Gustavus Adolphus College is proud to present the Theater Department’s rendition of Metamorphoses. An emotional whirlwind of a play that takes classic stories told by Ovid and redesigns them for modern audiences, this production should not be missed. It will be taking place from November 2 to November 5.
Associate Professor in Theatre and Dance and Director of Metamorphoses Henry MacCarthy and Stage Manager Wren Heiman ‘25 spoke on their respective experiences working on this and shared the importance of theater as a whole.
Wren Heiman described the play as “a series of monologues spoken by characters from Greek and Roman mythology”, adding that there are “very frank and personal explanations of individuals’ experiences and transformations.”
Although this may sound far removed from the modern realm, everyone involved has been hard at work to make this appealing to audiences from all backgrounds, bringing the classics from Ancient Rome to life for students to learn from.
Henry MacCarthy speaks on this, saying that “they use these stories from Ovid’s original Metamorphosis and retell them from a contemporary view, with the characters having the power in this version.”
Tickets for this production are available to Gustavus students for free, with this being a production that they should absolutely come and see.
“It is very contemporary and it is very funny,” says MacCarthy. “It is a short piece that is poignant and, like life, is not 100% funny or 100% sad, with there being a little bit for everybody. These stories are really captivating and absurd while also showing rebellion and taking ownership. Who doesn’t like a rebel?”
“So much happens!” says Heiman ‘25 about going to see the play. “Come hang out with these folks and listen to what they have to say, because it’s pretty interesting.”
Not only is this a more unique take on Ovid’s original work, it is also infused with experiences unique to the Gustavus experience.
As Maccarthy touches on, “we are trying to make these stories come along by injecting some of our own stories in there. How we see the world, our own references. We are putting a mirror to the audiences and helping them experience community. Ultimately it is about the relationships that we have as human beings.”
The theatre production is happening from November 2 to November 4, at 7:30 p.m. and November 5 at 2 p.m.. Tickets can be purchased at https://gustavustickets.universitytickets.com/