Review: METAMORPHOSES at A Noise Within

In a word...Delicious.

A Noise Within winds down its 2021-22 season with playwright Mary Zimmerman's primal retelling of Ovid's METAMORPHOSIS. It is nothing short of spectacular.

Tales of Midas, Orpheus, Aphrodite, Lucina, Alcyone, Iris, Phaeton, and Ceyx cohese together like a perfectly simmered, aromatic stew of human passion, sex, humor, greed, whimsey, and heartbreak.

Re-envisioned for a modern audience, the Tony-nominated, Drama Desk Award-winning METAMORPHOSIS is set entirely in and around a swimming pool. It is a voluptuous centerpiece that highlights the metaphor and transformation of the locations and the character arcs.

Publius Ovidius Naso, more commonly known to history as Ovid (43 BCE - 17 CE) was one of the most prolific writers of the early Roman Empire. His works of poetry have influenced many notable authors throughout history including, Chaucer, Milton, Dante, Shakespeare, and Goethe. METAMORPHOSIS, his most famous work, is a collection of tales garnered from classical and Near Eastern myths and legends - a chronological, epic poem that spoke not only of humanity's interaction with the gods, but also of heroes and heroines such as Perseus, Theseus, Hector, and Achilles. *

Zimmerman's fascination with mythology is potent and possibly not more so than here. Adapted from David R. Slavitt's free-verse translation of, "The Metamorphoses of Ovid", the production is like an exotic, tropical water lily afloat in a steamy bath. In an interview Zimmerman notes, "I like great sweeps of time and place, and I like obsessive love and unrequited love. The water is sexy and sensual and beautiful. It stands in for very literal and metaphorical things. And it's sometimes just very, very funny.

Directed by Julia Rodriquez-Elliot and brought to life by an outstanding ensemble cast the play is all of that and more. Consummately framed by sultry set, sound, and lighting design it is a visual as well as audio treat. The cast delivers fully accessible text, drama, and comedy with vocal perfection. And, costuming is a delightfully balanced mixture of classical and modern.

And best, seamed together by perfectly interwoven stories that come around full circle, the show is 90 minutes in total yet the pacing is thoroughly engaging for a not-a-second-withered one-hour feeling making A Noise Within's METAMORPHOSIS absolutely satisfying to the core.

WHAT:
A Noise Within presents Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses. Primal storytelling and modern sensibility collide in a sensual re-envisioning of Greek myths, as gods and mortals alike endure love, loss, and transformation-all while immersed in a pool of water on stage. Swirling with passion, this multiple award-winning masterpiece mesmerizes with tales of Midas, Orpheus, Aphrodite and more in a funny, whimsical and heartbreaking meditation on the joys and perils of being human.

WHO:
• Written by Mary Zimmerman
• Based on the myths of Ovid, from the translation by David R. Slavit
• Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott
• Starring DeJuan Christopher, Geoff Elliott, Rafael Goldstein, Nicole Javier, Kasey Mahaffy, Sydney A. Mason, Trisha Miller, Cassandra Marie Murphy, Erika Soto
• Presented by A Noise Within, Geoff Elliot and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, producing artistic directors

WHEN:
Previews May 8-May 13:
Performances May 14-June 5:
• Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.: May 11 ONLY (Preview)*
• Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.: May 12 (Preview), May 26, June 2 (dark May 19)
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: May 13 (Preview), May 20**, May 27**, June 3**
• Saturdays at 2 p.m.: May 21, May 28; June 4
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: May 14 (Opening Night), May 21, May 28; June 4
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: May 8 (Preview), May 15, May 22**, May 29; June 5
*Pre-performance symposium with noted scholar at 6:45 p.m. on May 11 (included in ticket price)
**Post-performance conversations with the artists on May 20, May 22, May 27, June 3 (included in ticket price)