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Al cor che, nudrito............A heart nourished
Da speme, da amore,.........By hope, by love Di un'esca migliore............Has no need Bisogno non ha................ Of a greater lure. “Un'aura amorosa” from Così fan tutte —Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
Metamorphoses
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San Joaquin Delta College Presents METAMORPHOSES By Mary Zimmerman Directed by Ken Sonkin Based on David R. Slavitt’s Translation of The Metamorphoses of Ovid July 26-29, 2018 “a play that recaptures the primal allure of the theatre... not just escape but sometimes a glimpse of the divine.” ...............................—Time Magazine |
In Metamorphoses, the world is permeated by a sense of flux, disorder, and chaos. A sequence of events is rarely related as cause and effect, and the point of view about what is happening at any given time is ever shifting. Mary Zimmerman's magical adaptation of Ovid's fables shines a light on our limitations and showcases the fallibility of humankind. Delighted to return to Delta College, Ken will direct these provocative stories set around a pool on stage. Zimmerman has said, "These myths have a redemptive power in that they are so ancient. There's a comfort in the familiarity of the human condition."
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Performs: Thurs. July 26 at 7:30pm ................Fri. July 27 at 7:30pm ................Sat. July 28 at 1:30pm (matinee) ................Sat. July 28 at 7:30pm ................Sun. July 29 at 7:30pm The Alfred H. Muller Studio Theatre Locke Center 5151 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95207 Box Office: (209) 954-5110 |
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Cast
Dhestiny Auer Adrion Barker Zemmoia Bryant Kylah Joanna Calvo Chris Hunter Navaz Khan Donald Lacy Marcus Richard Vanesa Riley Daniela Santiuste-Loera Imri Tate Charles Williams |
Production Team
Director, Sound Designer, Ken Sonkin Original Scenic Design, Robert Mark Morgan Lighting Designer, Chris Guptill Costume Designer, Jonathan Singer Assist. Costume Designer, Jennifer Barker Properties Designer, Benicia Martinez Composer, Maureen McKibben Choreographer, Amie Dowling Technical Director, Kevin Bautch Stage Manager, Mark Sheasley Assist. Stage Manager, Joseph Ramos Master Carpenters, Kevin Bautch, Mark Sheasley Graphic Designer, Holly Temple |
Director’s Notes:
Questions? Since the beginning, the human experience has been filled with uncertainties. At different points in our lives, we search for answers. Some search in books, some in religion or the mystical arts, some look to our elders and some into the eyes of a child. At some point, most of us look up—to the stars, heaven, or God—looking for answers that will guide us along this path we call life.
..........Everything changes; nothing dies; the soul
..........Roams to and fro, now here, now there, and takes
..........What frame it will, passing from beast to man,
..........From our own form to beast and never dies.
......................................................................—Ovid
Written in 17 B.C., Metamorphoses is a collection of ancient stories based in mythology that were written by Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso), a Latin poet born in 43 B.C. Ovid's inspiration was the active bustle of Rome itself, and his work struck a chord with the younger, more sexually liberated segments of Roman society. Unlike his other works, this epic poem makes mortal characters its subject rather than heroes or gods. He even goes so far as to portray the gods as self-absorbed and vengeful. In 8 C.E., Ovid was exiled by the Emperor Augustus under mysterious circumstances. Some scholars suggest that many of the stories in Metamorphoses were deeply subversive and can be read as criticism of the Emperor. In the historical record, Ovid writes only that his banishment to Tomis was because of “an error and a poem.”
Working with her Chicago-based troupe, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Mary Zimmerman adapted Ovid’s poem for the stage in 2001. A professor of performance studies at Northwestern University, she has also adapted/directed The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, The Odyssey, The Arabian Nights, Eleven Rooms of Proust, and Journey to the West. The lauded playwright is a MacArthur Fellow and a Manilow Resident Director at The Goodman Theatre. In 2002, Metamorphoses moved to Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre and Zimmerman won a Tony Award for her direction.
In Metamorphoses, the world is permeated by a sense of flux, disorder, and chaos. A sequence of events is rarely related as cause and effect, and the point of view about what is happening at any given time is ever shifting. With these myths, Zimmerman shines a bright light on 21st century questions, addressing such universal themes as greed, death, suffering, revenge, love lost, love found, and redemption. Juxtaposing the ancient and contemporary in both language and form, Zimmerman shows us the limitations, fallibilities, and greatness of humankind in the face of inevitable change. There are many possible answers—and they all involve some sort of transformation.
..........“People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life.
..........I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive,
..........so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.”
......................................................................—Joseph Campbell
..............................................................>........The Power of Myth
The journey we’ve taken together in creating this production has been divine—like a beautiful dance. I want to thank the Delta Drama actors, designers, technicians, faculty, and staff for sharing their talents, diligence, humility, humor, and passion. I’ve thoroughly loved bringing this provocative play to life with them.
I hope that your experience is equally divine.
Ken Sonkin
Director, Metamorphoses
July 2018
Questions? Since the beginning, the human experience has been filled with uncertainties. At different points in our lives, we search for answers. Some search in books, some in religion or the mystical arts, some look to our elders and some into the eyes of a child. At some point, most of us look up—to the stars, heaven, or God—looking for answers that will guide us along this path we call life.
..........Everything changes; nothing dies; the soul
..........Roams to and fro, now here, now there, and takes
..........What frame it will, passing from beast to man,
..........From our own form to beast and never dies.
......................................................................—Ovid
Written in 17 B.C., Metamorphoses is a collection of ancient stories based in mythology that were written by Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso), a Latin poet born in 43 B.C. Ovid's inspiration was the active bustle of Rome itself, and his work struck a chord with the younger, more sexually liberated segments of Roman society. Unlike his other works, this epic poem makes mortal characters its subject rather than heroes or gods. He even goes so far as to portray the gods as self-absorbed and vengeful. In 8 C.E., Ovid was exiled by the Emperor Augustus under mysterious circumstances. Some scholars suggest that many of the stories in Metamorphoses were deeply subversive and can be read as criticism of the Emperor. In the historical record, Ovid writes only that his banishment to Tomis was because of “an error and a poem.”
Working with her Chicago-based troupe, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Mary Zimmerman adapted Ovid’s poem for the stage in 2001. A professor of performance studies at Northwestern University, she has also adapted/directed The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, The Odyssey, The Arabian Nights, Eleven Rooms of Proust, and Journey to the West. The lauded playwright is a MacArthur Fellow and a Manilow Resident Director at The Goodman Theatre. In 2002, Metamorphoses moved to Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre and Zimmerman won a Tony Award for her direction.
In Metamorphoses, the world is permeated by a sense of flux, disorder, and chaos. A sequence of events is rarely related as cause and effect, and the point of view about what is happening at any given time is ever shifting. With these myths, Zimmerman shines a bright light on 21st century questions, addressing such universal themes as greed, death, suffering, revenge, love lost, love found, and redemption. Juxtaposing the ancient and contemporary in both language and form, Zimmerman shows us the limitations, fallibilities, and greatness of humankind in the face of inevitable change. There are many possible answers—and they all involve some sort of transformation.
..........“People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life.
..........I think that what we're seeking is an experience of being alive,
..........so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.”
......................................................................—Joseph Campbell
..............................................................>........The Power of Myth
The journey we’ve taken together in creating this production has been divine—like a beautiful dance. I want to thank the Delta Drama actors, designers, technicians, faculty, and staff for sharing their talents, diligence, humility, humor, and passion. I’ve thoroughly loved bringing this provocative play to life with them.
I hope that your experience is equally divine.
Ken Sonkin
Director, Metamorphoses
July 2018
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