Greek • James
McHale and MacKenzi Meehan and
Erika Arias and Danielle Dauphinee,
right, portray mythological characters
in Cal State Long Beach department
of theatre arts’ production
of Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses.”
‘Metamorphoses’ presents tales in traditional form
Allison Baldwin
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
The Cal State Long Beach department of theatre arts’ presentation of
Mary Zimmerman’s award-winning play, “Metamorphoses” opened
Dec. 2 and will run until Dec. 10. The play offers a contemporary view of Ovid’s
myths—a collection of 250 Greek myths divided among 15 chapters with
various recurring themes—and weaves these themes of love into the comedy
and tragedy of Greek mythology. An ensemble cast of 10 University Players assumes
the guises of many familiar characters, both mortal and divine.
Anne Justine D’Zmura’s direction was superb. The staging was balanced
and the timing was at the right pace to keep the action flowing well.
The set design was beautiful, with a distinctive water feature. Water is essential
to the Greek myths, so the dominance of water in the set was a perfect choice.
The large rope ladder as an access point to the gods was an inspired choice.
It offered a classy way to show the actors playing gods were displayed as superior
to mortals. The use of lighting was effective, and the light bulbs used for
stars and lightning were a nice addition.
The costumes ranged from the stained earthy clothes of a drunken man to the
flowing crimson garb worn by Aphrodite, the goddess of love. And, in true Greek
form, the play included instances of partial female nudity and full-frontal
male nudity.
The interpretation of chants and use of drums was good. The drum beating was
especially effective during the story of Myrrha, creating intensity and a feeling
of impending disaster. Some of the biggest laughs came as a result of the three-man
chanting group that pops up a few times.
James McHale and MacKenzie Meehan had good onstage chemistry. The love stories
of Alcyone and Ceyx, and Baucis and Philemon were very effective thanks to
the actors’ connection.
Alex Boyles was hilarious. His use of facial expressions as Vertumnus was perfect
for the role, and his stint as a woman was one of the funniest scenes of the
production.
Erika Arias’ interpretation of King Midas’ daughter was very believable.
She embodied the spirit of a playful and loving child in a seemingly effortless
way.
Andrew Eiden was very approachable in his interpretation of Phaeton. He was
well skilled at projecting the insecurity and vulnerability of a teen and made
the character seem very relatable.
Jasper Oliver was very versatile. His presentation of the different aspects
of King Midas’ character helped create a nice bookend for the play.
The University Player’s production of “Metamorphoses” is
a must-see. The production ran smoothly and the actors were skilled at portraying
so many emotions with just a simple gesture or look. If there were any complaints,
they were that the show was over too soon.
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