Mighty Morph-in’ Single Thread

by Alison Westwood, Queen's Journal (Nov 19, 2004); Photo by Andrew Norman

Brendan Halloran takes full advantage of the aquatic set.

Written by acclaimed playwright Mary Zimmerman, Metamorphoses provides a retelling of 10 Greek myths taken from the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The myths are connected by the common theme of a transforming character, the title Metamorphoses.

The Single Thread Theatre Company has produced its own version of the play, currently being performed at The Baby Grand Studio theatre through this weekend. Formed in 2003 by a group of Queen’s students, the Single Thread Theatre Company presents Canadian and classical pieces for the Kingston community.

As one character in Metamorphoses tells the audience, “Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths.” From the moment the audience enters the theatre—even before the play launches into its narrative—the dream-like aesthetics of the production are striking.

The Baby Grand Studio itself was transformed. Clearly the result of laborious planning and construction, an elaborate aquatic design sets the stage for the whimsical Metamorphoses.

While this production is a strong performance all-around, its tour de force is the visual appeal of the choreography and art direction. The commendable direction is the work of Kimberly McLeod who maximizes the capabilities of both the set and her actors.

Metamorphoses opens with a beautifully choreographed, wordless scene setting the tone for the rest of the play, moving through its selection of Greek myths in a graceful, dance-like fashion. Several times, as segues are integrated into the myths themselves, the cast performs rhythmic or musical interludes, showcasing the multi-talented performers.

In many productions, attempts to incorporate an additional method of performance (ie. music or dance) into the acting seem to be an afterthought or as a way to fill in time. However, Metamorphoses seamlessly integrates these other mediums into the narrative, using them to tell parts of the story.

The actors are remarkable in their performances, using their whole bodies to breathe life and emotion into the characters they play, doing so as smoothly on dry land as in the aquatic portion of the set. Further complementing the artistic performances and choreography are the simple, elegant costumes and the striking visuals created by stage and candle lighting. A strong attention to detail is what makes this production a beautiful visual experience, stylistically comparable, on a less grandiose scale, to the Cirque du Soleil.

A few scenes are especially memorable for their visual presentation and are thus worthy of mention. A storm at sea is captured from the point of view of sailors on a ship in such a way that the whole stage becomes a tumultuous nautical horror. At the opposite end of the spectrum is an intimate scene between Psyche and Eros in which Eros’ brilliant white wings glow atop a deep burgundy bed surrounded by water, amidst dim lighting.

Metamorphoses certainly boasts a strong cast, who are talented both as individual performers and as an ensemble. Sasha Kovacs’ performance as the sweet, delightful wood nymph is of particular note. Kovacs captures the innocent light-heartedness wonderfully and is well complimented by Kevin Millington in his role as Vertumnus, admirer of the nymph. As well, Veronique LeFort gives very powerful performances in all her roles, including Eurydice and the Godess of hunger, filling each of her characters with the grace and poise of a dancer.

Brendan Halloran’s performance of a modernized Donald Trump-type King Midas is also memorable, opening and closing the narrative of the play nicely. None of the actors are noticeably weaker than the cast as a whole, or overshadowed by other performers. One slight exception occurs in the very few times where the dialogue becomes overpowered by splashing in the water or singing. The dialogue is still audible, but the audience has to strain to hear over the additional sounds onstage.

Single Thread’s production is remarkable in that it only really generates compliments. A strong script, well acted and beautifully presented makes Metamorphoses a memorable play that enthralls the audience. A must-see presentation for anyone who loves the theatre, Greek mythology or who simply appreciates a good piece of art. Metamorphoses is only at The Baby Grand for the upcoming weekend, and I highly recommend making time to see it.

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