In 8 A.D., the Roman poet Ovid wrote the Metamorphoses, a narrative poem that remains one of the most popular pieces in mythology. When the lights dim at the University’s Robinson Theatre, ancient Greek gods from thousands of years ago come back to life to divulge timeless stories about love, loss and relationships in the evolving world. Mary Zimmerman’s translated interpretation of the Metamorphoses is a visually stimulating theater production about the human experience and self-discovery that reconnects history to modern day.
With the collaboration of Zimmerman, director and theatre arts professor John Schmor and eager University student cast members, the production of Metamorphoses promises to have a lasting effect on all of its viewers.
Cast member Jameson Tabor believes the production delivers an important message. “The play is really about a learning process of discovery. The whole theme of the show is how we live our lives and change,” Tabor said. “It really brings out life experiences that everyone needs to know; it is a very thought-provoking production.”
Throughout the play, characters constantly change and reflect on their lives. Student actor Braden Coucher describes a scene when the greedy King Midas turns his own daughter into gold. By the end of the play, King Midas comes to realize the true importance of love and family. “Theater isn’t really worth doing unless there is relevant truth; it’s like physical philosophy, and each story in the show is very relevant to today,” Coucher said.

Cast member Alexis Schaetzle says our lives are more closely connected to the past than we realize, and this idea is demonstrated in the production. “The basis of our show is about love and how people are constantly looking for love. Nothing changes in history; human experience is very new but it is also very old,” she said. “The interpretation of the play is modern and is a lovely idea of what the afterlife could be.”
The elaborate set creates a mysterious ambiance with an on-stage pool of water and angled staircase descending from the rafters. Several cast members describe the setting as a place that had been left behind and dilapidated to create a sense of a world that had been lost. The set also accounts for one of the most technically advanced at the Robinson Theatre.
“Our production is very different from Zimmerman’s rather glamorous vision,” Schmor said. “We have chosen to imagine the world as depleted, in danger even. We also chose to imagine ancient stories not as high-class spectacle but as hopeful and warning reminders to us all.”
Schmor and his young cast, which includes many freshmen, have been working tirelessly six nights per week to ensure a perfect performance. Rehearsals began a little over a month ago and the production process has been physically and mentally challenging for the actors.
“Our production imagines the pool of water differently, but it is still a technical nightmare to keep leaks and spills to a minimum, to keep the water safe for the actors,” Schmor said. “On top of that, they are performing 90 minutes with very little break, and the movement work Walter Kennedy has asked them to do is extraordinary, requiring extensive warm-ups each night and a great deal of focus from each actor.”
Schaetzle said cast members have put everything they have into this production, and working with such a qualified and experienced director as Schmor makes it worthwhile.
“John is amazing. He has put so much heart and passion into this play and he has inspired all of us,” she said. “He wants this play to be a gift to others, and he is very selfless in the way that he presents his art.”
For cast member Courtney Kearney, this production is not only contemporary, but also a compelling story of the human condition. “It is simply visually stunning, the lighting and movement are beautiful and it is a pure delight for the senses,” she said.
“The show creates a dream-like state that doesn’t push forth a meaning right away,” Coucher said. “However, in the end, there is a feeling that cannot be described with words.”
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