This fall’s freshmen/sophomore play had its three consecutive shows on Oct. 20, 21 and 22. The play, best described as a nonconsecutive mythological dramedy, was written by playwright Mary Zimmerman and premiered under the name Six Myths at Northwestern University in 1996. 

Metamorphoses is comprised of six parts—six individual Greek myths ranging from the widely  known stories such as King Midas and Orpheus to the lesser known such as the story of Erysichthon and Alcyone. 

The play was a big step away from the established standard for ETHS theater. The props and costumes were simple, but the performance was complex. The non-narrative structure was different than many of the actors are used to, and the stories had different emotional moments due to the presence of many different genres. 

This is a new type of show for many cast members,  such as Paula Hlava.“So basically, this show is multi-faceted. It has many different elements to it. There is also a factor of emotion to it: there’s love, tragedy and loss. And it all fits together really well,” Hlava describes.

Before the production’s debut, the cast worked on their roles for months. The result was a well put together play, but also a tight knit cast of close friends. Everyone is very happy with the group and thought that the environment before the play was great.

 Including Louise Baer. She says, “I think the frosh shows are unique welcoming theater and it’s not competitive and its growth and change and discovery are encouraged and there’s less criticism.”

Sadie Corey agrees saying, “Personally I’ve really enjoyed it and it’s really fun to become a cast together..”

The cast all seemed to love the show, but they weren’t the only ones. When I went to the second show of the cycle, The Little Theater was packed. Each emotional moment evoked a significant reaction from the audience, and the completion of the performance was met with thunderous applause. The cast members attributed this effect to  Metamorphoses’ relatable and clear emotional themes of love, loss and life. 

“The theme that we see in this show is really general so there is something everyone can relate to this idea of magnifying emotions to this degree, this is important to young people because they have complex emotions. Many teenagers are going through a change and it’s important for those people to relate to that.”(Sadie Corey)

Because of it’s endearing complexity and emotional clarity, Metamorphoses is a hit with interactive audiences wherever it’s played. The  ETHSTheater is no exception. The cast was phenomenal, the execution was great and combined with an amazing script. The frosh-soph play shaped out to be an all around fun occasion that leaves you wishing Mary Zimmerman had written a sequel.