Metamorphoses

Love is action…love is transformation. 

The guiding phrase was harness the power of physical transformation as I developed the staging for UM-Flint’s production of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses. The script’s requisite pool of water invited me to expand the action of transformation…for the nature of the pool’s water, ranging from still to volatile, all depends upon the action of the performers who engage with it, imaginatively and physically. Objects too, such as fabric and bamboo poles, could realize the idea of transformation via human action. Physical theatre training practices drawn from Suzuki, Viewpoints, and the Slow Tempo work of Shogo Ohta developed the actors’ physical/ensemble skillsets to safely perform this rigorous yet delicate production. The pool of water had three levels of depth to accommodate a spectrum of physical activity – ranging from ankle deep to chest deep. – Janet Haley, director