1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Transylvania University’s theater program will bring myth, movement and powerful visual storytelling to the Little Theater this spring with Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses,” directed by Tosha Fowler. Performances run Wednesday, Feb. 25, through Sunday, March 1. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Tickets are available at transy.edu/theater. Based on the epic poem by the Roman writer Ovid, “Metamorphoses” transforms ancient myths into a theatrical experience that feels immediate and contemporary. First developed by Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company, the play went on to Broadway in 2002, where it earned three Tony Award nominations, including Best Play. Zimmerman won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. Time magazine called it the “theater event of the year.” The play has become known for its striking stage imagery, particularly its use of water as both setting and symbol. In many productions, a large pool anchors the stage and serves as everything from river to sea to underworld. The water reflects the play’s central theme of transformation, as characters shift forms, identities and destinies. At Transylvania, Tosha Fowler, the Lucille C. Little Endowed Chair in Theater and director of Transylvania’s theater program, is reimagining that iconic staging. For Fowler, staging “Metamorphoses” also meant reimagining one of its most iconic elements. She remembers seeing the 10-year anniversary remount of Mary Zimmerman’s original production with its original cast — a legendary show in Chicago during her graduate

Read “Transylvania Theater Presents ‘Metamorphoses’ by Mary Zimmerman”