‘Metamorphoses’ transforms Wells-Metz stage

There is one word cast members are using to describe Indiana University’s production of the play “Metamorphoses:” unique.\n“This was by far the most unique show I’ve worked on,” said Graham Sheldon, a junior who plays the character of Vertumnus, among others. “I’ve never spent so much rehearsal time not reading in the text; it was scary and liberating all at the same time.”\n“Metamorphoses,” the most recent production of the IU Department of Theater and Drama, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1-8, and at 2 p.m. Feb. 9 in the Wells-Metz Theatre. Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of Ovid’s classic tales will bring a different feel to the Department of Theatre and Drama, all under the direction of John Maness, a third-year Master of Fine Arts student in directing. “Metamorphoses” is his thesis production.\n“I chose this as my thesis project mainly because when I walked into the space of the theater it was being done in,” Maness said. \nThe play was originally produced with a giant swimming pool on-stage, with much of the action done in and around the water. Due to time and finance limitations, the Wells-Metz was not able to hold this aspect of the production.\n“We had to come up with an alternative way to incorporate (the water) and it became an interesting challenge to me,” Maness said.\nThe production uses many unusual rehearsal strategies and movements throughout the play to incorporate the style without the water, including techniques developed by theatrical director, writer and philosopher Tadashi Suzuki. \n“John Maness uses a lot of uncommon methods of rehearsal, and a lot with music,” said Jason Nelson, a transfer student from Purdue University who plays Phaeton, among other characters. “One exercise we did was to raise our arm in one interval of a song and lower it in the next.” \nThe Suzuki Method, IU Associate Professor Adam Noble said, is a way actors train themselves to act with their whole body. \n“A lot of actors today only act from the neck up,” Noble said. “The Suzuki method is applied for actors to work from the neck down as well.”\nHe said the method takes much of its movement from traditional Japanese theater, martial arts and ballet. “Its main focus is to get the same physical act of building flexibility and using the entire body, the entire instrument for acting.”\nMany of the actors and crew knew these movements and others by taking classes with Noble, who specializes in movement with the theatre and drama department.\n“About 90 percent of the ensemble had taken a movement class or workshop,” Sheldon said.\nAlthough the rehearsals have been intense and sometimes unusual, there have been a few fun incidents.\n“I broke a light with my trident the other day,” said Sheldon, commenting on his role as Poseidon. “I never thought I’d come home and say ‘today, I shattered a light bulb with my trident.’”\nThe play brings different timeless subjects together with little transition time.\n“It’s all about transformation, trials and tribulations of love, aspects of parent to child relationships, abandonment, incest; it’s a wide variety of ideas,” Nelson said. “It’s fluidity has been worked into much of the design of the show. It’s a very dynamic show in content and it has been a lot of fun.”\nMany actors and people involved commented on the relativity between the script and stage design, which was made by first-year graduate student Hyunsuk Shin, the scenic designer for the production. \n“We have a first year scenic designer who has adapted things and has done some interesting work that students will find exciting,” Director of Audience Development John Kinzer said.\nStudents are told that the play will hit close to home.\n“A lot of directors tell me that students should see a show just because they should,” Kinzer said. “But Metamorphoses will resonate with students.”