Metamorphoses: Stories of Transformation
First with I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and now with Metamorphoses, Seattle Rep starts the year by showing off its love for the storytelling craft with meaningful quality productions. Metamorphoses is very unlike the first production of the year in its theme and delivery, but it has earned my esteem once again. Originally written by Roman poet Ovid, one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature, Metamorphoses, also known as Transformations, is a narrative poem that encompasses over two hundred and fifty myths. It ranges from the world’s creation to Arachne’s backstory and Artemis turning Acteon into a stag. It’s also considered Ovid’s greatest work, his magnum opus, and is referenced as a historical account of Roman mythology.
Out of the hundreds of stories, playwrights Sami Ibrahim, Laura Lomas and Sabrina Mahfouz chose only fifteen and put the limelight on silent and misunderstood characters. Medea, Philomela and Arachne aren’t as evil as you’d think, Acteon isn’t as innocent. Some tales are funny and some tragic and some come in musical sequences, but all feel like truthful accounts of life, if only a bit romantic.
The cast alternates as narrators and protagonists of each myth and adopts either first-person narration or third-person omniscient narration. Each character’s thoughts and feelings are expressed, whether they’re the antagonist, the hero, or the victim, which makes for a much more intimate and dynamic experience that is also objective in its presentation of each character.
Kjerstine Rose Anderson, Meme García, Nike Imoru and Darragh Kennan take turns taking over the stage as they interpret the more than twenty characters present in the whole production. Anderson is soulful, García sarcastic, Imoru precise, and Kennan lively; all of them striking in their own unique ways. Particularly, Imoru’s performance as Arachne is almost hypnotizing, in the delicate weaving of her hands, her childlike voice and her ability to keep a crowd focused as she moves props around and delivers her lines perfectly.
The stage, special effects and costumes are very minimal, which purposely highlights the cast’s ability to make the production memorable. Lights, minimal props, drapes and colorful ropes provide just enough to let the audience create a clear image in their minds, in a way that allows for imagination to swell the way it did when we were all children and fast to make up stories and believe in fables. The backdrop has simple and subtle colors that appear to change in the light. The simplicity of it all is refreshing and allows both the cast and the audience to see the heart of the story a bit clearer, without all the special effects and fancy costumes; the stories are what matter.
Truthfully, this production by director Shana Cooper reminded me of what storytelling can do and how much wonder it can provide. It’s perfect for mythology enthusiasts, though anyone should be able to follow the stories just fine and enjoy them. If you love the simple craft of storytelling, this might be for you.
Metamorphoses | Leo K. Theatre, 155 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA | January 27 – February 26.
Tickets: Metamorphoses | Seattle Rep
