Reconnect with your Mythic Side; Greek Mythology on the Stage
"It has been said that the myth is a public dream, dreams are private myths. Unfortunately we give our mythic side scant attention these days. As a result, a great deal escapes us and we no longer understand our own actions. So it remains important and salutary to speak not only of the rational and easily understood, but also of enigmatic things: the irrational and the ambiguous. To speak both privately and publicly."
One of the several roles played by Rose Callaghan, Therapist, in Atlantic Acting School’s Full Time Conservatory’s production of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, presents this poignant analysis of mythology that gives us the glimpse of the premise on which this adaptation of Ovid’s poem is constructed.
Throughout Metamorphoses, storytelling demonstrates its enduring power as part of our ability to live and comprehend tumultuous love, desperate passion, remorseless fate, inevitable death -- and as its title suggests -- change. Originally opening Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre in 2001, its latest interpretation was held a few blocks south on West 16th street, in Atlantic Theatre Company’s cozy basement black box known as Stage 2, October 14th to 22nd, 2022.
“[…]What a joy!”
Nemuna Ceesay wrote, Founder of The Blueprint (a network of professional, BIPOC artists dedicated to providing comprehensive and holistic training to emerging artists of color), in her Instagram post, on directing this Atlantic Acting School production.
Maya Shoham as Myrrha & Matthew Wong Ken as Cinyras in Atlantic Acting School’s Metamorphoses
The staging calls for actors to perform and portray their characters swimming in and around the pool of water on stage, which Director Nemuna Ceesay took to by implementing a blue blow-up pool filled with several props, courtesy of Prop Designer, M Picciut.
“I saw you in this play on Thursday and you were STUNNING! So much anguish and longing at the same time.”
Commented Julie Spector on Myrrha, played by Maya Shoham as seen in the image with Matthew Wong Ken (Cinyras).
Aside from this production, Maya Shoham (Third Laundress, Hunger, Myrrha, Narrator 3 of "Baucis and Philemon") and Max Cattana (Midas' Servant, Ceyx, Morpheus as Ceyx, Hades, Philemon) have implemented Atlantic Acting School’s motto “Make your own work” by creating their short film, Midnight Cannoli.
The Full-Time Conservatory students depicted an impressive list of over 30 characters during their four-show run, as follows:
Jasmine K. Bernard: Bacchus, Poseidon, Hermes, Vertumnus
Rose Callaghan: Narrator of "Alcyone and Ceyx", Pandora, Nursemaid to Myrrha, Therapist
Max Cattana : Midas' Servant, Ceyx, Morpheus as Ceyx, Hades, Philemon
Rachel Collignon: First Laundress, Singer, Spirit of the Tree, Eurydice, Q
Emma Claire Crockett: Lucina, Baucis
Joanne Grommesh: Woman by the Water, Alcyone, Ceres, Atalanta, Narrator 2 of "Baucis and Philemon"
Lauren Hambleton: Narrator of sleep episode in "Alcyone and Ceyx", Phaeton, Narrator 5 of "Baucis and Philemon"
Sammy Overton: Narcissus, Orpheus, Narrator of Vertumnus and Pomona, Apollo
Atlantic Acting School’s 2022 Production of Metamorphoses
Helen Owolabi : Scientist, Second Laundress, Erysichton's Mother, Narrator 4 of "Baucis and Philemon”
Aaliyah Dru Rivera: Midas' Daughter, Iris, Narrator 1 of Orpheus & Eurydice
Olivia Rubin: Midas, Narrator of "Erysichthon", A
Kailah Santos: Persephone, Buyer, Eros
Maya Shoham: Third Laundress, Hunger, Myrrha, Narrator 3 of "Baucis and Philemon"
Christine Treuhold: Silenus, Pomona, Woman at the door, Narrator of Erysichthon
Ana Valdés: Aphrodite, Oread, Narrator 2 of "Orpheus and Eurydice", Psyche, First Narrator of "Baucis and Philemon"
Matthew X Wong-Ken: Zeus, Henchman, Sleep, Erysichton, 3rd performer in "Narcissus Interlude", Cinyras
Through vignettes depicting some aspect of the play's central idea, change, the conservatory actors morphed from role to role.
