FAMILIAR MYTHS TAKE ON MAGICAL NEW FORMS
IN CCM’S MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION OF ‘METAMORPHOSES’
This February, CCM presents the Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning ‘Metamorphoses,’ a series of vignettes adapted by theatre director and playwright Mary Zimmerman from the classic Ovid poem of the same name.
Guest artist D. Lynn Meyers directs.
Senior drama major Madeline McKenzie. Photography by Stirling Shelton.
CINCINNATI, OH—The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) Mainstage Series resumes in February with a new production of Mary Zimmerman’s award-winning METAMORPHOSES. Based on the classic myths of Ovid, this entrancing drama runs Feb. 6 – 9 in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater, with a special preview performance at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Guest artist D. Lynn Meyers directs. The production is intended for mature audiences.
From a simple, rippling pool of water, METAMORPHOSES conjures a series of familiar myths into gorgeous theatrical imagery. The winner of two Drama Desk Awards and one Tony Award after its Broadway run in 2002, this entrancing theatrical event retells the classic stories of King Midas, Orpheus and Eurydice, Narcissus and more.
To realize Zimmerman’s bold vision for METAMORPHOSES, an on-stage pool fills 576 square feet of Patricia Corbett Theater for this production. This pool holds 4,000 gallons of water, weighing roughly 10 tons, and ranges in depth from just a few inches to nearly two feet. Although the element of water is central to all of the myths featured in Metamorphoses, the pool’s function changes from vignette to vignette, sometimes serving as a simple washing basin or swimming pool, while other times standing in for the River Styx or the sea.
Insistent on finding the perfect actors for METAMORPHOSES, CCM Drama Chair Richard Hess held auditions in the aquatic complex of the University of Cincinnati’s Campus Recreation Center. The auditions were rigorous, taking place in the water to gauge the comfort levels of the actors.
Costume designer Amanda Kai Newman, a third-year masters degree student at CCM, faced multiple challenges in crafting costumes for this production, as well. Since the action in METAMORPHOSES takes place both in and out of the water, Newman used quick-drying fabrics such as silk and rayon. The fact that the on-stage pool is heated meant that all of her dyes had to be colorfast in both hot and cold water, too, so Newman ended up hand painting or dying all of the garments for this production.
Unique to CCM’s production, student cellist Jacob Yates adds to the atmosphere and magic of Metamorphoses, playing his original compositions during the performance.
The result of all of this hard work is a production tailor-made for the CCM stage, and an extraordinary theater-going experience that promises to brush with the divine.
About D. Lynn Meyers
D. Lynn Meyers is currently in her 17th season as the Producing Artistic Director of Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati where she has directed over 50 world and regional premieres, including Black Pearl Sings!, Good People, Alice in Wonderland, Next to Normal and The Whipping Man. She recently directed The Pavilion at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Pride and Prejudice for the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. She directed Off-Broadway at the York Theatre with Marsha Norman’s Traveler in the Dark and James McClure’s Max and Maxie.
Her regional work includes Capital Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Florida Stage and the Falcon Theatre in Los Angeles where she directed the Sweet 16 anniversary production of Steel Magnolias.
Her several Canadian national tours included Mass Appeal with the late great Gale Gordon. As a producer for Dove Audio, she produced and directed dozens of audio books. She served as the Associate Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Playhouse for several seasons where she cast over 100 productions as well as directed in both the Marx and Shelterhouse theatres.
In addition to her directing work, she is a member of the Casting Society of America and has cast for PBS, CBS, BBC, HBO, MTM, Paramount and MGM. Her favorite feature credit is serving as Location Casting Director for the Academy Award-winning Shawshank Redemption. She was a named one of four finalists for the Zelda Fichandler National Award in 2011, honoring directors whose work is making an impact on the art form and their community. She was honored with as a YWCA Woman of Achievement and given the Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Continued Excellence. She is a proud graduate of Thomas More College and serves on the college’s Board of Trustees.
Performance Time
- 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5 (preview)
- 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6
- 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7
- 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8
- 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9
Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati
Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Metamorphoses are $27-$31 for adults, $17-$20 for non-UC students and $15-$18 for UC students, with $12-$15 student rush tickets available for the Saturday matinee beginning at 1 p.m. on Feb. 8. Tickets to the Feb. 5 preview performance are just $12. Subscription packages are also still available for the remainder of CCM’s 2013-14 Mainstage Series.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/metamorphoses. Metamorphoses intended for mature audiences.
Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.
For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.
For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Community Partner: ArtsWave
Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the leading conservatories for the performing and electronic media arts, composition, scholarship and pedagogy.
All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events or to view CCM’s 2013-2014 season brochure visit our website at ccm.uc.edu.
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