Perhaps you’ve never seen a pool of water on a theater’s stage before, or the actors get soaked to the bone as they tell their stories, but that’s what I saw today at A Noise Within (ANW) in its production of METAMORPHOSES, a sometimes funny, often touching, re-envisioning of Ovid’s Greek myths by playwright Mary Zimmerman.

Remember Midas? The king whose touch turns everything into gold? Seeing his daughter (played by Nicole Javier) accidently turned into a gold piece is one of the unforgettable moments of this show, but there are so many more! 

Sea-god Poseidon (Geoff Elliott)’s fight against King Ceyx (DeJuan Christopher) is an exciting water combat scene that could make your sitting on the first row significantly more involved than you may anticipate (splash!). In the telling of this myth you’ll be also mesmerized by Iris’ fabulous rainbow cape.

The funniest moment belongs to Phaeton (Kasey Mahaffy) as he discusses with a therapist the dysfunctional relationship that he has with his father Apollo, the sun god, also played by Elliott. But the soul-stirring tale comes last, as Baucis and Philemon request from the gods Zeus and Hermes to be allowed to die together, and in that way keep each other away from the grief of death.

90-minutes (no intermission) are used in the modernized retelling of six myths by Ovid. It’s a gorgeous show, the most ambitious I’ve seen at ANW so far, and certainly a must-see. 

METAMORPHOSES is directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott. A cast of nine resident artists takes on over 85 roles throughout the performance. Aside from the actors mentioned above, this talented cast includes Rafael Goldstein, Sydney A. Mason, Trisha Miller, Cassandra Marie Murphy, and Erika Soto. 

The creative team includes scenic designer François-Pierre Couture; lighting designer Ken Booth; and costume designer Garry Lennon.

Performances of METAMORPHOSES take place through June 5, 2022, on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. 

In addition, there will be student matinees at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17; Wednesday, May 18; Thursday, May 19, Tuesday, May 24, and Wednesday, May 25. Interested educators should email education@anoisewithin.org.

Tickets start at $25. Student tickets start at $18. To purchase tickets and for more information, including up-to-date Covid-19 safety protocols on the date of each performance, call (626) 353-3100 or go to anoisewithin.org

ANW is located at 3352 E Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. Parking is free at the structure behind the theater.