"It was an absolute delight working with this group of professionals! Playing many characters is a difficult task, but each of them used their years of training to make every character unique and memorable."
- Olivia Mancini (they, them) Metamorphoses’ Stage Manager
Atlantic Acting School’s 2022 Production of Metamorphoses
In portraying such a large array of characters in the great arc of concepts and sentiments, rather than being a “lead character”-driven plot, this production proves to be an invaluable asset to the conservatory students’ body of work, for, much like in an orchestra, while many may yearn for their voice to stand out and be revered – especially tempting in this case, where it is the culmination of years of actors’ intensive study -- the true proof of a well-rounded and impactful performance is that in which all voices blend seamlessly to present a cohesive and resonant story.
What must be strived for is a truly mindful production — the producing entities owe the audience this, to not have individual talents (as remarkable as they may be) pushed to the forefront — but allow the viewers a conscientious experience that leaves an imprint on their human experience. That is the ultimate respect to the work and the audience that invests their time in seeing it.
Michael Mastro, faculty at Atlantic Acting School, attests to their experience as an audience member, stating,
"Thank you for your clear commitment to authentically living each of the stories in Metamorphoses, for your sense of creativity and play, and for your sense of humor (so often lacking in presentations of Greek plays/stories). Your openness to discovery even as you performed it, opened a window for me. “God is in the details,” they say, and with your willingness to search for your individual truths in this piece, you had me in a place of curiosity and engagement that I rarely experience when seeing classic Greek texts performed."
Rachel Collignon performing an original melody to close the myth of Aclyone and Cinyrras.
And the details were devoted to, indeed, as an original melody was composed and performed live for the production by Rachel Collignon (who played First Laundress, Singer, Spirit of the Tree, Eurydice, Q). Collignon, a French triple-threat artist and soon-to-be graduate of Atlantic’s Full-Time Conservatory, sang and played the keyboard to close the myth of Aclyone and Cinyrras.
As evident in the production photos, the costumes -- thanks to Costume Designer Emily White -- were marvelously fitting and representative of the contemporary and classic juxtaposition of the play.
In a NOW Interview with Bill Moyers, Mary Zimmerman says “[Metamorphoses] makes it easy to enter the heart and to believe in greater change as well... that we all can transform." This sentiment gives an overarching and almost meta meaning to the production, when taken out of the myths and placed onto many stages across the world. It is inevitable that the portrayal of these characters will change with every production of the play, which renders it always imbued with an “understand[ing] of our own actions”, as monologued by the Therapist’s character.
It is undeniably valuable to venture to see each version of the public dream that is Metamorphoses, and those who had the privilege to experience this particular rendering by Atlantic Acting School Full-Time Conservatory Students directed by Nemuna Ceesay, sure came out of the theatre having given their mythic side ample attention that day.
Production photos by Ahron R. Foster.
I have a particular fondness regarding this play, as many years ago, it was one of the productions that played a pivotal role in shaping the life I went on to live. Directed by Adam Sentoni, the production was a “beautiful example of the indelible and powerful experience of live, immersive theatre”. (NJ.com)
Metamorphoses is one of those plays that, whether you took part in the production or experienced the culmination of work, stays with you forever – through your own ebbs and flows of existence.
The next time you have the opportunity to see this play, whether it be on a Broadway stage or in a student-performed black-box theatre, take it. For you are bound to come out of that show having been spoken to “[…] not only of the rational and easily understood, but also of enigmatic things: the irrational and the ambiguous. […] both privately and publicly."
Let me die the moment my love dies.
Let me not outlive my own capacity to love.
Let me die still loving, and so, never die.
— Metamorphoses, Mary Zimmerman
