catch lifts and everything in between. With the right direction, the dances and lifts could really make the play come alive and right in the audience's face.
Third, the sheer amount of moral themes and lessons that are hidden in this show is enough to make it an entertaining watch. The biggest one is the different forms that people go through and their inner self changing, hence the name Metamorphoses. But after analyzing the play many times, you find countless other hidden gems throughout the different stories of the play. I judge plays based on how many existential crises I have while watching them, and it's safe to say I had plenty during Metamorphoses.
I feel like Metamorphoses just got a bad rap because it seems uber complicated, both to act in and to watch. But once you look past the hard exterior shell of the play, you get the real story, filled with majestic developments and a phenomenal central theme. This play has taught me so much already. I've had so much fun participating, and I can't wait to perform it.